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

[Gurglesons]

I think it's mostly on the players. Sullivan can't go out there and force the players to play, and the most egregious violators of guys who aren't playing a system and strong system are the guys that Sullivan can't really do anything about (Malkin and Letang being the two biggest ones). Like he's not going to bench them, no coach in hockey has the power to do that.

Sullivan can't stop Dumoulin from rifling a puck into the crowd when the Penguins are already down on a 5 on 3. Sullivan can't stop Malkin from making a high risk play by skating into the slot with an empty net at the top of the zone when they have an empty net. Sullivan can't stop Letang from having another temper tantrum that sends him to the box.

Sullivan can play Letang less than 26 minutes a night. I know it's a wild thing to do, but he could also play Rakell more than 11 minutes.

 

[Gurglesons]

There is no solution to this because it's the core's problem.

You're basically blaming Sullivan for guys like Dumoulin, Letang and Malkin doing stupid shit. What is Sullivan supposed to do, bench them? Yeah, that would go over swimmingly.

I know it's a crazy thought, but you could actually play the core in situations that help them at their age.

Not you know throw Letang over the boards every other shift.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

Meh. This whole thread is whistling past the graveyard for a game that doesn't matter. It's a beautiful Saturday, I'll see ya'll next game

 

[Empoleon8771]

Sullivan can play Letang less than 26 minutes a night. I know it's a wild thing to do, but he could also play Rakell more than 11 minutes.

Okay, so how does that solve the problem of guys like Malkin, Letang and Dumoulin doing stupid shit?

It's so tiring to see people just bitch and moan about Sullivan when it's entirely the players screwing up by doing things that Sullivan doesn't want them to do.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I know it's a crazy thought, but you could actually play the core in situations that help them at their age.

Not you know throw Letang over the boards every other shift.

So basically, to stop them from doing stupid shit, you cut Letang's minutes?

Okay, that makes total sense. It's not the player's fault for doing stupid shit, it's Sullivan's fault for not changing their usage when they do stupid shit or something.

 

[Gurglesons]

Okay, so how does that solve the problem of guys like Malkin, Letang and Dumoulin doing stupid shit?

It's so tiring to see people just bitch and moan about Sullivan when it's entirely the players screwing up by doing things that Sullivan doesn't want them to do.

Coaching typically helps a team overcome their limitations.

Next time you see Sullivan actually do some coaching let me know.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I'm smack dab right in the middle of this in terms of my opinion.

1- Sullivan's not doing enough with the roster to get the best out of it and he's not doing anything to fix the lack of structure.

2- The team, as a whole, is just so damn vanilla with so little skill outside of like 4 or 5 guys, that they can't generate consistent offensive chances. Their idea of "dominating" is taking a bunch of random shots and hoping they get deflected in or getting rebounds. Very little in the way of using skill to dissect the other team's defense.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Coaching typically helps a team overcome their limitations.

Players doing stupid shit is not a "limitation". That's a player not doing their job.

The only tool Sullivan has for players doing stupid shit is to scratch them, and good luck scratching Evgeni Malkin when he makes another ill-advised turnover that leads to a goal against.

 

[Darren McCord]

Fun fact

Bylsma
6 nhl playoffs with the pens
43 wins 35 loses

Sullivan
6 nhl playoffs with the pens
41 wins 34 loses

After this season sullivan will have a worse record than bylsma. Let that sink in

 

[Andy99]

And multiple of those 6 players today had massively bad games and directly made plays that led to goals against.

And so the solution is for Sullivan to not line match, not make system changes, play Jarry til the wheels fall off, not make any adjustments and believe that it’s 2016 again and he has the fastest team in the ice? In 2018,Barry Trotz saw the Caps weren’t going to win playing a system modified to its stars…so he had them play a NZ trap and they won the Cup …of course they got the goaltending from Holtby and got a good shooting %…that’s the only way the Pens have a chance at winning, but the coach is just full Bylsma now

 

[ronduguayshair]

What does Evgeni Malkin’s hockey stick and a spatula have in common?




Both used for Turnovers.

 

[Fatty McLardy]

This team can't generate scoring chances unless its off an odd-man rushes. Not sure if that should fall on our "system" more or on the players.

 

[Gurglesons]

Players doing stupid shit is not a "limitation". That's a player not doing their job.

The only tool Sullivan has for players doing stupid shit is to scratch them, and good luck scratching Evgeni Malkin when he makes another ill-advised turnover that leads to a goal against.

Coaching isn't black and white.

Sullivan is doing nothing to help this team. He's just slamming his fist against a wall with the decisions, the changes to the system, and the overall message.

If you can't see that you're blind.

Sullivan is not coaching. He's had the same plan since day one with this team. And he's running that plan into the ground and teams are adapting to it.

 

[Darren McCord]

There is no solution to this because it's the core's problem.

You're basically blaming Sullivan for guys like Dumoulin, Letang and Malkin doing stupid shit. What is Sullivan supposed to do, bench them? Yeah, that would go over swimmingly.

Dumo could easily be benched. He isn’t part of the true core. So ya who would care?

 

[Empoleon8771]

And so the solution is for Sullivan to not line match, not make system changes, play Jarry til the wheels fall off, not make any adjustments and believe that it’s 2016 again and he has the fastest team in the ice? In 2018,Barry Trotz saw the Caps weren’t going to win playing a system modified to its stars…so he had them play a NZ trap and they won the Cup …of course they got the goaltending from Holtby and got a good shooting %…that’s the only way the Pens have a chance at winning, but the coach is just full Bylsma now

Spoiler alert: the Penguins don't have a chance of winning.

This is just coping with the team aging and thinking they can be more than what they are. Who was the last team who made the cup finals with a core of 35+ players and didn't have a younger supporting cast that had other elite players?

 

[dogthateats]

 

[ronduguayshair]

Fun fact

Bylsma
6 nhl playoffs with the pens
43 wins 35 loses

Sullivan
6 nhl playoffs with the pens
41 wins 34 loses

After this season sullivan will have a worse record than bylsma. Let that sink in

Different eras of #87 and #71. I think this comparison sucks

 

[66-30-33]

Meh. This whole thread is whistling past the graveyard for a game that doesn't matter. It's a beautiful Saturday, I'll see ya'll next game

Wish I could go outside instead of this stupid covid self isolation, I am going crazy and watching Pens is making me go crazy even more.

 

[Jacob]

Who replaces Sullivan? Name names not just “there’s gotta be someone better.”

 

[Gurglesons]

Spoiler alert: the Penguins don't have a chance of winning.

This is just coping with the team aging and thinking they can be more than what they are. Who was the last team who made the cup finals with a core of 35+ players and didn't have a younger supporting cast that had other elite players?

Pretty hard to have a younger supporting cast when we literally don't play anyone younger.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Pretty hard to have a younger supporting cast when we literally don't play anyone younger.

Poulin ain't going to turn into Tomas Hertl. POJ ain't going to turn into Brent Burns.

 

[Gurglesons]

Who replaces Sullivan? Name names not just “there’s gotta be someone better.”

Who cares? It's 7 years now. I honestly think they could fire him today for Reirden and we'd have a better chance in the playoffs at this point.

 

[Zirakzigil]

I think it's mostly on the players. Sullivan can't go out there and force the players to play, and the most egregious violators of guys who aren't playing a system and strong system are the guys that Sullivan can't really do anything about (Malkin and Letang being the two biggest ones). Like he's not going to bench them, no coach in hockey has the power to do that.

Sullivan can't stop Dumoulin from rifling a puck into the crowd when the Penguins are already down on a 5 on 3. Sullivan can't stop Malkin from making a high risk play by skating into the slot with an empty net at the top of the zone when they have an empty net. Sullivan can't stop Letang from having another temper tantrum that sends him to the box.

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.

 

[3074326]

I’m disappointed in Sid. What the f*** bro.

 

[66-30-33]

Who replaces Sullivan? Name names not just “there’s gotta be someone better.”

At this point it doesn't even matter who's better. It's too late now.