Post-Game Talk: |Pens vs Jerks | | We scored with the goalie pulled!!

[Will Hunting]

Geno 0 points in last 4 games doesn´t help either. Maybe Rust isn´t helping him after all. Who would´ve thought?

 

[ChaosAgent]

Geno 0 points in last 4 games doesn´t help either. Maybe Rust isn´t helping him after all. Who would´ve thought?

I thought Rust looked better at ES tonight, but "better" still isn't good.

Geno's line generates a lot of low quality chances. Sid's line is super high-event both ways. Carter...well, McGinn's playing well at least.

I really liked POJ's game again. He was the standout tonight for me.

 

[Big Poppa Pump]

Geno 0 points in last 4 games doesn´t help either. Maybe Rust isn´t helping him after all. Who would´ve thought?

I glad the cries of "no more GCR" and "put Rust with Geno" have come to an end.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I think Sullivan has found a fourth line that works and it makes sense to stick with it for now.

Our third line is the problem area but Kapanen actually played pretty well tonight. Hopefully he's the boost that line needs.

The thing for me is that Poehling is a solid C as well and Blueger should be moved up to the 3C role, Carter should sit for a bit, even just to excuse it as "maintenance games" and give him 3 day break to test it out. I think a 3rd line of - McGinn-Blueger-Kapanen could do very well. If that means Heinen-Poehling-Archibald is our 4th, fine. I would rather Hallander was called up but for cap reasons we can't so Heinen would have to play LW on that 4th line.

I just think Carter has issues with maintaining any effort. He will be great the moment he gets on the ice, but after the first 15 seconds, he's basically floating.

I glad the cries of "no more GCR" and "put Rust with Geno" have come to an end.

I think if you put POJ-Rutta behind Sid's line, it could be the way you can put Kapanen there, drop Rakell to L2 and Rust to L3. Even if for 2 games, I think it'd be worth exploring.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I know blokes would have hated it, but I still would have walked away with Letang, signed Klingberg for 1yr and used the extra cap for other moves that they could make without teams knowing they're over the barrel for cap space. I don't think we'd be any worse for wear with a top pairing of Pettersson-Klingberg vs Pettersson-Letang.

 

[BusinessGoose]

 

[Zirakzigil]

I know blokes would have hated it, but I still would have walked away with Letang, signed Klingberg for 1yr and used the extra cap for other moves that they could make without teams knowing they're over the barrel for cap space. I don't think we'd be any worse for wear with a top pairing of Pettersson-Klingberg vs Pettersson-Letang.

Klingberg might be playing worse than Letang so far this season

 

[crosby87]

The Penguins got absolutely screwed over by the ref there.

Egregiously missed call at the end there, no matter how you spin it.

No, they got absolutely screwed by themselves. You don't just stop playing the game.

How does this turn into a 2 on 0?

 

[Pens x]

Eh, I think there's a lot of legit criticisms to make on Sully, but this isn't one I agree with. Even just this season POJ and Poehling have played their way into more spots/responsibility.

What vets could Sully use over Pohling? Also, we’d lose POJ if he was waived. Hextall screwed up the cap - that’s the only reason POJ is still here.

What more do Sully and Hextall need to do to show you they hate young players?

 

[BusinessGoose]

I stopped skating on a backcheck breakaway one time as a kid


One

Time


The lashing i got was the last time i gave up on a play

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Klingberg might be playing worse than Letang so far this season

Ducks kind of suck, so it's hard to say.

The toughest part are these NMC's. Rust has one, so if even Hextall figures that Sullivan is not finding out proper usage and that he needs to move him to get some players that will be used in whatever garbage system this is, they have to jump through so many hoops to make those moves like asking to waive a NMC, etc etc.

This is what happens when you let a core dictate your moves and have ownership interfere heavily.

No, they got absolutely screwed by themselves. You don't just stop playing the game.

How does this turn into a 2 on 0?

Obviously they lacked stick-to-itiveness.

 

[Pens x]

Fire Sullivan

 

[Zirakzigil]

Ducks kind of suck, so it's hard to say.

The toughest part are these NMC's. Rust has one, so if even Hextall figures that Sullivan is not finding out proper usage and that he needs to move him to get some players that will be used in whatever garbage system this is, they have to jump through so many hoops to make those moves like asking to waive a NMC, etc etc.

This is what happens when you let a core dictate your moves and have ownership interfere heavily.


Obviously they lacked stick-to-itiveness.

The Rust situation doesnt make a lot of sense. Hes completely fallen off a cliff, in spite playing with Sid/Geno and on the PP. Also seems like since he got his paycheck he doesnt care anymore.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

The Rust situation doesnt make a lot of sense. Hes completely fallen off a cliff, in spite playing with Sid/Geno and on the PP. Also seems like since he got his paycheck he doesnt care anymore.

I think there's some communication issues with what they want from him vs what he was used to doing, which again wouldn't shock me given this team misuses a lot of players. Rust isn't shooting any more or less than his usual average the last 3 seasons, he's been shooting at the same rate, but his game has changed for sure. He's not driving the net as much, he's not making those power moves to the net to score. For him to change in his 3rd contract isn't some changed player based on his payday, but to me it seems like they're wanting him to play a certain way and it's just not his style.

Watch him in games you can re-watch (or stomach re-watching) and look at his shifts specifically, he just looks like he's hesitating playing his style like someone told him "hey you need to play this way now." He's producing at a 36pt pace, that's brutal. I also think the up and down of him and Rakell hasn't been helping him.

Edit: I will say one trend with Rust I have not agreed with is his diminishing role on the PK. 2016-2020 he averaged 1:28 of PK time, the last 3 seasons he's averaged around 31 seconds per game. I think it's tough to change a player's DNA in the NHL, you have a bloke that is known for being a speedster that can chip in big goals and is a huge part of the PK, he starts to produce and suddenly you start to decrease his PK time, something he was good at and then change who he is by his usage even if he's producing. The staff has done this with several players. I think Rust is lost with his role, personally. It shows.

Btw, it's funny that Dumoulin has a 10 team no trade list, the other dump they need to make has hurdles too.

 

[66-30-33]

I know blokes would have hated it, but I still would have walked away with Letang, signed Klingberg for 1yr and used the extra cap for other moves that they could make without teams knowing they're over the barrel for cap space. I don't think we'd be any worse for wear with a top pairing of Pettersson-Klingberg vs Pettersson-Letang.

If we were trading with Ducks the guy I'd want is Fowler, but this is with us also re-signing Letang. He's having a brutal year but IMO last season showed how important he was on the backend for us when he was not around, so keeping him I am fine with but LIMIT HIS f***IN MINUTES SULLIVAN!!!! He aint that same Dman he used to be.

 

[Gurglesons]

100%

I f***ing hate how much this board apologizes for Mike Sullivan yet will openly call out the same issues Mike Tomlin has with his team, so much irony there. It's funny how quickly this team finally turned on Dan Bylsma yet they struggle with Mike Sullivan showing the same arrogance and ignorance.

I think there's some communication issues with what they want from him vs what he was used to doing, which again wouldn't shock me given this team misuses a lot of players. Rust isn't shooting any more or less than his usual average the last 3 seasons, he's been shooting at the same rate, but his game has changed for sure. He's not driving the net as much, he's not making those power moves to the net to score. For him to change in his 3rd contract isn't some changed player based on his payday, but to me it seems like they're wanting him to play a certain way and it's just not his style.

Watch him in games you can re-watch (or stomach re-watching) and look at his shifts specifically, he just looks like he's hesitating playing his style like someone told him "hey you need to play this way now." He's producing at a 36pt pace, that's brutal. I also think the up and down of him and Rakell hasn't been helping him.


Btw, it's funny that Dumoulin has a 10 team no trade list, the other dump they need to make has hurdles too.

Nobody is shooting anymore. There is no chance in hell every player just drops off a cliff shooting wise without direction from the coach.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Nobody is shooting anymore. There is no chance in hell every player just drops off a cliff shooting wise without direction from the coach.

He's shooting at close to the same amount of shots per game as last year, which is whatever, but if you look at where he's shooting from, his game has been changed and that doesn't just happen on a whim with a player unless he's coached to.

Also completely taking away an area of the game he thrived in is weird, but on trend with this coach.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Good news is that we can snag Klingberg for like a 4th at the Trade Deadline and let him walk this summer without any issue if he keeps up his play. That'll be cool.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Good news is that we can snag Klingberg for like a 4th at the Trade Deadline and let him walk this summer without any issue if he keeps up his play. That'll be cool.

That wasn't the point and I think the team he choose and how they play right now is making it easier to trash him - say, the way it's easier for blokes here to trash Rust, for example.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

If we were trading with Ducks the guy I'd want is Fowler, but this is with us also re-signing Letang. He's having a brutal year but IMO last season showed how important he was on the backend for us when he was not around, so keeping him I am fine with but LIMIT HIS f***IN MINUTES SULLIVAN!!!! He aint that same Dman he used to be.

They will never limit Letang's minutes, because he'd throw a fit if they did. I would have loved Fowler as well but I don't think the Ducks would move him unless there was an overpayment or they were in some cap bind (which they aren't). Ducks have like 14-15m in cap space.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Geno 0 points in last 4 games doesn´t help either. Maybe Rust isn´t helping him after all. Who would´ve thought?

Sullivan's solution: Drop Geno down to L3 so he stops dragging Golden Boy Rust down. Play Carter and Rust 20+ minutes, limit Geno and Kapanen to 12 minutes.

Problem solved.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

That wasn't the point and I think the team he choose and how they play right now is making it easier to trash him - say, the way it's easier for blokes here to trash Rust, for example.

Rust is making it the easiest thing in the world to criticize his play. He's been absolutely abysmal since about the 6th game of the season, and probably the team's worst forward in terms of expectation versus play/production. He's been steadily becoming more of a floater for years, and having increased his production all the while, there's been no reason for him not to. Now you've got a dude who doesn't even look like he cares enough to hit double digit skating strides each shift and, well, you've got a $5 million AAV paperweight dragging down every scoring line he's been attached to. /shrug

I'd say move him to the 3rd line for a couple games as a wake up call but Carter's been awful too and the 3rd line's invisible, and it'd move up some nobody up above their ability and whatever line they get promoted to would probably still have a glaring hole at wing. Poehling might be interesting, but I imagine that'd be a lot like E-Rod where a guy looks wholly in over his head once he is playing above his role/TOI.

With Letang and Rust, I think you just gotta hope they sort their own shit out and play them through it. Not much more you can do because of how much role/TOI these guys have to the team. I'd absolutely replace Rust on the top PP unit though. It's asinine that he's even still getting time there with Rakell pretty much playing well every single night and Zucker's style around the net and in the corners.

 

[66-30-33]

They will never limit Letang's minutes, because he'd throw a fit if they did. I would have loved Fowler as well but I don't think the Ducks would move him unless there was an overpayment or they were in some cap bind (which they aren't). Ducks have like 14-15m in cap space.

Maybe Letang needs to be put down a peg for his sub par play and his dumb penaltys because he acts like a 2 year old on the ice (word for that...manchild).

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Maybe Letang needs to be put down a peg for his sub par play and his dumb penaltys because he acts like a 2 year old on the ice (word for that...manchild).

Honestly the only trade I want to make with the Ducks right now is Kapanen for Max Jones. Straight up. Ducks have 14-15m in cap space, they can take the hit of adding Kapanen to a young team that would give him a shot in the top 6 with some interesting young talent. I think Max Jones is a player that we need on the Pens.

Big, can skate, has separation speed, he's a powerforward that is figuring it out, but I think put with anyone in this team's top 9, he would be a great add. He was drafted in 2016, he's 24, so I think the Ducks would be into moving him as he likely needs a change of scenery as well.

Max plays LW/RW so he would be intriguing on even Malkin's RW and drop Rust down to the 3rd line to maybe see if he can score against less strict match-ups and boost the Pens top 9 scoring in the process with McGinn and Carter.

Guentzel, Crosby, Rakell
Zucker, Malkin, Jones
McGinn, Carter, Rust
Poehling, Blueger, Archibald
Heinen - Press box, where he belongs.


Edit: Unless the Ducks also want to give us Gibson for Jarry + Dumoulin.

 

[HandshakeLine]

The Rust situation doesnt make a lot of sense. Hes completely fallen off a cliff, in spite playing with Sid/Geno and on the PP. Also seems like since he got his paycheck he doesnt care anymore.

Man, who could have seen this coming?

Anyhow, sounds like this OT was designed specifically by committee to be something I'll hate, so this should be fun.