Post-Game Talk: Pens try to play hockey against Isles.

[Sidney the Kidney]

Regardless of the outcome of this playoff, JR has work to do. Get Letang off this team, reshape the blueline, and get a worthwhile winger for Sid and Jake.

I don't necessarily disagree with the bolded, but that seems like a tall order given the term on most of those guys' contracts.

Letang, Maatta, Dumoulin, and Schultz are all locked up for at least the next 3 seasons, and all of them making pretty decent money so you can't just bury one on the bottom pairing.

Sure, JR can upgrade on Ruhwedel/Hunwick. But really, it's the top four that's the issue. They're paid a lot, but don't necessarily perform at that level as a collective group.

I just don't know how JR would go about restructuring that blueline.

 

[larueskee]

I think Sullivan is a good coach. The one issue that is still very sour for me: playing Hunwick night in and night out while #2 was sitting on the shelf. That was just inexcusable and so obvious. I have no idea what they (the GM and the coach) were trying to figure out. I really am interested in people's take on this specific aspect of the season wrt to Sullivan's decison wtith this and with sitting Cole out

I think the choice was made in the off season to sign Dumpo amd Maata without any information in front of them. Schultz I could understand but the season Cole had compared to the seasons Maata and Dumo had. This year the same thing. Cole has 8 points in 12 games since going over to the Jackets. The Jackets have won 9 in a row and 10 of the 12 games Cole has played. No Seth Jones the last 3 games and Cole's ice time is now over 22 minutes. It is no coincidence that the Jackets have done well. The stats and facts were in front of everyone to see in the Pens organization. Why they did not see it unacceptable. Yeah two cups in a row is hard to argue but if they don't win a round this year. Won;t surpirise me.

 

[Vyruz Reaper]

Man Phil is a much better at dishing the biscuit than Sid these days.... Sid always tries theses nonchalant fancy passes that always end up being intercepted.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Now that Sheary scored, how much do you want to bet Sullivan will go back to GCS and Rust-Brassard-Kessel?

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Man Phil is a much better at dishing the biscuit than Sid these days.... Sid always tries theses nonchalant fancy passes that always end up being intercepted.

Sid & Letang are trying to see how many things they do get intercepted on the ice.

Sid leads for intercepted passes to literally no one but the opposition.
Letang leads for intercepted shots that hit the shins of defenders/forwards.

 

[EightyOne]

Boring is typing "Coaches have a shelf life" every second post.

Boring is watching a HIGHLY skilled hockey team (save for 5 of the bottom six and bottom defense lol) lose gimme points for no discernable reason in nearly 45% of games played. I mean, player for player we should be in another league than the Islanders---well, I thought we should be in a higher league but Pens kinda proved otherwise.

Lashing out at the coach is the only thing to do. The players appear to have no system or motivation. Pretty sure coaches factor into those things.

I kinda think it's a perfect storm of missing half a team's worth of players playing above their abilities and having guys who just can't play a fast, puck moving, aggressive with limiting opposition space/time with puck system. Today's Pens would be BLOWN up by 16, hell even the 17, Cup team.

But..shouldn't the coach understand his personnel literally can't do what he is asking and change the approach to the games, then?

This team's play on the road is seriously concerning.

Play at home isn't too solid lately either.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Now that Sheary scored, how much do you want to bet Sullivan will go back to GCS and Rust-Brassard-Kessel?

Honestly, he might as well. Maybe get the third line back to looking good at least, since Sid's line's always going to look like ass as long as he plays like he's been playing.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I don't necessarily disagree with the bolded, but that seems like a tall order given the term on most of those guys' contracts.

Letang, Maatta, Dumoulin, and Schultz are all locked up for at least the next 3 seasons, and all of them making pretty decent money so you can't just bury one on the bottom pairing.

Sure, JR can upgrade on Ruhwedel/Hunwick. But really, it's the top four that's the issue. They're paid a lot, but don't necessarily perform at that level as a collective group.

I just don't know how JR would go about restructuring that blueline.

Sure as Hell isn't gonna be easy, but Letang's the key component that has to go. Most value, most cap hit, most underperfoming with regard to expectations.

I will say the defensive issues aren't entirely a personnel issue, imo. Guys just don't want to do their job. But if that's the case, a reshuffle of the roster could help as well. Letang's return gets you a lot of value and significant assets coming back. Could go a long way toward getting fresh, hungry bodies.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Honestly, he might as well. Maybe get the third line back to looking good at least, since Sid's line's always going to look like ass as long as he plays like he's been playing.

The thing is, I'd rather just take Jake off that line too. Ideally if Simon and Aston-Reese are healthy again, I just put both with Sid and put Jake with Brass and Kessel and put Rust with Sheahan on the 4th or some damn good balanced lines from the 2nd line down. Sid did play well with ZAR, so at least there's that.

Simon, Crosby, Aston-Reese
Hagelin, Malkin, Hornqvist
Guentzel, Brassard, Kessel
Kuhnhackl/Sheary, Sheahan, Rust

 

[deakka]

Near must win against Montreal tomorrow. Losing that and Devils/Flyers coming up might mean home ice and even playoffs slipping away fast.

 

[Tom Hanks]

The thing is, I'd rather just take Jake off that line too. Ideally if Simon and Aston-Reese are healthy again, I just put both with Sid and put Jake with Brass and Kessel and put Rust with Sheahan on the 4th or some damn good balanced lines from the 2nd line down. Sid did play well with ZAR, so at least there's that.

Simon, Crosby, Aston-Reese
Hagelin, Malkin, Hornqvist
Guentzel, Brassard, Kessel
Kuhnhackl/Sheary, Sheahan, Rust

It’s worth a try if they are all healthy. ZAR and Simon (I’d say flip sides) would be on a short leash unless we’re winning then it doesn’t matter as much.

I’d love if ZAR could be effective in the NHL on the RW. If so I think I’d rather

Guentzel-Crosby-ZAR
Hagelin-Malkin-Hornqvist
Rust-Brassard-Kessel
Kuhnhackl-Sheahan-Sheary

 

[SomeDude]

I don’t give a **** if he’s been carrying the team for 15 years.

He sucked tonight and he should be allowed to get called out on in. Last I checked it was this single game post game talk. Not the whole year.

I’m gonna go ahead and let you vent because you use y’s instead of i’s which means you’re probably a dangerous person.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Roster had been struggling to find the energy the majority of the season and especially on the road until they settled in with Sid, G and Sheahan-Phil doin' their thing for most of 2018. They found a groove. Now with trying to force the Brass-Phil thing post DL and Sheahan at either LW/4C, they can't seem to get the groove they had back. Certainly doesn't help when guys like rust/zar go out or Letang continues to play some of the worst hockey of his career/sid playing some of the most uninspiring hockey of his career.

They got 9 more games to get into a groove again.
I'm just gonna sit back and wait for them to show me something like i did in '16 and '17. They either got it(the stuff to make a 3in3 run) or they don't.

 

[cygnus47]

First game I’ve been able to watch in a while. Defensive zone structure is gone again and instead we’re taking penalties. Yuck. Sid and Phil don’t look like they want to play hard until the playoffs start which is killing their lines. Sheary needs to sharpen his skates or something. Brassard has flashes but his line looks lost when he’s out there. Sheahan is playing well but has no one to work with to get something tangible for it. Sid needs to pull his head out and lead from the front, we need to win games from even strength, not hope for power plays. Defensemen are the least of my concerns, if the forwards did their jobs they’d look fine.

 

[Angrrus]

The long-awaited return of Matt Murray. What a calming, stabilizing, solidifying effect it has had on the Penguins, as expected. Their level of play elevated immediately. Local analysts were spot on, pointing out that his absence was the reason for their recent struggles. Against the Islanders, Pens once again looked like a solid bona fide Stanley Cup contender.

 

[Angrrus]

No. They were awful for the overwhelming majority of the game prior to the Malkin penalty.

Well even then he is paid 10 mln to improve a situation like this, not to worsen it even further.

Completely support the opinion that all four "Big guns" sucked beyond belief. What a bunch of jerks.

 

[Angrrus]

If there’s one team and one coach who’s shown over the past couple years that they can get things straightened out when it counts, it’s the Pens and HCMS. But go ahead and jump off the bridges if it makes ya feel better.

Textbook "headless optimist". We all know one of those.

Competing for playoff spot in a tight division, and hopefully for home ice advantage - isn't in "when it counts"?

 

[Angrrus]

He didn't even suck. We're just used to him getting a point every game. His line was the best. Again. ...


And who cares if he has an off game in meaningless game #73.

If it's meaningless - then why do you watch it? Why do we all watch it? Why do people pay hefty prices for arena tickets? Why do people switch on TVs, allowing the owners to cash in on the TV commercials revenue and pay salaries to the players?

Professional sports are entertainment for the masses. They are paid to entertain us not only in June at Cup parade, but all season long. So we have every right to call them out when they fail to do their jobs because of their own laziness and stupidity.

 

[Angrrus]

I don’t know why people are frustrated.

What do the Pens have to gain from trying after they go down two tonight?

Half of them are playing injured or coming back from injury, they’ve got a back to back. You could tell they weren’t feeling it all night.

A team with an amount of talent Pens have must beat an opponent like pathetic Islanders without breaking a sweat.

But they didn't reach even that level of effort.

Lazy idiots.

 

[Angrrus]

+ Cole lead the BJs in ice time.

- Sid not caring at all. I did find it funny how he acted frustrated on the EN goal. Lmao. I'm sure you cared Sid.

He's such a lazy entitled idiot. So puffed up with two underserved Conn Smythes all the media driven BS talk of "superstar with the attitude of a grinder". He really ticks me off with his attitude and constant underperforming.
A player with his amount of talent should score a lot more points than he does every year. He should have carried the team in playoffs every spring in 2010 and 2102-2015. Instead he just coasted and waited for GM to hire Sully and get Kessel and a bunch supereffective depth guys who carried him on their backs to two Cups where he was handed two artificial Conn Smythe awards because he is "the face of the game" and big bosses need to promote the game to raise revenue.
And this season he is surpassing everything he pulled off before.
Disgusting.

 

[Angrrus]

You're right, trade everybody, fire everyone, start the rebuild. Just won back to back cups after years of suffering, relax.

Having won Cups in previous years doesn't mean we can't and shouldn't light some fire under their lazy butts now.

 

[Angrrus]

Not surprising, they didn't add anyone at the deadline, lost Cole and depleted their depth.

The biggest detriment to our D this whole season wears number 58.

As long as he is on he team and is playing the way he is playing - all other talk about Cole etc. is irrelevant.

 

[Angrrus]

They don't. Games in genaral don't mean anything until the postseason. Even then. It doesn't matter that much...we are back to back Champs. Can't win every year.

You're showing mentality of apathetic loser, Sir.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

If it's meaningless - then why do you watch it? Why do we all watch it? Why do people pay hefty prices for arena tickets? Why do people switch on TVs, allowing the owners to cash in on the TV commercials revenue and pay salaries to the players?

Professional sports are entertainment for the masses. They are paid to entertain us not only in June at Cup parade, but all season long. So we have every right to call them out when they fail to do their jobs because of their own laziness and stupidity.

You have the right to call athletes “jerks” and “lazy” because they lost a game of hockey, just keep in mind others have the right to think you look like an overreacting fool.

 

[Angrrus]

Ok then. These remaining road games are just throwaways!

I feel so much better now!

I guess he is implying we just shouldn't even watch road games until PO's start.