Post-Game Talk: |Pens vs Rangers | loss | Blowout loss

[Coastal Kev]

Oh, just you wait!

Also, the 1993 squad was the real embarrassment, let's not forget.

Are you being serious or sarcastic? 93 was lost because Mario had cancer and ran out of steam. Stevens got injured and the refs absolutely cheated the Pens in game 6

 

[LOGiK]

Penguins just dipped below .500, being 34 wins and 35 losses.

Imagine if this is the best of this teams 'worst to come yet' era...

 

[LOGiK]

5 minutes into the game. Face-off in our zone. Sullisma chooses to play not just L4 but Joseph and Ruhwedel, knowing full well that the Rags will use their top line. Surprise, surprise, the puck ends up in our net. Too bad the broadcaster took pity on the viewers and didn't show Sullisma's surprised Pikachu face but since it's always the same, one can easily imagine it.

But hey, Big Jeff won the draw, what happened after that is just bad luck in Sully's alternate reality.

Yes, the rest of the team sucked too (this time). But when you keep shooting yourself in the foot, it's hard to achieve anything even when most of the team plays well. Jarry's great form for most of last year seems to have convinced certain people that the Pens can get away with sloppy defense and several passengers on the roster. Now that he has come back to earth, it's painfully obvious that they cannot. Well, obvious to you and me, at least but apparently not to the brain trust running the team.

First goal, Carter line magic.
The second goal, late in the first period was a killer and a routine one for the penguins.
The third goal, top line and letang pinching hard and nobody cares to make any attempt to get back leaving a 3 on 1....

It's all just a terrible, terrible effort on the whole of it.

 

[Lomez]

I get Sully is the lightning rod here, but you can't tell me the team didn't quit from the second period on. My guess is not so much they aren't listening to the coaching staff (although that is certainly likely) but, rather, they are absolutely demoralized by the fact that no matter what they do, the sieve between the pipes and piss-poor D corp will negate any effort they make. This team is dead in the water.

 

[the penitent]

We all know that they're going to ride out the season with Hextall and Sullivan. The team is basically dead - they may have an involuntary spasm or two of decent play, but the tea leaves say they don't make the playoffs. So, given that, what are the solutions for next year to try to make this team competitive. I'll start with the following:

Hextall fired, replaced by ????

Sullivan fired (not likely due to contract, but let's just assume), replaced by ????

Carter forced to retire (cap hit is still there, but his piss-poor play isn't)

Other thoughts?

 

[Andy99]

This team is sad, and I’m still sad this am and infuriated with the coach lol…

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Sullivan is a thin skinned smelly anus.

 

[Victor Z]

The way these guys are playing actually makes it easy to watch the games, because who really cares if they win or lose?

If they win a game, that's nice, that's great. Maybe they even make the playoffs (2 of 3 out of us, NYI and FLA are going to make it -- the other wannabees all suck). If they DO make the playoffs there are no expectations at all, so just sit back and enjoy one last brief playoff appearance for The Beloved Core.

If they lose a game, then look on the bright side anyway: we're one game closer to a complete housecleaning (yeah, sure). Hextall, Burke, Coach Arrogant Asshole, all his assistants, all the useless deadwood in the front office -- shitcan every one of them.

Except one: the guy who does the instant video reviews and tells us when to challenge for being offside has done a great job this year. Keep him. Possibly make him head coach.

The GM and anyone who has ANY input on personnel decisions should have been fired weeks (or more) ago. What a great trade deadline! Bring in 2 mundane vets who do The Most Penguin Thing Ever and suffer serious injuries (Kulikov, Bonino), and the other mundane $5 million vet is one who wouldn't be missed at all if HE got hurt. The way he is used, what the hell is Granlund if not "Jeff Carter without the faceoff ability"?

If Breadstick is out for any length of time and we have to call up someone like Fedun to play, we are totally f**ked anyway. We'll have a whopping TWO NHL-caliber d-men (and Dumoulin barely qualifies) and 4 guys who should be in the AHL. If Sully would give Friedman back his testicles and let him play the way he used to, we might have 2 1/2 NHL caliber defensemen, but that'll never happen.

 

[Victor Z]

One more thing about yesterday's disaster: of all the Penguins to single out for criticism, blithering idiot broadcaster Phil Bourque decided that Drew O'Connor should be taken to the woodshed in particular. But it's worth mentioning because for the first time in years Bourque made a decent point about DOC.

Without specifically comparing DOC to Mark Friedman, he pointed out that DOC plays a very "neutered" game as well. DOC has better than average size but is forever reluctant to mix it up, agitate, or even respond when bullied. He's big enough to take care of himself -- and his teammates -- but he doesn't because he's seemingly afraid to. Either afraid of getting roughed up or, more likely, afraid of what his terminal wuss of a coach will say or do if DOC should ever be assigned a penalty for not being a terminal wuss himself.

Will it take a Kapanen-esque change of scenery for DOC to begin to live up to his potential as an NHL player? We have so very few prospects around here that it's a real shame to neuter one for no reason.

 

[Pens x]

They should fire Hextall to start rebuilding the relationship with our fans.

 

[BusinessGoose]

I don't know about all that

I mean, if either one of those guys got into a fight with it 3-0, do you really think that sparks jack shit in the rest of our team?

Does it teach Carter how not to literally run away from his man in the crease?

Does it get our defensive coverage to realize there is a wide open back door pass?

If DOC did a big hit, or tried real hard to finish every check, does it make granlund skate faster? Does it encourage sid to backcheck?

Like, i get momentum is intangible etc etc but... Yeah, i don't see the point any agitation would do. And I don't think the players do either. We all have given up.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

We all know that they're going to ride out the season with Hextall and Sullivan. The team is basically dead - they may have an involuntary spasm or two of decent play, but the tea leaves say they don't make the playoffs. So, given that, what are the solutions for next year to try to make this team competitive. I'll start with the following:

Hextall fired, replaced by ????

Sullivan fired (not likely due to contract, but let's just assume), replaced by ????

Carter forced to retire (cap hit is still there, but his piss-poor play isn't)

Other thoughts?

Mike Gillis GM
Bruce Boudreau HC

Gillis built a multiple President's trophy winner. I'm not sure if he's the best GM candidate available but I'm pretty sure this is the best coach still up for grabs.

Although I'm open to changing my mind if some quality guys get fired or something.
God, imagine if we got Cassidy last summer... f***.

 

[Icarium]

God, imagine if we got Cassidy last summer...

Cassidy or De Boer or Brunette or Bowness or Montgomery. Funny how so many teams with new coaches improved a lot this season. Must be a coincidence and we should keep Sully till the end of eternity. Okay, for a few years more until he runs the team into the ground but they will feel like an eternity.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Cassidy or De Boer or Brunette or Bowness or Montgomery. Funny how so many teams with new coaches improved a lot this season. Must be a coincidence and we should keep Sully till the end of eternity. Okay, for a few years more until he runs the team into the ground but they will feel like an eternity.

Edzo, got it.

 

[Andy99]

One more thing about yesterday's disaster: of all the Penguins to single out for criticism, blithering idiot broadcaster Phil Bourque decided that Drew O'Connor should be taken to the woodshed in particular. But it's worth mentioning because for the first time in years Bourque made a decent point about DOC.

Without specifically comparing DOC to Mark Friedman, he pointed out that DOC plays a very "neutered" game as well. DOC has better than average size but is forever reluctant to mix it up, agitate, or even respond when bullied. He's big enough to take care of himself -- and his teammates -- but he doesn't because he's seemingly afraid to. Either afraid of getting roughed up or, more likely, afraid of what his terminal wuss of a coach will say or do if DOC should ever be assigned a penalty for not being a terminal wuss himself.

Will it take a Kapanen-esque change of scenery for DOC to begin to live up to his potential as an NHL player? We have so very few prospects around here that it's a real shame to neuter one for no reason.

I dunno but I think one thing we can all say is that many of our players shipped out for not working in Sullivan’s system have thrived elsewhere…we keep getting rid of players…maybe the problem is the coach…get rid of the f**king coach already!

 

[Khelandros]

One more thing about yesterday's disaster: of all the Penguins to single out for criticism, blithering idiot broadcaster Phil Bourque decided that Drew O'Connor should be taken to the woodshed in particular. But it's worth mentioning because for the first time in years Bourque made a decent point about DOC.

Without specifically comparing DOC to Mark Friedman, he pointed out that DOC plays a very "neutered" game as well. DOC has better than average size but is forever reluctant to mix it up, agitate, or even respond when bullied. He's big enough to take care of himself -- and his teammates -- but he doesn't because he's seemingly afraid to. Either afraid of getting roughed up or, more likely, afraid of what his terminal wuss of a coach will say or do if DOC should ever be assigned a penalty for not being a terminal wuss himself.

Will it take a Kapanen-esque change of scenery for DOC to begin to live up to his potential as an NHL player? We have so very few prospects around here that it's a real shame to neuter one for no reason.

I think the WB players that called up are scared. Scared to play the way they can in the fear that they will be sent down if they make a mistake. Rust has been trash for 69 games and all that happens is he gets passed between the 1st and 2nd line. DOC makes a mistake and he is on the 4th line for the rest of the night and then probably thinking if I mess up again I back in WB. Sullivan used to embrace the young guys when they got recalled. Now they are an afterthought, a spot filler to be moved down the line up whenever.

Nylander is on the third line now, why? Because he hasn't scored yet? At east he doesn't end plays in the offensive zone on his own. He doesn't pass to empty areas. He doesn't have one move where he cuts to the net and tries to beat the goalie wide. In the 6 games he has played this season, he has the same stats as Rust, yet rust is in the top 6 and Nylander is one mistake away from being sent down.

 

[Icarium]

I am impressed that Guentzel managed to be -5 when Sid is only -3.

 

[BusinessGoose]

As a longtime San Jose adjacent citizen... Hell no to De Boer lol

 

[ronduguayshair]

At least one goal was a lazy play by Sid as well but let’s be honest, Sid and Geno have carried us this year.

This is the game thread. You can excuse them in another thread. Besides isn’t it the stars job to carry the team?

Quit picking favorites.

 

[Coastal Kev]

One more thing about yesterday's disaster: of all the Penguins to single out for criticism, blithering idiot broadcaster Phil Bourque decided that Drew O'Connor should be taken to the woodshed in particular. But it's worth mentioning because for the first time in years Bourque made a decent point about DOC.

Without specifically comparing DOC to Mark Friedman, he pointed out that DOC plays a very "neutered" game as well. DOC has better than average size but is forever reluctant to mix it up, agitate, or even respond when bullied. He's big enough to take care of himself -- and his teammates -- but he doesn't because he's seemingly afraid to. Either afraid of getting roughed up or, more likely, afraid of what his terminal wuss of a coach will say or do if DOC should ever be assigned a penalty for not being a terminal wuss himself.

Will it take a Kapanen-esque change of scenery for DOC to begin to live up to his potential as an NHL player? We have so very few prospects around here that it's a real shame to neuter one for no reason.

Bourque should understand that its tough to be a lone wolf in the physical department. You are a lone wolf, will be singled out for destruction by the oppositions pack.

soff team... one guy isn’t changing that

 

[Zap Rowsdower]

 

[BusinessGoose]

There is way more emotion in that, than this team

 

[Andy99]

This is the game thread. You can excuse them in another thread. Besides isn’t it the stars job to carry the team?

Quit picking favorites.

I know it doesn’t fit your agenda, but Sid had as much responsibility for goal 1 as Jarry and while Geno took the penalty, if Dumo makes an easy clear and Jarry stops a point blank shot, then the goal never happens…lots of players take penalties and it’s on the Pk and goalie to bail them and some times they don’t…hazards of a hockey game…after the first period, the forwards tried too hard to get back in the game because it was clear the D was awful and injured and the goalies sucked…tried too much and left repeated rush opportunities…end of the story for this game…you’re putting it all on Geno is incorrect as usual and part of your schtick…move on

 

[eXile3]

This is the game thread. You can excuse them in another thread. Besides isn’t it the stars job to carry the team?

Quit picking favorites.

No it’s not a stars job to carry the team. Not even Mario in his prime could do that.

But if you want to keep the feedback respective to this particular game than yes the stars were not good.

 

[Andy99]

This comment from poster with 50+ years of watching the Pens on another site has encapsulated my feelings as well and I’ve never felt this way either after 40 years of watching the Pens…lol

“Never been a point before this where I wanted to see the ownership walk into a locker room after a loss and fire the coaching staff, GM, and whatever title they have given Burke. And, while they are at it, tell Jeff ( if they can get there before he races out of the locker room), to get his gear and they will forward his paycheck to his house. I don’t care if he wins 1 more faceoff per 25 attempts. Often after he wins a faceoff they lose the puck five seconds later and we are on a quasi-kill.”