Post-Game Talk: |Pens vs Caps| Loss | Its fine, fine, no really, its fine (Mod warning 1st post)

[Pancakes]

The good news is our record means absolutely nothing. We've been bad against almost every other playoff team lately, so it doesn't matter how we face. We're not really in danger of missing the playoffs barring a monumental choke and someone else heating up. So we can back our ass right into the playoffs if we have to.

Sullivan should have one goal and one goal only down the stretch: get the team playing the right way. The results do not mean shit. But get their play and the lines where it needs to be. Period. That's the focus.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Our puck management and shot generation are terrible.

Our offensive zone approach is antiquated and pretentious.

Our star players are not showing up.

Jarry crapped the bed today as well too.

I just cannot harp hard enough on how hard the star players need to have their faces pushed into dog shit for them to realize that their tippy tappy pretty play bullshit no longer works. They deserve this result. But at least they can pat each others butts in the shower over the almost cool passes they made.

This team has a lot of soul searching to be doing.

It’s becoming more obvious now that we sold our soul for 3 Cups in the Sid/Geno era. Duh.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

PK is 2nd since March no?

Frankly, even with success, I dislike the PK.

It's not aggressive enough up top and I don't like the positioning of the D. I know it's designed to keep things to the perimeter, but it's too passive in engagement with net front presences and with shots from the point.

I think there are opportunities to create scoring chances on the PK that are completely missed because of how passive it is.

They have 3 shorthanded goals this year. That's way too low for the personnel it uses.

 

[66-30-33]

I don't see it happening. Sullivan has coachedt his team to 3 straight first round exits in the last 4yrs. I don't see any of that changing unless Crosby and Malkin somehow find prime versions of themselves for 2 months.

Or the team decides to play a lick of D.

 

[Gurglesons]

Frankly, even with success, I dislike the PK.

It's not aggressive enough up top and I don't like the positioning of the D. I know it's designed to keep things to the perimeter, but it's too passive in engagement with net front presences and with shots from the point.

I think there are opportunities to create scoring chances on the PK that are completely missed because of how passive it is.

They have 3 shorthanded goals this year. That's way too low for the personnel it uses.

I think it is largely due to our PK guys being extremely slow. Boyle, Carter, ZAR, even Blueger.

 

[metalan2]

I feel like I'm in Groundhog's Day the movie every year. Legit. Team goes on a run in like January, everyone talks all this shit like "Shades of '16! More depth than we've ever had!" and people want to award Sully the Jack Adams. Fast forward to April and May and everyone gets pale and their jaw drops as all the color drains from their face and they realize this team is still, in fact, extremely mediocre and has no shot at a Cup.

It's scary the parallels between Tomlin and Sully. This happens for the Steelers too.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

I think it is largely due to our PK guys being extremely slow. Boyle, Carter, ZAR, even Blueger.

Maybe, but you also have Rust, McGinn and Rodrigues playing significant roles now.

They're on pace for their fewest shorthanded goals by far under Sullivan, and that includes two shortened seasons.

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

Who’s the HC in wilkes-barre? Would it would be worth it to promote him to interim coach?

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

He is 100% responsible for player usage though. Today would have been a great game for Friedman to be in, Ruh almost played the 3rd most minutes on defense. Rakell played 11min. Thats all on Sully.

Had to post for this holy shit Rakell played 11 min? lol

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Who’s the HC in wilkes-barre? Would it would be worth it to promote him to interim coach?

LOL.

No. If anything, J.D. Forrest deserves to be fired more than Sullivan.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Had to post for this holy shit Rakell played 11 min? lol

I don't think this was intentional. Rakell and Zucker don't play much special teams and the minutes got out of whack because of extended power play/penalty kill time, including the push at the end.

That said, they should have found ways to get those two extra shifts.

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

LOL.

No. If anything, J.D. Forrest deserves to be fired more than Sullivan.

Hmm that’s a shame, they always seem to have good coaches down there.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

The good news is our record means absolutely nothing. We've been bad against almost every other playoff team lately, so it doesn't matter how we face. We're not really in danger of missing the playoffs barring a monumental choke and someone else heating up. So we can back our ass right into the playoffs if we have to.

Sullivan should have one goal and one goal only down the stretch: get the team playing the right way. The results do not mean shit. But get their play and the lines where it needs to be. Period. That's the focus.

"Sully needs to run this team like an AHL affiliate only concerned with the development of prospects, not wins and losses." I just thought that was funny. Not to single you out or anything, just made me chuckle.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Frankly, even with success, I dislike the PK.

It's not aggressive enough up top and I don't like the positioning of the D. I know it's designed to keep things to the perimeter, but it's too passive in engagement with net front presences and with shots from the point.

I think there are opportunities to create scoring chances on the PK that are completely missed because of how passive it is.

They have 3 shorthanded goals this year. That's way too low for the personnel it uses.

For a lot of the year the PK included guys like ZAR and McGinn. No offense to either, particularly McGinn who I like, but they're not exactly big scoring threats.

The PKs that tend to be dangerous SH threats have guys with skill play regularly on the PK. Look at Toronto, they've got Marner as one of their top PK guys.

If the Pens used Crosby/Guentzel/Malkin/Rust as regulars on the PK, chances are we have more SH goals this season.

 

[Pancakes]

"Sully needs to run this team like an AHL affiliate only concerned with the development of prospects, not wins and losses." I just thought that was funny. Not to single you out or anything, just made me chuckle.

I mean it's pretty rare to be this locked into a playoff spot with this many games remaining, but that's where we're at. It genuinely doesn't matter who we face, and home ice is pretty irrelevant considering we traditionally seem to do better on the road in the playoffs anyways.

I know it sounds crazy for a playoff team to say the results don't matter but....they don't. The process on the other hand, really does. Fix that shit before the playoffs come, or it's one and done. If Sully needs to f*** around with the lines or pp configuration etc and see what sticks and in the process we have a few bad games, so be it. Experiment if needed. Now is the time.

 

[mpp9]

I see we’re still struggling coming to terms with where the core is at this point.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I know it sounds crazy for a playoff team to say the results don't matter but....they don't. The process on the other hand, really does. Fix that shit before the playoffs come, or it's one and done. If Sully needs to f*** around with the lines or pp configuration etc and see what sticks and in the process we have a few bad games, so be it. Experiment if needed. Now is the time.

That's precisely the problem, though.

It's not the fact the Pens are losing, it's how they look while losing. I don't give a shit about placement in the standings. What I do give a shit about is them looking absolutely brutal heading into the playoffs.

You can't just flip a switch. We've hoped they could do that for like 4 playoffs now, and the results have been predictable that they're not just "saving it for the playoffs". They carried questionable regular season play down the stretch into questionable performance in the playoffs.

 

[Pancakes]

That's precisely the problem, though.

It's not the fact the Pens are losing, it's how they look while losing. I don't give a shit about placement in the standings. What I do give a shit about is them looking absolutely brutal heading into the playoffs.

You can't just flip a switch. We've hoped they could do that for like 4 playoffs now, and the results have been predictable that they're not just "saving it for the playoffs". They carried questionable regular season play down the stretch into questionable performance in the playoffs.

Exactly, that's why they gotta get their shit together now. The focus has to be on that. If they struggle for a bit because they're adjusting things ,fine, whatever. But adjust.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

I see we’re still struggling coming to terms with where the core is at this point.

*shrug* I'm not. They aren't what they were. The mistakes are under a microscope, even minor plays that go sideways seem to end up in the net. They don't impact the game in the way they used to, consistently. Doesn't mean they can't go on one more run. Either way there's nothing to be done but watch.

I do believe that this year is their last chance for a Cup as a core.

 

[66-30-33]

I see we’re still struggling coming to terms with where the core is at this point.

Old.

But not useless.

 

[vodeni]

I don't think this was intentional. Rakell and Zucker don't play much special teams and the minutes got out of whack because of extended power play/penalty kill time, including the push at the end.

That said, they should have found ways to get those two extra shifts.

5 on 5 he still played less than anyone on the third line..Zucker played the least of all forwards...thats kind of understandable, Rakell - not sure why

 

[Coastal Kev]

This team is so unlikable. It's such a vanilla team with almost no offensive creativity that relies on the other team's goalie letting in softies in order for it to score.

Bingo............nothing to add........ other than my mantra

fire sully

 

[jmelm]

Jarry is downright mediocre and maybe just gave us false hope earlier with a similar hot streak like ERod and Heinen had?

 

[jmelm]

+ Pettersson. I thought he had a really great game. I’ve liked a bunch of what I’ve seen from him the last handful of games he’s played. I have hopes he’ll put it all together for the future. It cemented for me that he should be kept over Dumo for this summer/next season.

— Rakell. He has been pretty invisible of late. I’m not necessarily surprised and still think he’s probably the type of player who needs a bunch more time to gel with this club and would probably look good if he’s around next season and has a full camp and time to develop chemistry and confidence with the guys. But what we’re not seeing is someone who can drive play or is special. What that amounts to is someone who I think would be a lot less expensive to re-sign if he remains relatively cold/puts up small or mediocre numbers for the remainder of year. Not command a 5 year deal or anything more than $4M like some were thinking. I could see 4 years south of $4M (3.75 range) being a possibility.