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

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Cause I have friends who are penguins fans and I've caught a few of your games.

I meant no harm but I get it

People are just rattled. Don't worry about it.

I just want a fun player that might kinda suck but also can score a goal top cheese or stir the pot. Not some vanilla guy who chest snipes night after night.

Hallelujah.

 

[TKalltheTime]

Letang is making moves that is costing this team games.

Welcome to the past 16 years haha

 

[vodeni]

It's just gonna be Carter taking faceoffs since he's much better at them. After that they will swap positions.
Malkin will never be used at wing with Sully here, besides maybe twilight years if he's still around.

Geno took some crucial face offs tonight, even with Sid in there, and he won majority of them

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I just want a fun player that might kinda suck but also can score a goal top cheese or stir the pot. Not some vanilla guy who chest snipes night after night.

Forf***in'REALman

It's like 4 interesting dudes and wave after wave of vanilla bleh.

 

[Gurglesons]

I just want a fun player that might kinda suck but also can score a goal top cheese or stir the pot. Not some vanilla guy who chest snipes night after night.

go watch the AHL lol

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I just want a fun player that might kinda suck but also can score a goal top cheese or stir the pot. Not some vanilla guy who chest snipes night after night.

At some point if you keep shooting at the goalie's chest logo, they'll start to go in ... right? Because you see all around the league how many goals are scored through a goalie's chest.

 

[ChaosAgent]

I think Florida is a tremendously fun team that plays some sort of quasi-structured, desperation pond hockey with great skill.

Their season ticket holders must be pleased.

 

[canadianguy77]

----- Secondary scoring is nonexistent. That's pretty much all I care about harping on because it's downright pathetic at this point how little offense we've been getting from anyone not GCR or Malkin.

If Hextall doesn't fix this by the deadline, 100% guarantee we see another first round exit, and probably in embarrassing fashion.

You can fix 2/3rds of the problem just by sitting ZAR and sending Simon down. Two guys with 4 goals between them in almost 100 games this season, and they make up 33% of the bottom 6 forwards.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Slight minus, though it didn't exactly cost us this particular game is Sullivan's absolute love affair with having ZAR next to Blueger and McGinn.

I hate ZAR with a passion and it's not even his fault. It's goddamn Sullivan's fault for how he uses him.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Overall, this game doesn't do anything to really change my opinion of this team or its shortcomings. We've known Geno's had no wingers for years. We've known this team lives and dies by GCR+Jarry (or the goalie at the time) for year. We've seen the team booted in the 1st round for what would be 4 years straight if it happens again this spring.

I genuinely don't understand how people can be rattled. Like, we've been watching reruns of this show for years. We all know the script by now. There's an outside chance the stars align and GCR+Geno+Jarry absolutely all galvanize and play at the top of their game come playoff time, but outside of that happening, this team's a "thanks for showing up, see ya in October" when the playoffs start. That's not getting better as the years march on.

Enjoy the increasingly infrequent little magic shows from Sid and Geno and that's that. Pretty soon it's gonna be a buncha Rico Fatas and Eric Meloches, but at least losing won't come with the sting of any kind of expectations, however unrealistic.

 

[Gurglesons]

Slight minus, though it didn't exactly cost us this particular game is Sullivan's absolute love affair with having ZAR next to Blueger and McGinn.

I hate ZAR with a passion and it's not even his fault. It's goddamn Sullivan's fault for how he uses him.

He’s been awful this year.

Wonder who they scratch Kapanen for on Thursday.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

You can fix 2/3rds of the problem just by sitting ZAR and sending Simon down. Two guys with 4 goals between them in almost 100 games this season, and they make up 33% of the bottom 6 forwards.

I'm the last person who will defend either guy (see my post above), but honestly I expect them not to score. I'm more pissed with the fact E-Rod's turned back into his 4th line self and Kapanen seems to have joined him. That's two guys we really need to be closer to 20 goal guys who instead are playing like they've turned into ZAR/Simon these past 20 games.

 

[Tender Rip]

I think we always knew that this team would eventually need help, or some of the kids to step up. One can debate endlessly whether any kids have gotten the chance to do so, or should have had it, but fact is that we are good, but not good enough to likely make it far beyond getting lucky with matchups. As presently constructed.

Given the standings and us more or less being locked in with a 1st round matchup with the Rangers or Caps, I don't care much when changes are made, as long as they are made. I understand why Hextall would want to wait until he saw where the team is at, where Malkin would be at, whether Kappy or others would re-find themselves etc, and ultimately hardly any team has made any meaningful trades yet.
Toffoli to Calgary stands out as more or less the only one, and it is not because no other team than the Pens know that they need to/should do something eventually.

The point is that WHEN Hextall acts, moves have to be right.

There are many ways I would ideally like to improve, but obviously we must have a winger that helps Geno. That's the first point because it is ridiculous to waste one of our primary weapons like this.
Another issue is that we are short on speed and size/physicality both up front and on D. It's hard to solve both, but you need to have more tone setting or "hard to play" qualities than we do, and whereas most of our players are good players who could blend in on almost any roster, too many have no peak qualities and as a group come to look bland and pedestrian.

We don't have the futures to go out and trade for all that we need, and we are not close enough for an all-in mentality.

What I hope for is that Hextall - recognizing this - will accomplish being both a buyer and a seller at the same time.
Get upgrades while dealing roster players with a pick or prospect attached as rentals to pay for those, and in turn create cap flexibility for next year.

Kapanen is obviously the first one who should go. It's selling low and all, but he is just looking SO lost. Erod might make some sense as a versatile depth guy for some playoff team, and as much as that is also his role with us, in no way is he an important part of the solution when we are not short a C (or two).
Petterson would be a prime candidate, but honestly looking at the team and how Dumo looks these days, if there's a team that would pay a rental return on Dumo, I'd be very interested. In any event, it could be either of them, but of course we'd need a top4 caliber guy added if we do so.

In short, whether it is a winger who can play with Malkin or a RW for Sid who can get Rusty moved down, we need a top6 winger. Beyond that we need to replace a meh! player or two with some who are non-meh!

Still think we can be good when it matters, but some pieces of the puzzle needs changing.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Malkin on the wing? Seriously?

What is that supposed to solve? How exactly would that make us more than a one line team? Does anyone honestly think Malkin playing at center is the problem?

A suggestion like that deserves nothing but indignant rhetorical questions.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Hey now... Rico Fata is totally gonna turnstile some poor bastard with that inside/outside move any year, now.

If he can stay onsides. (He can't stay onsides)

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

He’s been awful this year.

Wonder who they scratch Kapanen for on Thursday.

Boyle.

They'll just bump Carter up to Malkin's line permanently, then slot Boyle into Carter's spot between Simon and E-Rod.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Ekblad was huge tonight. 3 goals.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Hey now... Rico Fata is totally gonna turnstile some poor bastard with that inside/outside move any year, now.

If he can stay onsides. (He can't stay onsides)

Tomas Surovy has the best wrister in the league behind Sakic and once he learns how to position himself in the areas of the ice where he can utilize it, he'll be a 40 goal man.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Boyle.

They'll just bump Carter up to Malkin's line permanently, then slot Boyle into Carter's spot between Simon and E-Rod.

That's so disappointing that it has to be true.

 

[Coastal Kev]

It’s because modern goalie equipment takes up 98% of the net.

Correct

I imagine old goalies have very little respect for today's goalies.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I think we always knew that this team would eventually need help, or some of the kids to step up. One can debate endlessly whether any kids have gotten the chance to do so, or should have had it, but fact is that we are good, but not good enough to likely make it far beyond getting lucky with matchups. As presently constructed.

Given the standings and us more or less being locked in with a 1st round matchup with the Rangers or Caps, I don't care much when changes are made, as long as they are made. I understand why Hextall would want to wait until he saw where the team is at, where Malkin would be at, whether Kappy or others would re-find themselves etc, and ultimately hardly any team has made any meaningful trades yet.
Toffoli to Calgary stands out as more or less the only one, and it is not because no other team than the Pens know that they need to/should do something eventually.

The point is that WHEN Hextall acts, moves have to be right.

There are many ways I would ideally like to improve, but obviously we must have a winger that helps Geno. That's the first point because it is ridiculous to waste one of our primary weapons like this.
Another issue is that we are short on speed and size/physicality both up front and on D. It's hard to solve both, but you need to have more tone setting or "hard to play" qualities than we do, and whereas most of our players are good players who could blend in on almost any roster, too many have no peak qualities and as a group come to look bland and pedestrian.

We don't have the futures to go out and trade for all that we need, and we are not close enough for an all-in mentality.

What I hope for is that Hextall - recognizing this - will accomplish being both a buyer and a seller at the same time.
Get upgrades while dealing roster players with a pick or prospect attached as rentals to pay for those, and in turn create cap flexibility for next year.

Kapanen is obviously the first one who should go. It's selling low and all, but he is just looking SO lost. Erod might make some sense as a versatile depth guy for some playoff team, and as much as that is also his role with us, in no way is he an important part of the solution when we are not short a C (or two).
Petterson would be a prime candidate, but honestly looking at the team and how Dumo looks these days, if there's a team that would pay a rental return on Dumo, I'd be very interested. In any event, it could be either of them, but of course we'd need a top4 caliber guy added if we do so.

In short, whether it is a winger who can play with Malkin or a RW for Sid who can get Rusty moved down, we need a top6 winger. Beyond that we need to replace a meh! player or two with some who are non-meh!

Still think we can be good when it matters, but some pieces of the puzzle needs changing.

Dumo's been garbage too often and I'm a little surprised people don't call it out more often. He's been especially bad with the puck in his own zone this season. He's been responsible for multiple scoring chances against (a lot resulting in goals against) because of turnovers where he's under zero pressure but decides to pass it to the other team because of an attempted risky pass.

 

[canadianguy77]

I'm the last person who will defend either guy (see my post above), but honestly I expect them not to score. I'm more pissed with the fact E-Rod's turned back into his 4th line self and Kapanen seems to have joined him. That's two guys we really need to be closer to 20 goal guys who instead are playing like they've turned into ZAR/Simon these past 20 games.

It just passes me off that he decides to split up their offensive ineptitude to 2 lines again. Essentially cancels out any chance of bottom 6 scoring every game he does it.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Tomas Surovy has the best wrister in the league behind Sakic and once he learns how to position himself in the areas of the ice where he can utilize it, he'll be a 40 goal man.

Ha... the zany thing about he (and Kraft for that matter) is that while they were pretty much awful players I'd love to graft either one of their shots on like 80% of this roster's forwards.

Also I seriously DO have to wonder if Kap finally draws a scratch. He was like... almost impressively bad tonight.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Ha... the zany thing about he (and Kraft for that matter) is that while they were pretty much awful players I'd love to graft either one of their shots on like 80% of this roster's forwards.

Also I seriously DO have to wonder if Kap finally draws a scratch. He was like... almost impressively bad tonight.

Kap had all of us idiots fooled when we clowned on some ECHL nobodies in the pre-season. Talkin' about a big breakout, contract year. Oops, he's exactly the player Toronto dumped for cap clearance that our previous GM paid a scoring line player price for.

 

[canadianguy77]

Dumo's been garbage too often and I'm a little surprised people don't call it out more often. He's been especially bad with the puck in his own zone this season. He's been responsible for multiple scoring chances against (a lot resulting in goals against) because of turnovers where he's under zero pressure but decides to pass it to the other team because of an attempted risky pass.

If I had to guess, he ended up with a case of the long Covid. Terrible gaps and uncharacteristic mental mistakes in both ends all season long. Physically he looks alright. But it’s like his brain is no longer working fast enough.