Post-Game Talk: | Pens vs Isles | Shootout loss

[AuroraBorealis]

For me this one was a win.
Rakell 5 assists in last 2 games. Outstanding again, all over the ice.
I had a really good feeling about how Rakell's game would work with Guentzel's and they've delivered in spades so far.
If you're Sullivan and you break them up, you're nuts.

The team is scoring again, which is lovely. Some nice secondary contributions from Carter, Kap, Heinen.
Boyle made a nice play on the Heinen goal, converting defense into offense. My affection for that man growing all the time.
Plus our chances of avoiding Shesterkin went up.
In fact, I wish we lost in regulation

Maybe some people here want us to draw the team we've scored 4 goals against in 4 games, but hard pass on that from my end.

I say all that only from a results perspective. The defensive play is quite concerning though. All the Isles goals were either gifts or super preventable. Frustrating to see.

 

[Play]

Penguins are winning the cup

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

+++DeSmythe, Rakell, Guentzel, Matheson, Zucker.
Zucker is on a redemption arc with me. Loved his game tonight.

--Rust injury, Letang in OT/SO, really the 4-on-3 PP in general
-----Dumo on the 4th goal. Maybe +/- is a garbage stat after all if Dumo leads the team. He is so close to being outright done.

I've got the following for goals against:

-Dumo
-Blu for 2x
-Crosby

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Did Kap touch the ice at all in 3 v 3 Overtime?

 

[pistolpete11]

+ Guentzel-Crosby-Rakell
- It taking Rust not being available to him for Sullivan to actually go with it

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

For me this one was a win.
Rakell 5 assists in last 2 games. Outstanding again, all over the ice.
I had a really good feeling about how Rakell's game would work with Guentzel's and they've delivered in spades so far.
If you're Sullivan and you break them up, you're nuts.

The team is scoring again, which is lovely. Some nice secondary contributions from Carter, Kap, Heinen.
Boyle made a nice play on the Heinen goal, converting defense into offense. My affection for that man growing all the time.
Plus our chances of avoiding Shesterkin went up.
In fact, I wish we lost in regulation

Maybe some people here want us to draw the team we've scored 4 goals against in 4 games, but hard pass on that from my end.

I say all that only from a results perspective. The defensive play is quite concerning though. All the Isles goals were either gifts or super preventable. Frustrating to see.

Rakell coming aboard was the worst thing for Malkin/the team.

The lines were fine, Rakell is added and bonehead Sully goes "I'll just give Malkin the new toy so I can have GCR back"

Rakell shows crazy chemistry with Sid yet we still get GCR repeatedly and our last 10 games have been brutal

 

[ColePens]

So there is not much on the team defense aspect that makes me believe this team can win a best of 7 against anyone except for the fact the playoffs are wild and unexpected. But i think the stat was something like 14 of the last 15 SC winners were over 60% win percentage leading into the postseason? We are on a freefall so there are so many things working against us.

It's just like the writing is on the wall and the team doesn't even bother trying to fix it. The team defense isn't fully schematic because that goal against where Sid just let them go by on the PP was just pure laziness. And that's coming from probably THE HARDEST worker in the NHL. So that makes me just think stale culture or something like that.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Rakell coming aboard was the worst thing for Malkin/the team.

The lines were fine, Rakell is added and bonehead Sully goes "I'll just give Malkin the new toy so I can have GCR back"

Rakell shows crazy chemistry with Sid yet we still get GCR repeatedly and our last 10 games have been brutal

Honestly, Sullivan was never going to leave Rust with Malkin regardless.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Did Kap touch the ice at all in 3 v 3 Overtime?

He never does

Sully was sad because erod had a bad case of the Charleston Splatters

 

[ChaosAgent]

Did Kap touch the ice at all in 3 v 3 Overtime?

No but in fairness we had the long delayed penalty then the "powerplay."

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Honestly, Sullivan was never going to leave Rust with Malkin regardless.

You're right and it's my fault for playing Charlie Brown to his Lucy. I knew he'd yank the football away

 

[Icarium]

Do we even practice shootouts? It's astonishing how a team that used to be pretty good in shootouts under the same coach and with much the same shooters is now embarrasingly bad. They can put the proverbial zamboni driver in net and will still miss at least 2 of the 3 shots. Rakell is 4 out of 4 this year and feeling it all game and yet he is not one of the shooters? It's like Sully wants us to play against Florida.
As for the rest of the game, a very good offensive performance and a disastrous defensive performance. I guess the latter was Malkin's fault again? Not managing a single shot until the last seconds of the PP in OT was vintage Penguins - pass, pass, pass, play Rakell mostly where he can't utilize his one-timer, don't try any one-timers at all, rely on an exhausted Letang to make risky passes - what can possibly go wrong? It almost worked out in the end but when you allow two great chances on a 4-3 and you only get one, you suck, period.
Remember when we used to relieve pressure with flips to the centre of the ice? Now we would much rather go for super risky pass in our zone or ice it. It's simple stuff like that which makes our goalies feel under siege so often.
Rakell and Sid and building good chemistry and Guentzel rediscovered his scoring touch but you aren't going anywhere if your fans' heartbeat rapidly increase every time the puck is in your zone for more than ten seconds.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Nobody should practice shootouts because they shouldn't be a thing. Ten minutes of 3-on-3 and if that doesn't decide it, both team's are awful and lose a point. EZPZ

 

[Pancakes]

For me this one was a win.
Rakell 5 assists in last 2 games. Outstanding again, all over the ice.
I had a really good feeling about how Rakell's game would work with Guentzel's and they've delivered in spades so far.
If you're Sullivan and you break them up, you're nuts.

Well...Sullivan might just be nuts.

Rakell and Crosby were terrific together against Nashville, and what did we see to open last night? Guentzel-Crosby-Rust.

So...while it seems to make incredible sense to put Rakell with Crosby, I dunno if that is what we will see on Thursday.

 

[Andy99]

I'll take that. I think we stand a better chance against Florida then Toronto as opposed to the Rangers then Carolina

Idk…you gotta defend Florida…not going to win a track meet with them…even if we get chances, Jarry’s going to have to outplay Bob or Knight…that’s potentially doable but do you trust the Pens to limit Florida’s shooters to the perimeter lol? I don’t think there’s a good matchup for the Pens in this POs quite honestly lol

 

[Andy99]

So there is not much on the team defense aspect that makes me believe this team can win a best of 7 against anyone except for the fact the playoffs are wild and unexpected. But i think the stat was something like 14 of the last 15 SC winners were over 60% win percentage leading into the postseason? We are on a freefall so there are so many things working against us.

It's just like the writing is on the wall and the team doesn't even bother trying to fix it. The team defense isn't fully schematic because that goal against where Sid just let them go by on the PP was just pure laziness. And that's coming from probably THE HARDEST worker in the NHL. So that makes me just think stale culture or something like that.

Some of it is schematic and other times just lazy plays…but they miss a lot of assignments in the D zone or they seem confused who to take when transitioning from offense to defense…if guys are still confused in April with this shit, then the coach’s system is too difficult or complex…you don’t want them thinking too much, players have to play fast…I do put that entirely on Sully

 

[Andy99]

From RW’s blog…if even he can see this, you know it’s bad lol…if Dumo is injured, rest him…if not, reduce his minutes immediately, Sully….

“Brian Dumoulin is entering Rob Scuderi territory. He either needs some nights off for rest and collect himself or this is the new standard. I’ve suggested trading him while his perceived value was higher than his actual value going back to last year. I think we are entering or already arrived to where this is no longer the case. Play him on the bottom pairing if you play him. Look to move on in the offseason. A bounce back to his form from a few years ago isn’t likely and the risk to find out if he can isn’t worth it to me. I think a lot of the aura surrounding him has been his proximity to Kris Letang all these years. A decent enough generic player who has no problem fitting in, but isn’t driving the bus, either. The issue is he cannot fit in at the present moment. Mike Sullivan has taken the first step in recognizing this by playing him away from Kris Letang. He is going to have to now re-evaluate his spot on the middle pairing as well.”

HockeyBuzz.com - Ryan Wilson - The Penguins are some ill birds + some Crosby and Letang criticism

www.hockeybuzz.com

 

[Deport Ogie]

It really says a fair bit when I'm watching the game with my son and 87 comes out for his attempt and my son says "Oh watch out dad, here comes another rush with no dekes and a missed try for the five hole!"

Though I'll give Sid some credit, it was in fact NOT a missed try for the five hole this time. It was a rush with no dekes and a shot directly into the glove.

 

[SomeDude]

Nobody should practice shootouts because they shouldn't be a thing. Ten minutes of 3-on-3 and if that doesn't decide it, both team's are awful and lose a point. EZPZ

Just eliminate OT all together and go to a playoff hole of disc golf. That nerd CDS will become invaluable.

 

[Glamor Toad]

So there is not much on the team defense aspect that makes me believe this team can win a best of 7 against anyone except for the fact the playoffs are wild and unexpected. But i think the stat was something like 14 of the last 15 SC winners were over 60% win percentage leading into the postseason? We are on a freefall so there are so many things working against us.

It's just like the writing is on the wall and the team doesn't even bother trying to fix it. The team defense isn't fully schematic because that goal against where Sid just let them go by on the PP was just pure laziness. And that's coming from probably THE HARDEST worker in the NHL. So that makes me just think stale culture or something like that.

I think it is systematic. The crew has lost that fire on the belly over the last few summers to play that game Sullivan mandates. I don't think the personnel deserve all of the blame, only half. Ideally that's where new, hot blood gets called up from the A or juniors...oh wait...

But really, there might be a switch-flip this offseason and there might not. If there is then the Pens world-class coach has redeemed himself from a poor postseason record of late. Of the switch-flip doesn't work out, then it's time for a new coach or start planning the rebuild. Or rebuild + The Big Three. They deserve to stay if they want.

 

[Glamor Toad]

Remember when we used to relieve pressure with flips to the centre of the ice? Now we would much rather go for super risky pass in our zone or ice it. It's simple stuff like that which makes our goalies feel under siege so often.
Rakell and Sid and building good chemistry and Guentzel rediscovered his scoring touch but you aren't going anywhere if your fans' heartbeat rapidly increase every time the puck is in your zone for more than ten seconds.

Am I the only one who hopes that Sully is saving a bag of tricks for the postseason? The set-plays, the unrelenting F2 and F3 puck support, the flips to center ice that Guentzel would cradle and spring a 2-1, all these things this team has done and has to remember how to execute.
I may be alone but I'm hoping Sullivan is playing rope-a-dope in this final 4-week stretch to play dark horse on the postseason.
Or maybe me and Paul Coffee up here lying to ourselves

 

[Pens x]

Am I the only one who hopes that Sully is saving a bag of tricks for the postseason? The set-plays, the unrelenting F2 and F3 puck support, the flips to center ice that Guentzel would cradle and spring a 2-1, all these things this team has done and has to remember how to execute.
I may be alone but I'm hoping Sullivan is playing rope-a-dope in this final 4-week stretch to play dark horse on the postseason.
Or maybe me and Paul Coffee up here lying to ourselves

He’s had the team playing rope a dope hockey for four straight playoffs. I think you have false hope for him. We are falling apart sooner this year, that’s all.

 

[Al Smith]

Am I the only one who hopes that Sully is saving a bag of tricks for the postseason? The set-plays, the unrelenting F2 and F3 puck support, the flips to center ice that Guentzel would cradle and spring a 2-1, all these things this team has done and has to remember how to execute.
I may be alone but I'm hoping Sullivan is playing rope-a-dope in this final 4-week stretch to play dark horse on the postseason.
Or maybe me and Paul Coffee up here lying to ourselves

Sully’s been playing the long con. He actually fell in love with Riiko’s play a coupke years ago but decided to stash him in the press box and WBS until the right moment to unleash him on an unsuspecting league. He’ll no doubt be up with the big team cleaning the crease and leading the power play in the playoffs. At least I can dream of a fix for our defense.

 

[The Old Master]

Did Kap touch the ice at all in 3 v 3 Overtime?

no, why would you put one of your best skaters on the ice for that?

 

[The Old Master]

Sully’s been playing the long con. He actually fell in love with Riiko’s play a coupke years ago but decided to stash him in the press box and WBS until the right moment to unleash him on an unsuspecting league. He’ll no doubt be up with the big team cleaning the crease and leading the power play in the playoffs. At least I can dream of a fix for our defense.

for some reason riiky just cant get that stand off to the side of the net and wave your stick at the puck. i was hopeful he would learn.