Post-Game Talk: Pens vs Leafs: Much needed point

[Will Hunting]

They played a good 60 minutes. Holding the Leafs to 22 shots in regulation on the road is pretty good. Rust had some amazing chances, EK was sending everything to the net, and the PP looked pretty good, certainly much better than it has most of the season.

Unfortunately Sullivan didn't start Sid and Rust in OT. I understand the idea of putting out Eller and DOC, but in making that decision you also have to weigh the negative risk of what happened. I think you always start your top forward duo in OT because it's OT - they might not get a chance if they aren't taking the first shift. Think about the rush EK had at the start where he fed Eller who shot it over the net. If that was Sid, maybe he scores. And it isn't like Sid and Rust aren't trusted defensively. Sully must have the philosophy of "contain the other teams best player" but in 3v3 containing the opponents best player means keeping them from the puck, and Eller and DOC certainly aren't going to succeed playing a possession game.

Anyway, go take it to Detroit on Thursday. What is the preferential result for DET/WSH tomorrow?

Just no overtime and it´s OK either way, both of them will drop some more points after that game too. But if I had to pick the winner, I would probably prefer WSH to win.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

This is an excellent run, but they deserve to miss for taking so many games casually this year. They're not good enough to employ that mindset.
Game 20 or w/e means just as much as game 82 to bubble-level teams. It just doesn't feel like it at the time.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Big OT point for u guys. I'm really hoping Pens make playoffs. If they make playoffs, Crosby deserves MVP for regular season

 

[PaulD]

As a fan of the Canucks , and someone from Sault Ste Marie . Really rooting for the Pens to do well because I’m a huge Kyle Dubas supporter and I’ve met the guy he’s a real class act and family man

Does he keep his lawn nice too?
As a GM he hasn't impressed.

 

[vodeni]

Should have started Eller/Carter for OT. Man that would be hilarious, i'd know the guy was dropped on his head as a baby at that point.

Lol…fury isn’t going to win them games…Rust couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn tonight, so slow to get his shots off…shoot quicker and more accurately and get it in the net…

he was furious because he did not cover Austin and just stare at him instead of jumping at him as soon as that puck went his way, he does this all the time and every time he gets upset with himself

 

[Icarium]

It's actually amazing that we are the playoff picture with this astonishing power play, OT and shootout ineptitude. If they were merely slightly below average rather than near rock bottom in these department, we would be discussing who we are going to play in round 1 right now. In fairness, the power play didn't look that bad in this game but not scoring on so many chances meant the difference between a win and an OTL.

But it could have been worse, Carter was on the ice in the final minute, so we could have easily had zero points.

Carter's line had a big fat 0 xG. Malkin's line was again superb, very unlucky to score only once. Crosby leading the way too. Overall, outplaying a good team again and being undone due to sheer ineptitude in most areas of the game that require careful coaching again. Must be a coincidence, right Johe and company?

Might be best for my health if they don't make the playoffs because if they defy the odds, dominate a series and find a way to lose anyway, I might break something. Like my head with the TV remote.

P.S. Johe is praising the team's character? That's a very curious case of amnesia because I recall like a dozen hilarious collapses in this season alone and just as many occasions of not even showing for games (like the previous game against this same Leafs team).

 

[Invalid cuz QoC]

the Canadian broadcast was blown away by Sullivan starting Lars Eller.

Mike Sullivan in any market that actually gave a shit about hockey would be gone 3-4 years ago.

I’d love to see Sully coach a Canadian team lol.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

Rough very rough OT. Stayed on ice. I was shocked Crosby was not out there. Just multiple mistakes as well there.

 

[Andy99]

he was furious because he did not cover Austin and just stare at him instead of jumping at him as soon as that puck went his way, he does this all the time and every time he gets upset with himself

So getting upsetting with yourself doesn’t result in playing better hockey and winning? Someone please tell Yohe…

 

[spcastlemagic]

So, I’m gonna bitch about the Toronto crowd a little more. They had life and energy exactly one time last night - after they went up 2-1. The rest of the time - nothing. This is why they will never know glory, what it means to drink from Lord Stanley’s sacred chalice - they’re a bunch of front runners who want to feel great about winning but shield themselves from the sorrow of loss. Nerds.

 

[SEALBound]

This is an excellent run, but they deserve to miss for taking so many games casually this year. They're not good enough to employ that mindset.
Game 20 or w/e means just as much as game 82 to bubble-level teams. It just doesn't feel like it at the time.

This is what makes me so mad right row. It's not a major stretch of losses that did. It's those one-two games here and there that they pissed away, several with blown 3rd period leads. Then there was the sulking period right after the TDL where they dropped some real turds.

If they won two of those games or forced OT on 2 of them, we'd be in a very strong spot right now. Instead...every game against major teams is a fight for your life game.

So, I’m gonna bitch about the Toronto crowd a little more. They had life and energy exactly one time last night - after they went up 2-1. The rest of the time - nothing. This is why they will never know glory, what it means to drink from Lord Stanley’s sacred chalice - they’re a bunch of front runners who want to feel great about winning but shield themselves from the sorrow of loss. Nerds.

They remind me a lot of the 2009-2014 Penguins. They had the raw talent to just wheel around the ice and win games without much effort. To their credit, the Leafs can role three lines and they all have a dangerous players on them - not unlike the 2016 Pens when it was Crosby, then Malkin, then Kessel and they just came at you in waves. Matthews, then Marner/Taves, then Nylander...it's a lot. Then they have good support guys playing well like Bertuzzi, Knies, Domi, and McMann.

But yeah, they are in a playoff spot so I imagine their energy is tough to come by now.

 

[JRS91]

Let's pretend Sullivan didn't start Eller in OT instead of Crosby.

It's still his fault because this team never practices 3-on-3. It falls back to him.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Let's pretend Sullivan didn't start Eller in OT instead of Crosby.

It's still his fault because this team never practices 3-on-3. It falls back to him.

There's a myriad of reasons why "Crosby's skate" is a flaccid excuse.

There's another HoF player sitting right there. Unless he was the one fixing Crosby's skate or something. Rust... Bunting... Raks... all better options than DOC if you insist on Eller. Faceoffs? Eller was like 30some percent in the circle all night. Malkin was at 50. All that aside as much as I hate him Carter is better than anyone on the team so if it's faceoffs... why Eller? Faceoffs in general are a poor thing to point to considering this team is tops in the league as a team at them and are just barely scraping by. Winning faceoffs doesn't mean anything if you are clueless with the puck directly afterward. Also that line had a chance to change and didn't... why? Finally the coach has started Eller in OT more or less all season so it's all a moot point, anyway. It was clearly their intention to do so one way or the other.

BTW as miserable as the Penguins have been in OT and as mediocre as Malkin was the middle part of the season... he factored in on 2 out of the 3 OT winners they HAVE managed this year. Plus there's the whole "dude is a huge part of the reason they are even still in the mix" thing. But I guess that doesn't count for much.

I know I'm harping on this a lot but it's so insanely frustrating.

 

[MrBrightside]

There's a myriad of reasons why "Crosby's skate" is a flaccid excuse.

There's another HoF player sitting right there. Unless he was the one fixing Crosby's skate or something. Rust... Bunting... Raks... all better options than DOC if you insist on Eller. Faceoffs? Eller was like 30some percent in the circle all night. Malkin was at 50. All that aside as much as I hate him Carter is better than anyone on the team so if it's faceoffs... why Eller? Faceoffs in general are a poor thing to point to considering this team is tops in the league as a team at them and are just barely scraping by. Winning faceoffs doesn't mean anything if you are clueless with the puck directly afterward. Also that line had a chance to change and didn't... why? Finally the coach has started Eller in OT more or less all season so it's all a moot point, anyway. It was clearly their intention to do so one way or the other.

BTW as miserable as the Penguins have been in OT and as mediocre as Malkin was the middle part of the season... he factored in on 2 out of the 3 OT winners they HAVE managed this year. Plus there's the whole "dude is a huge part of the reason they are even still in the mix" thing. But I guess that doesn't count for much.

I know I'm harping on this a lot but it's so insanely frustrating.

I generally don't like Malkin on the ice in OT as he's so careless with puck it feels like there are odd man rushes continuously with him on the ice. That said, if Sid wasn't available and given how Malkin looked last night, it was malpractice not to start him - he and Bunting were their two best players all night.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I generally don't like Malkin on the ice in OT as he's so careless with puck it feels like there are odd man rushes continuously with him on the ice. That said, if Sid wasn't available and given how Malkin looked last night, it was malpractice not to start him - he and Bunting were their two best players all night.

Whole team looks that way. Maybe it would help if they oh... I dunno... practiced it? Hell even Crosby who everyone was (rightfully) pissed about not seeing the ice has factored into exact zero OT goals for and I think 5 against this year.

If you don't want to stick Malkin in the circle for whatever reason fine I get it I guess. Put him on Eller's wing or something. Or hell stick he and Carter out there and tell Geno to cheat hard in the circle so they have Carter if he gets the boot.

Mike Sullivan is such a genius coach he's even outcoaching HIMSELF on a routine basis!

 

[Pens x]

It is nice to get a point vs. a good team, but losing the way we did was simply inexcusable, and overshadows any positives.

You know it’s been a rocky couple of years here when fans bump their chests over an OTL.

 

[Ryder71]

Pompeani suggested Sid wasn't out there in OT because his skate continued to hamper him.

Needed 1 point between the Leafs and Bruins, we got it. Wish the PP would start clicking. Win against the Wings, Caps and Isles and we got this!

You negative wankers need to calm the fetch down.

We don't play the Caps again. If they win out we're screwed. Well, unless the Isles stumble.

 

[MrBrightside]

Pompeani suggested Sid wasn't out there in OT because his skate continued to hamper him.


We don't play the Caps again. If they win out we're screwed. Well, unless the Isles stumble.

I'd put the odds on a team that has lost 6 straight and is -42 in goal differential winning 5 straight against teams like Detroit, Boston, Tampa Bay, and Buffalo at <1%. Of all the things to worry about that's not one of them.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

As miraculous as the Pens run has been... it's nothing compared to the fact that Washington is somehow still in the mix despite being f***ing awful.

 

[SEALBound]

Pompeani suggested Sid wasn't out there in OT because his skate continued to hamper him.


We don't play the Caps again. If they win out we're screwed. Well, unless the Isles stumble.

Then you start Malkin-Rakell or Malkin-Bunitng. Two possible pairings that had monster games.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

It's still his fault because this team never practices 3-on-3. It falls back to him.

Where exactly did this come from again? A Madden article?

 

[Icarium]

This is an excellent run, but they deserve to miss for taking so many games casually this year. They're not good enough to employ that mindset.

Yeah and it's not a new problem either. Teams like Tampa can afford to take many days off because they still have Kucherov who is 30 and Vasilevskiy who is 29, among others. We don't have the luxury of superstars in the prime of their careers and yet act with all the hubris of a team that does have it.

And let's not forget that we have been incredibly lucky with injuries. Despite that and the horrible "race" for the last few playoff spot, we still need to win out and hope some results go our way with about 10 days left in the season.

 

[Pancakes]

I know I'm harping on this a lot but it's so insanely frustrating.

The reason why it's so annoying to me is it's playing to not lose rather than playing to win. Lars Eller isn't gonna win you that game in OT. He might play defensively well enough to not lose it.

Evgeni Malkin might lose you the game on a dumb turnover, but he also has way higher offensive upside and might win it on a good possession.

Weaksauce coaching and Sully got punished by the hockey gods for it

 

[IcedCapp]

Surprised Sullivan allowed Rossi to stop licking his taint for 10 seconds to allow him to tweet.

You don’t need hands to lick

The "Crosby has a skate issue" thing is kind of stupid when you consider they could have called a timeout to get him out there.

Also when you consider we have Evgeni Malkin.

 

[HandshakeLine]

The reason why it's so annoying to me is it's playing to not lose rather than playing to win. Lars Eller isn't gonna win you that game in OT. He might play defensively well enough to not lose it.

Evgeni Malkin might lose you the game on a dumb turnover, but he also has way higher offensive upside and might win it on a good possession.

Weaksauce coaching and Sully got punished by the hockey gods for it

Yeah, this is what I was trying to figure out was bugging me about the decision last night and much better put than I can probably manage it (what with all the negativity and bile and unkind thoughts). When you are down like this going into must-win situations like OT, I think the team should be taking those risks because, what else do you have to lose? Putting some talent out there 3 v 3 gives you a chance to win that all-important extra point. Playing a shutdown line and hoping you can drag it out to the SO is just kind of admitting defeat.

It was giving me shades of the last game last year, which was so incredibly infuriating.

It's incredibly frustrating to watch a team outside of the last WC spot acting like we're already in the playoffs and that we're just trying to make it to game 82 without any injuries.