Post-Game Talk: |Pens vs Rangers | loss | Special teams weren’t the good special tonight

[Darren McCord]

I would really rather see Z up. If Zucker and Rakell cant go next game.

Jake - Sid - Rust
Heinen - Geno - Kap
Doc - Carter - McGinn
Zorhona - TB - Erod

Carter needs some speed and youth on his wings. Boyle needs to sit a game.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

We are so passive on the PK and we seem to think that turtling will stop players with the vision of Panarin and Fox from picking us apart.

Spoiler alert: it won't. Pressure Panarin, you have a way better chance of affecting him by getting him into a puck battles than playing prevent defense and thinking he won't find the dagger pass.

Being passive is ok if you maintain integrity of your 4 players

It looked to me that we put a wrinkle in where the guy at the top of the box would pressure Fox to prevent long range point stuff from being tipped.

The issue with that approach is two fold:

1) Pressuring with a single man high can be avoided by just passing to the 2 options at either circle
2) Brian f***ing Boyle ain't going to scare Adam Fox into a bad play. It was pathetic how he got shook out of his skates. If this is your wrinkle the F's on your PK have to be faster than TB/Boyle/etc.

To elaborate on #1 above, once the pass goes to either of the 2 options on the top of the circle you are susceptible to the horizontal cross ice pass. Rags almost connected on it if it wasn't for Rust's stick getting in the way

Basically if you keep the same personnel, you better go back to your standard box and be prepared for Fox to skate around the perimeter OR you change personnel and you pressure Fox and essentially play 4 on 3

 

[Rodgerwilco]

How in the f*** does anyone take this moron seriously? Lmao. This is typical JuJu syndrome for The Super Idiot.

He hates that Domingue bakes (probably not "manly'' enough for him), he hates that Domingue has a YouTube channel, and hates that he's on Cameo. How is this clown still being paid to write articles about Pittsburgh hockey?

 

[SEALBound]

We need to get healthy. Always the excuse for the Penguins but we need it now more than ever.

Jake-Sid-Rust
Zuck-Geno-Rakell
Heinen-Carter-Kapanen
ERod-Bleuger-McGinn

is worlds different than what we iced last night. Jarry > Domingue too...unfortunately.

 

[Andy99]

I would really rather see Z up. If Zucker and Rakell cant go next game.

Jake - Sid - Rust
Heinen - Geno - Kap
Doc - Carter - McGinn
Zorhona - TB - Erod

Carter needs some speed and youth on his wings. Boyle needs to sit a game.

Even if Zucker can go, I’d remove EROd as well and replace with Zohorna…also move Carter to RW on Blue’s line and play DOC at center on L4…

 

[ronduguayshair]

View attachment 541571
How in the f*** does anyone take this moron seriously? Lmao. This is typical JuJu syndrome for The Super Idiot.

He hates that Domingue bakes (probably not "manly'' enough for him), he hates that Domingue has a YouTube channel, and hates that he's on Cameo. How is this clown still being paid to write articles about Pittsburgh hockey?

I mean...he's right. Domingue can't move side to side like an NHL goalie.

Sooooo glad that kept Carter and Blue over McC in the expansion draft!

Def wouldn't want more than 4 guys who could score a goal in the POs.

McCann was a ghost in the playoffs. Main hockey related reason he's gone. The other was cap reasons for a trade that never happened.

Let's not rewrite history. Be better than that.

 

[orby]

View attachment 541571
How in the f*** does anyone take this moron seriously? Lmao. This is typical JuJu syndrome for The Super Idiot.

He hates that Domingue bakes (probably not "manly'' enough for him), he hates that Domingue has a YouTube channel, and hates that he's on Cameo. How is this clown still being paid to write articles about Pittsburgh hockey?

Well, I mean...no shit they're at a disadvantage. Shesterkin is the best goalie in the league right now and Domingue is the Pens' 3rd string goalie. Does Madden think this is some kind of notable insight?

 

[Icarium]

I almost wish we had got gotten annihilated because losing a second series in a row because of goaltending and/or goaltender injuries is going to suck. Domingue was solid but you need more than that against the sure Vezina winner, alas. Without Rakell and Zucker we have barely anyone able to get in Shesterkin's face, Sid and Jake can score pretty goals which is awesome but we need dirty goals too if we want a real chance to progress.

With these special teams we need to hope the refs will swallow the whistles. For some reason they have been either very good or very bad this whole season (the PK was rarely bad but when it was bad, it was appalling), if they can switch to being good that would be great but I sadly doubt it. Maybe we can get a lead in the next game and play boring defensive hockey, the Caps were frustrating the Panthers that way until a lucky deflection opened the floodgates. But we are too just too vulnerable to passes from behind the net and deflections and we are playing a team which loves using those plays.

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

The team has issues and Domingue (god bless his soul) can't cover ALL of them. Sheshterkin, on the other hand, is playing phenomenally until his teammates come through.

Goalie is like caulking. Hides all imperfections.

Nothing against Domingue but we aren’t built to win without a goalie standing on top of his head.

 

[BmxHockey]

Each team has played one-two periods of bad hockey… this series is winnable for the Pens. Need more secondary scoring.

 

[vodeni]

We are so passive on the PK and we seem to think that turtling will stop players with the vision of Panarin and Fox from picking us apart.

Spoiler alert: it won't. Pressure Panarin, you have a way better chance of affecting him by getting him into a puck battles than playing prevent defense and thinking he won't find the dagger pass.

that should be your high guy..it does not work when your four high guys are: 1. Boyle (too slow) 2. JC (too slow)
3. Blueger (no idea what teh f*** is wrong with him) and McGinn obviously scared to get dunk by the puck again..I have been saying this forever, the second Jarry came to earth the PK sucked ...mediocre to terrible

 

[Pancakes]

To be totally honest, I don't think a series win is feasible with Domingue in net when the other team has a Vezina-winning goalie. The Pens are at the point as a team when they need EVERYTHING to go right in order for them to win a series, and part of that involves key players staying healthy. If Jarry isn't ready to go soon, I don't think it's realistic to expect the Pens to take this series.

Problem is even if Jarry or CDS do come back this series they're most likely not gonna be 100%. So will they even provide much better goaltending than Louis? I dunno.

We're obviously in a tough spot and it sucks because the Rangers are extremely beatable. But getting that split was huge and we still have a chance. We need to win at least one of the next two and I think we have a good chance to do that.

I would be a lot more worried if we got blown out last night but that game was there for the taking. We faded late, but for 45 minutes we had a chance to grab a lead and win that game.

 

[SEALBound]

Even if Zucker can go, I’d remove EROd as well and replace with Zohorna…also move Carter to RW on Blue’s line and play DOC at center on L4…

I think if we somehow make it past the rangers, this HAS to happen. Not unlike Sykora/Satan getting bumped down and Talbot moving up in 09. I do not see Carter as a sustainable option at 3C right now. Dude looks gassed. He's not useless but we need to stick him somewhere where we are not relying on him to do any heavy lifting. He's not that guy. 3RW would be great. ERod or DOC can take a center position.

Jake-Sid-Rust
Heinen-Malkin-Zuck/Rack
McGinn-Bleuger-Kapanen
Zohorna/DOC-ERod-Carter

And then you heavily shelter the 4th line. You can send him in place of McGinn or Kappy if you need that extra center with Bleuger.

I liked Boyle all year but I don't see how you can take DOC out in favor of him at the moment. DOC wasn't a standout by any means but his speed and energy were worlds higher than Boyle.

 

[Pancakes]

The annoying thing about Erod is he had a good process earlier in the season. The results were there but his process was also quite good.

Now, the on-ice results stink but his process also looks bad. He's definitely pressing out there, taking shots from shitty angles and forcing bad plays. He needs to just relax and remember how he was playing earlier in the season. Let the game come to him. I get that he's gone through a bad stretch but enough is enough. Get your head out of your ass bro. We need you.

That goes for a lot of the bottom six really though. Lots of guys making terrible decisions with pucks (*cough* Carter *cough*). It's not a case of people being snakebit it's a case of people playing very badly.

 

[orby]

Erod is like if Pascal Dupuis and Tyler Kennedy were the same player.

 

[Andy99]

Problem is even if Jarry or CDS do come back this series they're most likely not gonna be 100%. So will they even provide much better goaltending than Louis? I dunno.

We're obviously in a tough spot and it sucks because the Rangers are extremely beatable. But getting that split was huge and we still have a chance. We need to win at least one of the next two and I think we have a good chance to do that.

I would be a lot more worried if we got blown out last night but that game was there for the taking. We faded late, but for 45 minutes we had a chance to grab a lead and win that game.

Nah man…I think we really need to win both these games at home to secure victory…going to be tough to have to win two out of the last three

 

[Pancakes]

Nah man…I think we really need to win both these games at home to secure victory…going to be tough to have to win two out of the last three

You're probably right but I think we push this series to 7 games if we win game 3 or 4. And we do well in game 7s on the road for some reason, so maybe this core has some magic left.

Be much better to just win the next two, though.

 

[Andy99]

You're probably right but I think we push this series to 7 games if we win game 3 or 4. And we do well in game 7s on the road for some reason, so maybe this core has some magic left.

Be much better to just win the next two, though.

I don’t have a lot of confidence in a game 7 given the goaltending and STs disparity

 

[Jauffre]

Domingue was awesome last night. Can't even fault him on that Panarin goal, just an unlucky bounce. Vatrano coming in with speed and a great shot wasn't his fault either. Matheson was to blame I believe, went for the hit and Vatrano saw that and avoided it. Come to think, the Panarin pass went off Matheson as well?

Sullivan is gonna take Gallant to school in Pitt, I fear. Gallant doesn't seem concerned with matchups, while Sullivan recognizes it's key to get Crosby out there at opportune times.

I still love Boyle from his Rangers days but he's toast. I get why you guys hate Carter right now.

As far as Shesterkin, he 100% initiated contact with Carter, any Rangers fan who says otherwise is a homer. I thought the same watching live, initially, and was ready to call Carter out. But on replay, it was clear as day.

Here's to a great game tomorrow. Cheers.

 

[Andy99]

Domingue was awesome last night. Can't even fault him on that Panarin goal, just an unlucky bounce. Vatrano coming in with speed and a great shot wasn't his fault either. Matheson was to blame I believe, went for the hit and Vatrano saw that and avoided it. Come to think, the Panarin pass went off Matheson as well?

Sullivan is gonna take Gallant to school in Pitt, I fear. Gallant doesn't seem concerned with matchups, while Sullivan recognizes it's key to get Crosby out there at opportune times.

I still love Boyle from his Rangers days but he's toast. I get why you guys hate Carter right now.

As far as Shesterkin, he 100% initiated contact with Carter, any Rangers fan who says otherwise is a homer. I thought the same watching live, initially, and was ready to call Carter out. But on replay, it was clear as day.

Here's to a great game tomorrow. Cheers.He doesn’t have to chase match ups with the heavy goaltending advantage and the heavy special teams advantage. Rangers don’t need to win 5on5 like the Pens do

He doesn’t need to win the matchups with the heavy goaltending and special teams advantage. Gallant doesn’t need to win 5 on 5

 

[ImporterExporter]

We're winning the next 2.

 

[Jauffre]

He doesn’t need to win the matchups with the heavy goaltending and special teams advantage. Gallant doesn’t need to win 5 on 5

The fact that he's not at least concerned with who's out there against Crosby-Guentzel is still a problem. They're shitting on us 5 on 5.

 

[Andy99]

The fact that he's not at least concerned with who's out there against Crosby-Guentzel is still a problem. They're shitting on us 5 on 5.

And yet you lost Game 1 in triple OT and easily won last game in the third period. Maybe Gallant could make it easier but I still think you have clear advantages in play

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

The fact that he's not at least concerned with who's out there against Crosby-Guentzel is still a problem. They're shitting on us 5 on 5.

Who would your matchup be vs the Crosby line?

 

[Pancakes]

Domingue was awesome last night. Can't even fault him on that Panarin goal, just an unlucky bounce. Vatrano coming in with speed and a great shot wasn't his fault either. Matheson was to blame I believe, went for the hit and Vatrano saw that and avoided it. Come to think, the Panarin pass went off Matheson as well?

Sullivan is gonna take Gallant to school in Pitt, I fear. Gallant doesn't seem concerned with matchups, while Sullivan recognizes it's key to get Crosby out there at opportune times.

I still love Boyle from his Rangers days but he's toast. I get why you guys hate Carter right now.

As far as Shesterkin, he 100% initiated contact with Carter, any Rangers fan who says otherwise is a homer. I thought the same watching live, initially, and was ready to call Carter out. But on replay, it was clear as day.

Here's to a great game tomorrow. Cheers.

Boyle is far better than he's played this series but he definitely looks old here. Not sure if it's the Rangers' speed or just a long season that has caught up to him. Perhaps both.

It should be a great series. I think you guys will win it given our goaltending issues, but I still expect the Pens will push it at least 6. Hope the games stay entertaining. Much better than watching the Islanders.