Post-mortem on the season

[Randy Butternubs]

I didn't read it:

Penguins GM Jim Rutherford blasts Tom Wilson for avoiding Game 3 fight

 

[tinkezione]

I, for one, don't understand all the negativity reigning free over here. The guys hauled home back-to-back Cups, and big chunk of the core played also in the World Cup. It was obvious towards the end of the Caps series that the team was spent. No fuel left. Injuries to Hags and ZAR did not certainly help, but it is what it is. Caps had to really work for their victory regardless.

Thank you for the valiant fight for #3peat and here's wishing for a good off-season, for once it's long enough.

 

[MtlPenFan]

I guess they didn't want it t as bad as you did.

People who talk like that better be pulling in more than 200K a year or they should just shut the f*** up.

 

[Pens x]

I, for one, don't understand all the negativity reigning free over here. The guys hauled home back-to-back Cups, and big chunk of the core played also in the World Cup. It was obvious towards the end of the Caps series that the team was spent. No fuel left. Injuries to Hags and ZAR did not certainly help, but it is what it is. Caps had to really work for their victory regardless.

Thank you for the valiant fight for #3peat and here's wishing for a good off-season, for once it's long enough.

The Caps won without Backstrom and didn’t have Wilson for 3 games. Those two are significantly better than our injured guys.

There just wasn’t any secondary scoring and our defense was crap. Brassard and Kessel disappeared, but I guess Brassard hasn’t been a factor since the trade. The defense looked horrible on paper after dealing Cole.

Let’s hope we address some of our issues this offseason. At least this summer can’t possibly be as bad as last summer. We’ll do better than Hunwick, Niemi and Reaves, I guarantee that.

 

[Ogrezilla]

The Caps won without Backstrom and didn’t have Wilson for 3 games. Those two are significantly better than our injured guys.

There just wasn’t any secondary scoring and our defense was crap. Brassard and Kessel disappeared, but I guess Brassard hasn’t been a factor since the trade. The defense looked horrible on paper after dealing Cole.

Let’s hope we address some of our issues this offseason. At least this summer can’t possibly be as bad as last summer. We’ll do better than Hunwick, Niemi and Reaves, I guarantee that.

Backstrom and Wilson are significantly better than Malkin and Brassard?

 

[mpp9]

I see JR going big or mostly just retaining our players.

Ruh is better than any RHS FA D-man in our price range.

This team as is is very very good.

Changing up the mix on defense would make it more reliable game to game IMO not having to rely on Letang as much.

 

[The Old Master]

a few wings need moved, and while our defense could be improved it might be harder to do than most think. might be a lot easer to get our forwards to help out a little more.

 

[NastyNick]

Letang was their best player too. Don't forget that.

The mistakes Letang made on the Kuznetsov goals were not just timely errors or common gaffes that plague any top pairing defensemen, they were the kind of mistakes you never see made by NHL defensemen. Even the lowest of the low on the worst teams don't leave an entire side of the ice open with a player rushing down the ice. It is insane to see that play happen in game 5 of the playoffs. It would have been eye-opening to happen in the pre-season. His attempt to top it in game 6 may have failed, but it was still an equally devastating gaffe that would have driven a lesser name onto the first bus out of town. Unbelievable that he failed to learn from his mistake in game 5 too.

I appreciate what Letang has done here over his career, but you simply can't excuse those type of plays in the playoffs - with him being supposedly healthy. You can't have players with that potential on the roster in clutch situations. Letang has to be removed from the roster in the offseason - period. Its the 800 lb Elephant right now. If they fail to deal with it and move on, they'll fail to make the playoffs next year. Guaranteed. The room will never find their invincibility and confidence if #58 is present amongst them. Those guys might kiss his behind in public, but deep down they know hes the guy to blame for their failure to 3peat. (I think winning in 2017 without him is a big part of it too).
After Letang is gone, i'd get Olli Maatta the shortest leash heading into 2018-2019. He might yet turn his career around, but i'd keep all eyes on him to be sure. I am sure it wasn't a coincidence that his biggest brain farts happened with #58 on the ice, so maybe he looks better with Letang out of the lineup.

Beyond that, you've got a good roster set for next season. Whatever returns gained from trading Letang are just a bonus. Get a 3-4 D, ideally a good right-handed shot, and you're all set.

 

[Pens x]

Backstrom and Wilson are significantly better than Malkin and Brassard?

No, they are better than Hagelin and ZAR.

 

[Ogrezilla]

No, they are better than Hagelin and ZAR.

Why are we ignoring our other injured guys? Malkin and hags is the fairest comparison really, and we certainly had the bigger loss there.

 

[BrookswasHere44]

Off-season bored topic. Should we or when should we worry that Sullivan might be hard to get along with? With rumors of Kessel and Cole not getting along with him.

Are there any reports of players absolutely loving him? Maybe Cullen?

Anyway as of right not I, and really everyone should be fully on board with Sullivan as the coach but I wonder what everyone's thoughts see

 

[Gurglesons]

Off-season bored topic. Should we or when should we worry that Sullivan might be hard to get along with? With rumors of Kessel and Cole not getting along with him.

Are there any reports of players absolutely loving him? Maybe Cullen?

Anyway as of right not I, and really everyone should be fully on board with Sullivan as the coach but I wonder what everyone's thoughts see

Typically the players that have trouble buying into the system are the issue. Not the coach.

 

[The Greatest 101]

Typically the players that have trouble buying into the system are the issue. Not the coach.

Is getting along with the coach part of the system?

 

[The GM]

The Caps won without Backstrom and didn’t have Wilson for 3 games. Those two are significantly better than our injured guys.

There just wasn’t any secondary scoring and our defense was crap. Brassard and Kessel disappeared, but I guess Brassard hasn’t been a factor since the trade. The defense looked horrible on paper after dealing Cole.

Let’s hope we address some of our issues this offseason. At least this summer can’t possibly be as bad as last summer. We’ll do better than Hunwick, Niemi and Reaves, I guarantee that.

Don’t forget, we also didn’t resign Bonino.......and traded despres,........

 

[Pens x]

Don’t forget, we also didn’t resign Bonino.......and traded despres,........

I have faith Jim will redeem himself this offseason.

 

[Gurglesons]

Is getting along with the coach part of the system?

No, but not doing whatever the f*** Kessel was doing this playoffs is nice. He literally had one good play.

 

[Jacob]

If we’re trading guys that played bad in the playoffs is Brassard being shopped too? And Murray?

Trading Kessel makes no sense, which is why it won’t happen. Who cares if Sullivan doesn’t like him? That’s his problem.

 

[Gurglesons]

If we’re trading guys that played bad in the playoffs is Brassard being shopped too? And Murray?

Trading Kessel makes no sense, which is why it won’t happen. Who cares if Sullivan doesn’t like him? That’s his problem.

Trading every player outside of Crosby and Malkin makes sense if it is the right deal and makes us a better team.

 

[Jacob]

Trading every player outside of Crosby and Malkin makes sense if it is the right deal and makes us a better team.

But there’s a difference between listening to offers and actively shopping a guy just for the sake of getting rid of him, to the point it’s leaked to one of the biggest loudmouths in town.

 

[Gurglesons]

But there’s a difference between listening to offers and actively shopping a guy just for the sake of getting rid of him, to the point it’s leaked to one of the biggest loudmouths in town.

Meh. We don’t know what goes on in the room. Kessel was that bad this post season and his coach sold him out. I’ve honestly never heard something like that. Players like Kessel are lightning in the bottle.

I could realistically see him being an underperformer for the rest of his career. Why not move him to a team and build out? Top six wingers aren’t that hard to acquire.

And honestly Jake, Hornqvist, Hagelin, Sheary and Rust is a good top nine to work with and mix and match prospects like Sprong and adding a legitimate piece in a Kessel deal.

 

[dig1]

I thought we played better hockey in terms of generating chances and should have won it tbh (although I concede the argument that the team taking chances better is playing better hockey is valid). There's at least two games where it felt like we threw it away. That feeling of being just a few bounces away is part of what's making some people so disappointed, I think.

But the Caps would have said the exact same thing last year. And that feeling of just hitting a wall sounds right to me.

I think we're still a remarkably lucky fanbase in terms of our potential to be a contender for the next 2-3 years and that we have the right people in the right places to make it.

With all due respect to a lot here that think we(by we i mean us who are bitter about how it ended) please reread that bold statement. It's the fact that that is what irks ushere. I honestly wouldn't have minded if Washington beat us fair and square but to squander it away was quite inexcusable. If you dont think Pens squandered it away, that's a whole another argument. Pens scored enough goals every game but at the most importune time, they shot themselves in the foot. Again, I see a lot of guys here thinking the issue was guys hurt. Those guys hurt are not playing defense. The inference actually from that reasoning is that even if Washington scored we didn't have enough ammo left with the injured guys to generate offense. I beg to differ. There were enough goals scored. How many times was the team up by 1 goal in the Washington series and gave it right back because of defensive lapses? It's so easy to forget that the goals washington scored for the most part were mistakes the D was making or the lapse from the forwards to help their D.
I am happy for the 2 cups. But boy-- some dont see how infuriating it is to just see a team squander away their chance.

it's easy to lay the reasoning for the loss on the amount of hockey they played and the wall they hit. But when you dig deeper, it's not that. Pens were scoring enough goals. Personally, I have explained this before, it felt just like one would when their child goes to school and gets a lower grade even though you have spent numerous hours studying and helping them and training them.

I dont think the issue was hitting a wall. I suspect it was complacency from some guys for thinking business as usual and lack of situational awareness and focus (and i get that this is conjecture). I have wondered aloud if the loss of Cullen took away veteran leadership that actually refocused the group on the task at hand. we wont know. You know, this is sports but it's disingenuous for me to tell myself their loss on hitting a wall after seeing the way they squandered lead after lead again and again. I want to say, they were up by 1 goal every game since game 3.

And I dont think it will be as easy as people think to win the cup again next year. there will be teams retooling.

sorry if it comes angry guys lo but i'm not (at least hope not).

 

[DegenX]

Off-season bored topic. Should we or when should we worry that Sullivan might be hard to get along with? With rumors of Kessel and Cole not getting along with him.

Are there any reports of players absolutely loving him? Maybe Cullen?

Anyway as of right not I, and really everyone should be fully on board with Sullivan as the coach but I wonder what everyone's thoughts see

Not just those two. If rumors are true, then he never got over Pooh's indiscretion in W-B/S and so never really gave him a chance. Not that he's turned out to be any more of a loss than the Russian guy was, who also supposedly had issues with Sully. Then there's Sprong. Who knows how much of that is true. Kind of troubling if it is, especially if it's combined with some odd favoritism. But whatev, two Cups, yeah?

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Meh. We don’t know what goes on in the room. Kessel was that bad this post season and his coach sold him out. I’ve honestly never heard something like that. Players like Kessel are lightning in the bottle.

I could realistically see him being an underperformer for the rest of his career. Why not move him to a team and build out? Top six wingers aren’t that hard to acquire.

And honestly Jake, Hornqvist, Hagelin, Sheary and Rust is a good top nine to work with and mix and match prospects like Sprong and adding a legitimate piece in a Kessel deal.

I think you need more than 2 elite players to go far now. Losing Kessel means we no longer have 3 elite players (I'm still not sure if Jake is "elite" or simply "very good") and go back to being heavily reliant on Sid/Geno.

I think a big reason the Caps got this far this year is the emergence of Kuznetsov, giving them 3 elite talents in Ovie, Kuz, and Backstrom. They failed in seasons past because Kuznetsov disappeared and wasn't that elite performer. This year, he has been and they've gone farther than anytime in Ovechkin's career.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Off-season bored topic. Should we or when should we worry that Sullivan might be hard to get along with? With rumors of Kessel and Cole not getting along with him.

Are there any reports of players absolutely loving him? Maybe Cullen?

Anyway as of right not I, and really everyone should be fully on board with Sullivan as the coach but I wonder what everyone's thoughts see

Why should we blame Sully for Phil and Sully not getting along?

Has Phil ever got along with any coach he played for?

The rumor is Phil doesn't want to play on a third line.

Is Sully suppose to let Phil run the team and let him make the lines?

 

[cheesedanish87]

Why should we blame Sully for Phil and Sully not getting along?

Has Phil ever got along with any coach he played for?

The rumor is Phil doesn't want to play on a third line.

Is Sully suppose to let Phil run the team and let him make the lines?