Post-Game Talk: |Pens vs Cats| Loss | Save 15% or more of mistakes by switching from Letang

[Turin]

Delete

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

It's unfair to criticize TB and his line last night but they keep going back to the well of TB/ZAR and man oh man it looked BAD last night. That line looked awful in the playoffs w/ Tanev. I think we keep forcing TB somewhere where he may be awesome elsewhere. I just want that mandatory 4th line w/ ZAR role maybe adjusted.

This is one of Sullivan's biggest crimes. His insistence that ZAR/Blueger be a thing.

Put Blueger (and McGinn) with someone who actually has NHL level offensive ability on the other wing and I think that line can not only be rock solid defensively, but could provide some of that secondary offense we're currently lacking. With ZAR on that line it's basically a line we hope plays the opposition to a 0-0 draw.

 

[The Old Master]

Malkin always works better when he can create from the middle of the ice.

Any configuration that takes him away from that makes the Pens a worse team.

you seem to be assuming that because geno starts the play at wing he can't move to the center of the ice as he moves forward. there is a reason most if not all nhl teams go with f1, f2, and f3 instead of calling them center , right wing, and left wing.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

you seem to be assuming that because geno starts the play at wing he can't move to the center of the ice as he moves forward. there is a reason most if not all nhl teams go with f1, f2, and f3 instead of calling them center , right wing, and left wing.

F1, F2, and F3 refers to the order in which forwards enter a zone, and determines responsibilities.

If you're a winger, you're playing along the boards more often than not. That is not where we want Malkin.

 

[molon labe]

I mean, we’ve put on some clinics against the best teams in the East. The 3 games against Florida and 2 games against Carolina were incredibly close and largely lost because of stabbing ourselves in the foot. For example. Last night we played a fairly even game aside from the 1st period same thing happened against Carolina last week except reverse. Earlier in the season we did poorly in the last two minutes to blow a game against the Cats.

The roster is an issue, but the reality is our best players dictate and often they are simply playing bad two way hockey.

We can win against anyone in the league if our best players dictate - that shouldn't be debatable for anyone.

Issue as of late is that they haven't been. That being by choice, laziness, 2 way play, age... I guess that bit is up for debate.

I suppose what most people want is for us to not exclusively live and die by Sid/Guentz/Rust/Geno/Letang (in that order) when we're spending [collectively] quite a lot elsewhere. I mean we're not even one of the teams overpaying for the crease. Most teams in the league spend more there. Maybe this is first world problems but I think there's justifyably concerns with the roster (debated by few) - and that the roster/system should work hand in hand. Simon has no place on a banging 4th line - and he's not enough of a finisher to play in the top 6....so why is he there? It's not just him of course just exampling.

 

[molon labe]

F1, F2, and F3 refers to the order in which forwards enter a zone, and determines responsibilities.

If you're a winger, you're playing along the boards more often than not. That is not where we want Malkin.

Debatable.

 

[Gurglesons]

This is one of Sullivan's biggest crimes. His insistence that ZAR/Blueger be a thing.

Put Blueger (and McGinn) with someone who actually has NHL level offensive ability on the other wing and I think that line can not only be rock solid defensively, but could provide some of that secondary offense we're currently lacking. With ZAR on that line it's basically a line we hope plays the opposition to a 0-0 draw.

McGinn - Blueger - Carter should be the 3rd line. No idea why we haven’t seen it.

 

[Andy99]

McGinn - Blueger - Carter should be the 3rd line. No idea why we haven’t seen it.

we have a bunch of viable combinations that haven’t been tried and won’t be tried because of our coach…lol

 

[vodeni]

McGinn - Blueger - Carter should be the 3rd line. No idea why we haven’t seen it.

so Heinen Geno ERod and Simon Boyle ZAR, assuming he will bench Kappy

at this point I have no clue...I just don't want to see 2 35+ guys on the same line

 

[vodeni]

we have a bunch of viable combinations that haven’t been tried and won’t be tried because of our coach…lol

I think we shuffled through that bottom nine pretty good, nothing really stuck...unless he drops Rust to L2 everything else has zero impact with the players we have (scoring 1 goal in 25+ games)

 

[Coastal Kev]

While there is many disagreements here, the one constant is a desire of change with nearly everyone.

A good question to ask is why is the desire for change obvious here and not at Penguin HQ?

 

[molon labe]

I was super excited for this game but had to catch it on replay. I managed to avoid all sports information for 3 hours but as I was waiting on the replay to drop on ESPN+ I mindlessly opened up the browser on my phone and immediately got hit with the final score

Looks like we played an okay game with again too many passengers. I like the idea of getting Boyle rest here and there but please for the love of god no more Simon. If we’re to make a run we’re going to need one or two young guys to step up, let’s give them a shot.

I absolutely hate how ESPN+ doesn't give you the option to start the game from the beginning like NHL.tv did. I also hate how it permanently shows the score at the selection tile (once I scroll past the zillion other sports I don't care about then accidentally see 2-0 Florida).

Need to train my wife how to get the game on, not tell me the score, and have it paused at the start lol. Can't even start it early and pause it because ESPN+ times out after like 30 minutes. So if you pause then go handle business and come back...you're back to square one.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Centers rule, wingers drool

And because our guy rules he must stay at center

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Centers rule, wingers drool

And because our guy rules he must stay at center

Poor E-Rod

 

[OtherThingsILike]

It was the Panthers. They’re a juggernaut offense. The Pens need to be able to score with the best offenses.

No, the Penguins need to be able to make the best offenses look pedestrian.

Also, if the forwards below GCR get more involved that’s defense.

Sure, in the sense that the best defense is a good offense.
Of course, the reverse is true as well - the best offense is a good defense.

 

[OtherThingsILike]

They have 19 goals in their last 8 games. 15 of those goals have come from four guys.

They've allowed 24 goals in their last 8 games. There are no viable modifications that could be made to this team that will enable them to score four goals a game in the playoffs.

Jarry can't carry you every game and neither can the defense. You win in the playoffs by having good depth.

The team defense (not just the defensemen) not only can carry you every game, but they're going to have to. If we can't hold teams to between 2-2.5 goals a game, we aren't winning anything.

 

[OtherThingsILike]

It's unfair to criticize TB and his line last night but they keep going back to the well of TB/ZAR and man oh man it looked BAD last night. That line looked awful in the playoffs w/ Tanev.

That line is the biggest reason Mathew Barzal was a nonfactor in the playoffs last time.

 

[Gurglesons]

That line is the biggest reason Mathew Barzal was a nonfactor in the playoffs last time.

I think that was actually Komarov and Barzal himself lol

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

That line is the biggest reason Mathew Barzal was a nonfactor in the playoffs last time.

Barzal was pretty much a nonfactor throughout the entirety of the playoffs.

 

[OtherThingsILike]

I think that was actually Komarov and Barzal himself lol

Barzal was pretty much a nonfactor throughout the entirety of the playoffs.

Barzal had 14 points in 19 games last playoffs. He had 3 points in 6 games against the Penguins, meaning that he had 11 points in 13 games against teams that weren't the Penguins.

 

[The Old Master]

F1, F2, and F3 refers to the order in which forwards enter a zone, and determines responsibilities.

If you're a winger, you're playing along the boards more often than not. That is not where we want Malkin.

geno go's where geno wants to go. you know that. (which is everywhere) the center needs to be aware of that and be willing to go to the boards as necessary and cover back to the net. that would allow Geno to float around our blue line forcing their de to keep an eye on him causing them to drop back just a little farther than normal. that would make it harder to pinch and/or keep the puck in. allowing easer to move the puck out. it would be a win win if done right.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Carter has been primarily center though? Played C a lot in his career as well.
That's who I'm talking about here, not ZAR

He's good in the dot. Malkin is not. If they're together on a line I think it's pretty clear who should be taking them...

Gotcha. I thought you were talking about ZAR. And I was thinking lets not go down that path with that useless twat. Hes taken like 5 faceoffs all year.