Post-Game Talk: Pens vs Sens: fought back for a point

[PaulD]

Watching the Ducks vs Seattle game, and boy do I miss Tanev

I bet

Rakell is terrible.
Graves is worse.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Team teases you but is forever mid so long as these coaches are still calling the shots

One step forward, two steps back. Two steps forward, one step back. If there's one thing they're consistent with, it's being inconsistent.

I just wish there was someone whose job it was to get them to play consistently. I guess they don't have that position for the Pens like every other sport (or the 31 other NHL teams apparently do).

 

[Gurglesons]

One step forward, two steps back. Two steps forward, one step back. If there's one thing they're consistent with, it's being inconsistent.

I just wish there was someone whose job it was to get them to play consistently. I guess they don't have that position for the Pens like every other sport (or the 31 other NHL teams apparently do).

We are actually doing pretty well point wise over the last little while. 4-1-1.

The on ice product is really shit though.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Theres that 4-5 high entertainment game we've all been clamoring for with this husk of a franchise

 

[ChaosAgent]

The zone entries on the PP are once again terrible.

Puustinen, Malkin, Karlsson regularly make idiotic decisions. The goal is to establish possession in the opponent's zone. They seem to have lost their minds. It looks like the most difficult task in the world.

++DOC, Rakell

 

[ChaosAgent]

Bright spot: Puustinen.

Every single one of his shifts were a net positive.

Passing, shooting, puck possession, board work... he did something good every time he was on the ice.

He was terrible on the PP and regularly gave up possession. But sure, at ES he was pretty good.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

4 more years of Rakel.

Oof

I mean he's just come back and I'm going to cut him some slack, this team is coached like shit so I generally don't hate on most of the players since it's not their fault they're being used the way they are.

Like no rational Coach would love a plug like Chud Turdwedel as much as Sullivan does or keep playing 0pts in 17 games but oozes sticktoitiveness - Jansen Harkins.

The first line mostly produces and that's obvious since the pair of Sid and Jake will but the rest of the roster is what Sullivan wants - outside of Puustinen who is doing well on a shit team on a line that's had issues all season.

The zone entries on the PP are once again terrible.

Puustinen, Malkin, Karlsson regularly make idiotic decisions. The goal is to establish possession in the opponent's zone. They seem to have lost their minds. It looks like the most difficult task in the world.

++DOC, Rakell

Zone entries were and issue for a very long time and it took having Kessel to really fix it and then it went back to a disaster.

Puustinen makes idiotic decisions? Lol yeah f*** the rest of that, I'm just gonna address the zone entries on the power play, since the rest of that isn't logical.

 

[ChaosAgent]

What I'm seeing with Geno is natural regression for a guy who's 6'3" and 195lbs. Those are the kind of guys who will fall off a cliff at some point.

I want L2 to be better than average, which hasn't happened since pre-COVID. That means outscoring their opponents.
The bloom is off the Reilly Smith rose, but Geno just doesn't create anything out there. He's hoping to be the second man in and get the puck in space, but he is not able to beat defenders at all. He's just mooching out there, but his linemates aren't good enough to create for him.

 

[Gurglesons]

I want L2 to be better than average, which hasn't happened since pre-COVID. That means outscoring their opponents.
The bloom is off the Reilly Smith rose, but Geno just doesn't create anything out there. He's hoping to be the second man in and get the puck in space, but he is not able to beat defenders at all. He's just mooching out there, but his linemates aren't good enough to create for him.

I’ve got some good news for you then. Malkin is outscoring the other team while on the ice this year.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

In other news...

My Boy Blue seems to have shaken off the Sullivan bs. 12pts in 20 games, that's a good lad.

 

[Gurglesons]

In other news...

My Boy Blue seems to have shaken off the Sullivan bs. 12pts in 20 games, that's a good lad.

Bottom six forwards producing when they get away from Mike Sullivan?

Never! Our rosters just suck!

 

[Honour Over Glory]

What I'm seeing with Geno is natural regression for a guy who's 6'3" and 195lbs. Those are the kind of guys who will fall off a cliff at some point.

I think what's forgotten is his injuries. He's had two major knee surgeries and an issue with his arm that was pretty bad. He needs more support on his line given that. Sid gets Jake and so they produce and Geno is still being utilized like he can elevate players on his own and that just isn't right or fair. He needs his "Jake" as it were, in terms of vision on the ice as a linemate.

Bottom six forwards producing when they get away from Mike Sullivan?

Never! Our rosters just suck!

Sully wanted a 3c for years and when Blue showed signs of being one he beat him down with the worst usage imaginable and his production tanked hard. Then he leaves and seemingly bounces back.

Always funny to me how these hockey writers have nothing to say about it.

 

[Gurglesons]

I think what's forgotten is his injuries. He's had two major knee surgeries and an issue with his arm that was pretty bad. He needs more support on his line given that. Sid gets Jake and so they produce and Geno is still being utilized like he can elevate players on his own and that just isn't right or fair. He needs his "Jake" as it were, in terms of vision on the ice as a linemate.


Sully wanted a 3c for years and when Blue showed signs of being one he beat him down with the worst usage imaginable and his production tanked hard. Then he leaves and seemingly bounces back.

Always funny to me how these hockey writers have nothing to say about it.

Malkin is what he is. A 37 year old producing at a 70ish point pace ain’t that bad.

Especially given how Sullivan and Dubas have set him up for failure.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Sully wanted a 3c for years and when Blue showed signs of being one he beat him down with the worst usage imaginable and his production tanked hard. Then he leaves and seemingly bounces back.

Always funny to me how these hockey writers have nothing to say about it.

Vegas used Blueger the same way the Pens did. His zone start splits were the same and his xGF% was even lower in Vegas last year.

But Vancouver is not. Besides giving Blueger third line minutes right now, Tocchet has also relaxed Blueger's usage. Blueger has gone from 17% and 19% offensive zone start percentage with the Pens and Vegas last year to 40% with Vancouver. That is by far the highest percentage of his career.

Now, he's also shooting 14.3%, which would match the highest full-season total of his career.

So, yeah, usage definitely is a big part of that. But I think that's also why it's important to acquire players who fit the role you need rather than force guys into a role. Blueger showed for a while that he could still produce while eating those heavy minutes, but he wore down.

 

[Gurglesons]

Vegas used Blueger the same way the Pens did. His zone start splits were the same and his xGF% was even lower in Vegas last year.

But Vancouver is not. Besides giving Blueger third line minutes right now, Tocchet has also relaxed Blueger's usage. Blueger has gone from 17% and 19% offensive zone start percentage with the Pens and Vegas last year to 40% with Vancouver. That is by far the highest percentage of his career.

Now, he's also shooting 14.3%, which would match the highest full-season total of his career.

So, yeah, usage definitely is a big part of that. But I think that's also why it's important to acquire players who fit the role you need rather than force guys into a role. Blueger showed for a while that he could still produce while eating those heavy minutes, but he wore down.

How we use our bottom six is a big issue.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Malkin is what he is. A 37 year old producing at a 70ish point pace ain’t that bad.

Especially given how Sullivan and Dubas have set him up for failure.

Exactly.

Vegas used Blueger the same way the Pens did. His zone start splits were the same and his xGF% was even lower in Vegas last year.

But Vancouver is not. Besides giving Blueger third line minutes right now, Tocchet has also relaxed Blueger's usage. Blueger has gone from 17% and 19% offensive zone start percentage with the Pens and Vegas last year to 40% with Vancouver. That is by far the highest percentage of his career.

Now, he's also shooting 14.3%, which would match the highest full-season total of his career.

So, yeah, usage definitely is a big part of that. But I think that's also why it's important to acquire players who fit the role you need rather than force guys into a role. Blueger showed for a while that he could still produce while eating those heavy minutes, but he wore down.

Vegas got him for what he was at that point in time vs what Tocchet knew of his potential and uses him as such. Sullivan had him in his final season playing 87% dz starts and the thing is he uses a lot of the bottom 6 just like that (not as drastic but still very hard usage) and it's always suffered and he can't figure out why, lol.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

How we use our bottom six is a big issue.

It amazes me that some folks still can't admit that how Sullivan utilizes the bottom six is ridiculous.

Amazing how every bottom six player produces fine before joining the Pens and after they leave, but suddenly "suck offensively" when they're here.

But nah, nothing wrong with how Sullivan uses the lines.

 

[Andy99]

getting a point wasn’t a good outcome…Caps got a point, NJD won, Isles won…teams ahead of us putting up points…we’re still 5 back and have been that way for a month…how long is Dubas gonna dawdle? Either fire the coaching staff or start selling off players…ample evidence already this team isn’t good enough…

 

[Smasher]

-The usual
-Karlsson hasn't been good lately

+Eller, Rakell and O'Connor scored
+Letang has been good lately
+Going down by two is no longer an automatic regulation loss
+They are getting points

They have NYI x 2, STL, WSH, BOS coming up. Going to be very difficult to get points but who knows with this team.

 

[Gurglesons]

It amazes me that some folks still can't admit that how Sullivan utilizes the bottom six is ridiculous.

Amazing how every bottom six player produces fine before joining the Pens and after they leave, but suddenly "suck offensively" when they're here.

But nah, nothing wrong with how Sullivan uses the lines.

It’s hilarious he somehow has made our defense offensively shit despite having two defensemen who are top 10 in scoring over the last 3 years.

Also Ty Smith is in the AHL leading WBS in production and being like a top 5 offensive defenseman in that league, but we must play Chad Ruhwedel and Shea.

Like if you are going to try and out offense teams at least play the players that do it.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

getting a point wasn’t a good outcome…Caps got a point, NJD won, Isles won…teams ahead of us putting up points…we’re still 5 back and have been that way for a month…how long is Dubas gonna dawdle? Either fire the coaching staff or start selling off players…ample evidence already this team isn’t good enough…

Bad bounces, etc.

 

[Gurglesons]

Bad bounces, etc.

Weird how the coach isn’t responsible for playing Jeff Carter in OT, watching him lose two faceoffs, and then having the Sens score off the possession from that faceoff.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Weird how the coach isn’t responsible for playing Jeff Carter in OT, watching him lose two faceoffs, and then having the Sens score off the possession from that faceoff.

I was being sarcastic you lunatic.

 

[Gurglesons]

I was being sarcastic you lunatic.

Oh I know.

It’s just absurd that our front office watches tonight and doesn’t do anything with the staff lol.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Oh I know.

It’s just absurd that our front office watches tonight and doesn’t do anything with the staff lol.

I'm just resigned to the idea that Sully's gonna be coaching this team forever. Dogshit ownership.