Post-Game Talk: | Pens vs Caps | win | We won, but what did it cost us?

[66-30-33]

He got blasted by Ovechkin.



Totally clean hit but that's going to ring some bells.

 

[CascadiaPenguin]

Well, concussion is usually a shorter absence than some of the alternatives with huge hits like that at least.

I am generally loathe to play computer doc, but the rapid hit/boards impact to his head certainly leads to that conclusion.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

What I liked most today was how our boys just regularly had one defender stationed in the house, instead of chasing ghosts behind the net or doubling up on coverage.
If a situation was murky then a guy just faded back to near DeSmith.

I swear you can prevent so many goals this way.

 

[AlphaMikeFoxtrots]

His probability of being fired in the next 5 years dropped from .0000002% to .0000001% thanks to tonight's win.

Unfortunate but accurate.

 

[BusinessGoose]

What I liked most today was how our boys just regularly had one defender stationed in the house, instead of chasing ghosts behind the net or doubling up on coverage.
If a situation was murky then a guy just faded back to near DeSmith.

I swear you can prevent so many goals this way.

Double defensive pursuit behind your net KILLS me

I hate that shit

 

[dogthateats]

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Double defensive pursuit behind your net KILLS me

I hate that shit

Case in point. If Dumo just stands there and has his stick near Tanev then we get at least a point, if not a win.

 

[ZorkEnchanter]

it's amazing how much better you look when play a little more structurally sound
we didn't give up a ton of easy undefended crease shots
only one or two horrible breakaways (from our sweet no looks...)
penalty kill looked a little less compact... felt like we pressured more
2nd and 3rd were pretty decent

-- our PP is just bad

 

[66-30-33]

I Am Taco

 

[Gurglesons]

it's amazing how much better you look when play a little more structurally sound
we didn't give up a ton of easy undefended crease shots
only one or two horrible breakaways (from our sweet no looks...)
penalty kill looked a little less compact... felt like we pressured more
2nd and 3rd were pretty decent

-- our PP is just bad

PP isn’t bad. It’s stale and not working. The 3rd one with Rakell on it looked great tbh.

Sub out golden boys in Jake and Rust for the performing wingers in Zucker and Raks and I bet it starts producing. Similar to Petts and Petry playing great when Dumo was dropped out of the top four.

 

[ZorkEnchanter]

PP isn’t bad. It’s stale and not working. The 3rd one with Rakell on it looked great tbh.

Sub out golden boys in Jake and Rust for the performing wingers in Zucker and Raks and I bet it starts producing. Similar to Petts and Petry playing great when Dumo was dropped out of the top four.

Yeah, I guess I just don't like how we cycle or rarely generate shots. It's definitely stale... We cycled the puck down the wall... i guess...

Also, I think Sullivan did tell them to never f***ing pass the puck through the middle in the 2nd and 3rd because that dumb shit stopped after P1.

Defenders looked much better as the game went on, sucks the injuries happened. Dumo should be on L3 until he starts playing better and he needs glasses for god sake, his passes looks like he's near-sighted or cross-eyed.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

PP isn’t bad. It’s stale and not working. The 3rd one with Rakell on it looked great tbh.

Sub out golden boys in Jake and Rust for the performing wingers in Zucker and Raks and I bet it starts producing. Similar to Petts and Petry playing great when Dumo was dropped out of the top four.

Rust squanders possession more than anyone else. He needs to be demoted in the worst way.

 

[Turin]

POJ is whatever, hope he’s ok but I want to see Smith play. Rutta would stink, hope he’s fine.

Solid win, they weren’t bad in any period which is a nice step.

 

[Gurglesons]

POJ is whatever, hope he’s ok but I want to see Smith play. Rutta would stink, hope he’s fine.

Solid win, they weren’t bad in any period which is a nice step.

Smith - Ruhwedel with Dumoulin elevated sounds like the start of another losing streak tbh

 

[metalan2]

Rakell and Zucker are our two best forwards beside Sid and Guentzel. Rakell should be on line 1.

 

[Turin]

Rakell and Zucker are our two best forwards beside Sid and Guentzel. Rakell should be on line 1.

Rakell’s positioning and ability to make little plays is so much better than Rusts, Rust is just faster and has a better shot, that’s it.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Rumour has it they were spicy pork tacos. It all makes sense now.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

8 goals for, 3 against when POJ's on the ice at ES.
He's been a bright spot this season. It's a loss if he's out for a while.

I'll enjoy seeing Smith if he's in though.

 

[Tender Rip]

Haven't read through the comments so don't know if this has been pointed out.... but Hallander looked pretty good. He had more PK time than any other Pens forward against one of the hotter PPs in the league, wasn't scored on, looked a solid skater and added some takeaways with no giveaways and had a couple of blocks. That won't hurt him none with Sully, surely.

Overall we had a pretty lousy start but worked our way into it. After that point I thought we were basically superior when playing 5 on 5, and that most everyone did a fairly good job. Dumo on the goal.... notwithstanding.

NB: Winning was nice. Guys shouldn't feel shy about repeating it.

 

[ZorkEnchanter]

POJ is whatever, hope he’s ok but I want to see Smith play. Rutta would stink, hope he’s fine.

Solid win, they weren’t bad in any period which is a nice step.

Sure... POJ, PETTS, and RUTTA have been by far... our better defenders. He's a 23 year old 3rd pairing that you rarely hear about.... that's a good thing.

8 goals for, 3 against when POJ's on the ice at ES.
He's been a bright spot this season. It's a loss if he's out for a while.

I'll enjoy seeing Smith if he's in though.

Yup. People just run with these odd narratives some time. POJ has been good. If he keeps developing and getting better over the next 2-3 years he'll be solid.

 

[Gurglesons]

8 goals for, 3 against when POJ's on the ice at ES.
He's been a bright spot this season. It's a loss if he's out for a while.

I'll enjoy seeing Smith if he's in though.

Feel like Smith’s impact will be similar, but him and Ruhwedel together is going to dial us back to the last few years physicality wise.

I’d go..

Pettersson - Letang
Smith - Petry
Dumo - Ruh

Sure... POJ, PETTS, and RUTTA have been by far... our better defenders. He's a 23 year old 3rd pairing that you rarely hear about.... that's a good thing.


Yup. People just run with these odd narratives some time. POJ has been good. If he keeps developing and getting better over the next 2-3 years he'll be solid.

POJ has been great IMO.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Feel like Smith’s impact will be similar, but him and Ruhwedel together is going to dial us back to the last few years physicality wise.

I’d go..

Pettersson - Letang
Smith - Petry
Dumo - Ruh



POJ has been great IMO.

I can do without the physicality. I just want to see puck management, like we had for 2 periods tonight.

I don't expect Smith to defend as well as POJ has, but that'd be lovely.
And for God's sake put him on PP1! Literally nothing to lose.

 

[Andy99]

I just realized that both of our b2b opponents, Tor and MTL,have two days off before they play us…how is that fair, nhl?

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Haven't read through the comments so don't know if this has been pointed out.... but Hallander looked pretty good. He had more PK time than any other Pens forward against one of the hotter PPs in the league, wasn't scored on, looked a solid skater and added some takeaways with no giveaways and had a couple of blocks. That won't hurt him none with Sully, surely.

Sully mentioned being impressed with him in particular. Doesn't bode well for Kap's return to the lineup lol.

 

[Turin]

Sure... POJ, PETTS, and RUTTA have been by far... our better defenders. He's a 23 year old 3rd pairing that you rarely hear about.... that's a good thing.


Yup. People just run with these odd narratives some time. POJ has been good. If he keeps developing and getting better over the next 2-3 years he'll be solid.

I agree I haven’t been unhappy with him, I just don’t think he’s a big loss at this stage if he’s out for a few games.