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

[Sidgeni Malkby]

Well that was somewhat expected. We're not going to win with Domingue in there.

And...
We only have 1 line scoring.

To be honest....
If Malkin was able to lift that puck, 3-3, and we're talking difference maker! Alas...wasn't meant to be.
I wonder if he's going to burn the stick he traded out .

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Defensive coverage continues to be an issue. It sometimes feels like as soon as the opposition enters the zone, the Pens have no idea who to cover and end up running around until one opposing player inevitably ends up standing all alone in the slot. Even in the Game 1 win we were guilty of that.

Not that it's Domingue's fault because he's not exactly in an ideal situation, but I don't think we've got much of a chance going forward if we're facing a guy who's stoning all our best scoring opportunities and we're relying on a journeyman to carry the load for us.

We also have zero depth scoring. If GCR isn't on the scoreboard or Geno doesn't randomly do something, we literally can't score. Like, at all. We rarely even look like a threat to score unless GCR isn't on the ice. My biggest fear about our wack a mole brigade during the regular season is coming to fruition in the playoffs.

Also, the PP sucks and I still hate it. Fire Reirden into the sun.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

+DOC with 33 more seconds than I expected
-Geno is cursed to get linemates who do almost nothing for him

Put McGinn with Geno FFS, it only won us the last game. It's the biggest no-brainer lineup decision tonight. If you must have Heinen there, put him on his off-wing, he can play there. DOC cannot. Then you have Kap on L3 and Erod on L4, and that makes a lot more sense.

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

I'll say this, they competed well for a team that lost 5-2.

It's not easy when you're missing your starting goalie, top defenseman, and two top-six wingers. I'm not making excuses, but if the Penguins lose this series, I definitely think if Jarry isn't back soon, that'll be brought up.

It's not like Dumo was lighting it up. Being down to our 3rd goalie is probably the biggest factor here.

 

[metalan2]

Missed opportunity. It's ok to get a split but they must win game 3. If they lose it's over in five games.

I'm not sure what can be done about secondary scoring but it would be nice if we could get some guys back.

 

[Tender Rip]

i think you're kind of exaggerating "GCR just standing" but hey

First goal was like that from Sid and Rust tbh when they lost Copp. Second was, I think, more about Letang being gassed after a long shift, not least because Rust and Matheson played weak and allowed the keep in. Then of course the puck going in off Matheson is just a bad break.
Bad break also for L2's goal against. Not called high stick on the puck, Geno comes in to pressure the shot from the actual blue line and its just a good tip from out high with more traffic in front beyond Kreider. There is just not a lot to say about goals like that, no matter if it is for or against, except it is a good argument to get traffic in front.

NB: I thought Guentzel was absolutely awesome again.

Btw. DOC -2 in 6.44. I would guess he is not playing the next game. Didn't actually notice him much either and didn't think he was to blame on either goal at all, but when he gets less than half the TOI of any other forward, you figure Sully has little trust in him cutting mustard.

 

[IcedCapp]

First goal was like that from Sid and Rust tbh when they lost Copp. Second was, I think, more about Letang being gassed after a long shift, not least because Rust and Matheson played weak and allowed the keep in. Then of course the puck going in off Matheson is just a bad break.
Bad break also for L2's goal against. Not called high stick on the puck, Geno comes in to pressure the shot from the actual blue line and its just a good tip from out high with more traffic in front beyond Kreider. There is just not a lot to say about goals like that, no matter if it is for or against, except it is a good argument to get traffic in front.

NB: I thought Guentzel was absolutely awesome again.

I'm not absolving blame here, but I think saying something like "those two goals against are because of GCR standing around" is trying to construct a narrative, one i happen to disagree with.

Lots of blame to go around, and the top line takes some of it defensively, but we're not having any of these discussions if Jarry is healthy.

 

[Tender Rip]

I'm not absolving blame here, but I think saying something like "those two goals against are because of GCR standing around" is trying to construct a narrative, one i happen to disagree with.

Lots of blame to go around, and the top line takes some of it defensively, but we're not having any of these discussions if Jarry is healthy.

Aight.

Disagree on Jarry in this one though. Domingue had a couple of super saves and until the 5-2 goal I don't think anything went by him that you could expect a save on.

Hockey is very much about breaks. We didn't have them in this one and just when we were taking over the game and Shesterkin comes up big three or four times to start the 3rd, we let in an own goal. It is what it is.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

+DOC with 33 more seconds than I expected
-Geno is cursed to get linemates who do almost nothing for him

Put McGinn with Geno FFS, it only won us the last game. It's the biggest no-brainer lineup decision tonight. If you must have Heinen there, put him on his off-wing, he can play there. DOC cannot. Then you have Kap on L3 and Erod on L4, and that makes a lot more sense.

The problem is, especially with Rakell out, our options on the wing are limited. If you watch our wingers not named Guentzel or Rust, they rarely ever get open for a scoring chance. Geno will be holding onto the puck along the boards and none of the wingers find open space to receive a pass. They'll either just go into double coverage by the net or they'll just kind of stand around by the top of the dot waiting for a pass when there's no passing lane.

We've got too many guys up front who simply lack offensive creativity and offensive awareness.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

The only thing that is for certain is that the Pens losing this series will lead to a summer of the most cringeworthy posts possible about how management will use Jarry being out as an excuse to not blow up the core, which was definitely otherwise on the table for a 100+ point team.

I mean, organizations with 2 of the greatest players in the history of the game who still make the playoffs comfortably every year go into a rebuild all the time. It is just wise management.

/s

 

[ChaosAgent]

Put McGinn with Geno FFS, it only won us the last game. It's the biggest no-brainer lineup decision tonight. If you must have Heinen there, put him on his off-wing, he can play there. DOC cannot. Then you have Kap on L3 and Erod on L4, and that makes a lot more sense.

I'm not saying McGinn with Geno is redonkulous, but saying it's a an obvious "no-brainer" is redonkulous.

Heinen was fine. He had a good chance and didn't cash in. Geno should have scored but blew it. Kap was Kap.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'm not absolving blame here, but I think saying something like "those two goals against are because of GCR standing around" is trying to construct a narrative, one i happen to disagree with.

Lots of blame to go around, and the top line takes some of it defensively, but we're not having any of these discussions if Jarry is healthy.

Eh. Jarry was in a rough way when he went down. He had something like .905 sv% over his last 10 games before getting hurt. Not exactly inspiring stuff in his own right. He and CDS were near identical over their last 15 games apiece.

Domingue is what he is; an AHL goalie trying to outduel the Vezina winner while not getting any real goal support from his own skaters. I don't think he's gonna win us any games, but I don't think he really can shoulder much of the blame. Two great deflections that nobody's really gonna save with regularity, and an own goal fluke off of Matheson's stick. The Copp goal was an AHL goalie getting frozen by Panarin before he threw it to the slot where Jake had no interest in covering his guy. Probably should've had the Vatrano goal, but Matheson's gaffe on that play was way more egregious than Domingue's lack of a save, imo.

 

[BHD]

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.

 

[IcedCapp]

okay, let me reword: both teams are giving up chances. The Penguins issue isn't GCR 'standing around' (if you want to argue Rust's failings, i'm all for it, but to specify GCR seems absolutely bonkers), it's that their goalie is stopping some shots that ours didn't.

(and all of this is said while we're 1-1 and in a good spot if we can get healthy)

 

[ChaosAgent]

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

There's a bunch going wrong, imo. An AHL journeyman isn't gonna outduel the runaway Vezina winner who just posted like the best goalie season in decades--so it's unreasonable to expect much more of the guy to any degree really. The team's gotta give said AHL journeyman more goal support than what they gave him tonight. The team's gotta lock it up defensively in front of said AHL journeyman. The team's gotta have more than two (2) functioning offensive players in Sid and Jake, though Rust was great in game 1, he was terrible in game 2. Dumo's been wretched for months. Letang's got wild ups and downs. Matheson was a trainwreck defensively so far in the series. I know the heatmappers and chart boyz love some Petts and Marino, but they're bland as shit and not gonna really make a difference.

In all, it's two mediocre, flawed teams going head to head. Each team has a couple of gifted offensive players. One team has an astronomical advantage in net. Going back 1-1 is, like people have said, pretty much as good as the team could've hoped for.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

There's a bunch going wrong, imo. An AHL journeyman isn't gonna outduel the runaway Vezina winner who just posted like the best goalie season in decades--so it's unreasonable to expect much more of the guy to any degree really. The team's gotta give said AHL journeyman more goal support than what they gave him tonight. The team's gotta lock it up defensively in front of said AHL journeyman. The team's gotta have more than two (2) functioning offensive players in Sid and Jake, though Rust was great in game 1, he was terrible in game 2. Dumo's been wretched for months. Letang's got wild ups and downs. Matheson was a trainwreck defensively so far in the series. I know the heatmappers and chart boyz love some Petts and Marino, but they're bland as shit and not gonna really make a difference.

In all, it's two mediocre, flawed teams going head to head. Each team has a couple of gifted offensive players. One team has an astronomical advantage in net. Going back 1-1 is, like people have said, pretty much as good as the team could've hoped for.

That's why I'm not even mad. When it was clear Shesterkin was going to be near impossible to beat, and our depth scoring once again was nowhere to be found, it was obvious what the result would be.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Whatever xG says, I still believe we have a lot more offensively to give. First off, the powerplay. Horrible. It should get better. Second, one of the other lines has to do something, anything. Rakell back with Geno's line should help. Third Matheson is a huge part of our offensive game and this was his worst night in like 3 months.

Just get marginally better at special teams, a L2 goal here and there and a functional Matheson. I know it's three contingencies but I don't think they are crazy (ok, maybe the special teams just are what they are at this point in which case golf is fun)

 

[DesertPenguin]

Down to our third goaltender and we are coming home 1-1. I'll take it.

 

[DearDiary]

ZAR made a big difference on the PK. He didn't fly out of position or make bad reads often, rarely put his linemates in a bad spot. I'm not saying the Pens should have kept him, but is learning from him too much to ask?

Compare that to what's happening since then. Boyle gets deked to the ice for no reason by Fox, that causes everyone to panic and no longer looking to stop tips or back door plays. Can't keep Boyle in the lineup anymore since his skating is affecting the thought process of his line mates.

 

[Zbynek]

Logging on for the first time in 5 years just to say. MIKE SULLIVAN MY BROTHER IN CHRIST PUT MCGINN BACK WITH MALKIN AND KAPANEN

 

[Angrrus]

Outside of Crosby and Guentzel, it turns out that Pens stars didn't have it in them for more than one game. Letang and Malkin went from underwhelming in game1 to a no-show in game two. Total lazy losers.

This is a team of losers. They would've been better off missing the playoffs and starting a rebuild long time ago, by trading away expiring contracts/declining stars for picks and prospects.

A bunch of idiots.

 

[Al Smith]

View attachment 541426

Wow. Edgy even for Bob Grove.

 

[Night Shift]

Hey it's Swamp Thing

 

[Night Shift]

Outside of Crosby and Guentzel, it turns out that Pens stars didn't have it in them for more than one game. Letang and Malkin went from underwhelming in game1 to a no-show in game two. Total lazy losers.

This is a team of losers. They would've been better off missing the playoffs and starting a rebuild long time ago, by trading away expiring contracts/declining stars for picks and prospects.

A bunch of idiots.