Post-Game Talk: Sabres 5, Penguins 2 - The Pens Have Gone from Suck to Blow

[The Old Master]

Yeah, it's the guy I see going on defense in a package to land a winger. I hope wherever he ends up, he gets played and we get to see what he is capable of on a team that puts him in different situations.

i liked it, but i don't like it.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Sid’s return is the start of that.

I believe it's also when they started playing a heavy eastern conference schedule after having a long stretch of western conference games.

 

[PaulD]

Really Sully?

I think Sully and Babcock went to the same coaching school.

Posers.

 

[PaulD]

And the sky is falling for some on this thread. They are so predictable and reactionary. They don't deserve this team.

Defense has been terrible since Marino was out. Once Marino and Dumoulin are back this team will be fine.

I think you're right

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Kase is the definition of skilled. Good shot, playmaking ability, passing, stickhandling, etc. Not quite as good a skater as Zucker, but he's been improving at that area as well.

Palmieri not skilled? Really? I don't think I need to explain.

There's a case to be made for Smith, but to me he's a similar player that would cost a lot less to acquire. Plus he's got a better shot.

I didn't say not skilled, I said creative, as in can do the heavy lifting when Sid/Geno aren't on their game. Because that's what it boils down to. Wingers who are more creative than Zucker, and I'm not sure the guys you mentioned are, at least not consistently.

Kase's difficult to read because he's always injured and hasn't put together more than about a 30 game stretch. Palmeiri's a shooter, but is hardly a guy who is going to create a bunch of his line.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

The only plus is the Caps lost and OV scored his 700th. Everything else sucked ass.

 

[cygnus47]

We need Dumo and Marino back so bad. Trotman and Johnson had horrible games, Letang is dead out there with Johnson. Would have been nice if Jarry made a couple more saves but it's not his fault we kept giving up the puck for no reason and screening him without challenging the shooter OR the net front guy on the PP.

The timing of this sucks so bad, the division is there for the taking and the other Metro teams are in slumps too. Why does this always have to happen?

 

[66-30-33]

Glad I missed the game.

 

[rintinw]

Forget the Blues...look at us and the Caps in the previous Cup years...playing poorly and needing to turn it around, whether to get in the POs or for positioning, can be a big motivator to go on a run...look at the records for the Caps and Pens in the years they won the Cup from January until the postseason...they were not up and down...steady uphill with an occasional loss...looks just like what the Flyers are doing now and don’t look past the Rangers

2015-16 PIT (1.1.2016 - 10.3.2016): 29 GP, 16-9-4 (0.621), 93-76
2016-17 PIT (1.1.2017 - 2.3.2017): 24 GP, 13-8-3 (0.604), 81-67
2017-18 WSH (1.1.2018 - 9.3.2018): 27 GP, 13-10-4 (.556), 81-87
2018-19 STL (great turnaround since new year, still managed this stretch between 19.2. - 17.3): 13 GP, 5-5-3 (0.500), 29-33

2019-20 PIT (1.1.2020 - 23.2.2020): 21 GP, 13-6-2 (0.667), 61-54

There is lot to be concerned about but there is still a lot of time until postseason. As I have shown above all of the last 4 championship teams had their share of bad play way up until March.

 

[wgknestrick]

Yikes.

When did Crosby come back? Almost feel like I'm missing something here. Can't quite put my finger on........

 

[Invalid cuz QoC]

Only thing that matters is tomorrow vs the caps and onwards. 1 or 2 moves will be made. We are first in the division with a game in hand. Y’all bunch of babies. Deal with it.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Shaaaaaaaaaart

 

[HandshakeLine]

On the plus side, Andy probably had a good time being right.

 

[Andy99]

On the plus side, Andy probably had a good time being right.

I’m always right so this day is no different than any other day...

btw...

 

[chethejet]

Well I do suspect GMJR is not doing jumping jacks right now. I think Hainsey type D man is in the offing. If Guerin is still in the making moves mode, Kahun for Foligno is my wish list. Wild get a young winger with skill and Pens get that grit LW who brings decent skill but more importantly size and physicality to the Pens.

Zucker Sid Tanev
McCann Geno Rust
Foligno Bjugstad Horny
Reese TB Lafferty/Angelo

Pens have to invest in RW's with speed like lafferty. Simon has to be dealt for a D man or prospect RH center

 

[canadianguy77]

When did Crosby come back? Almost feel like I'm missing something here. Can't quite put my finger on........

The supposed defensive wizard he's been saddled with since he's been back from injury (Simon) is a -6 on the season. Crosby is a -2.

 

[ChaosAgent]

So I just watched the game on DVR. Or at least skimmed it.

------Our breakouts are so stilted and unfluid. That's mostly because our defensemen blow and our forwards are collapsed deep constantly in the offensive zone.

-----Where have you gone, Big Game Bryan Rust? He is back to tweener 2nd-3rd liner Rust and that is sad.

----Geno and Letang turnovers in the beginning. At least Geno really made up for it.

----Let me say that I was underwhelmed with Zucker from game 1 and the 2-goal game has not wiped those feelings away. He is fast, buzzy and occasionally skilled. But he is incredibly SOFF and un-physical on the boards. He loses seemingly every puck battle. I was going to say that he's just a slightly faster Kahun but I'm not actually sure he's better than Kahun really.

Seeing what I've seen, I'd do take-sy back-seys on the trade and just trade either the first or Addison to land a rental like Kreider. Why a rental? I'm not all that excited about paying Zucker $5.5M/year; I don't think we're getting a lot of surplus value from that deal. So the term is whatever to me for this particular player.

Flame away on the Zucker take.

 

[Andy99]

So I just watched the game on DVR. Or at least skimmed it.

------Our breakouts are so stilted and unfluid. That's mostly because our defensemen blow and our forwards are collapsed deep constantly in the offensive zone.

-----Where have you gone, Big Game Bryan Rust? He is back to tweener 2nd-3rd liner Rust and that is sad.

----Geno and Letang turnovers in the beginning. At least Geno really made up for it.

----Let me say that I was underwhelmed with Zucker from game 1 and the 2-goal game has not wiped those feelings away. He is fast, buzzy and occasionally skilled. But he is incredibly SOFF and un-physical on the boards. He loses seemingly every puck battle. I was going to say that he's just a slightly faster Kahun but I'm not actually sure he's better than Kahun really.

Seeing what I've seen, I'd do take-sy back-seys on the trade and just trade either the first or Addison to land a rental like Kreider. Why a rental? I'm not all that excited about paying Zucker $5.5M/year; I don't think we're getting a lot of surplus value from that deal. So the term is whatever to me for this particular player.

Flame away on the Zucker take.

Agree with you for what it’s worth...and Sully has some issues with him too...says he’s not seeing his speed game as much as needs to...too high a price to pay for this player with this contract...

 

[Andy99]

good article...

Kovacevic: Penguins' recent lull hits low point with 5-2 loss to Sabres

 

[ChaosAgent]

Agree with you for what it’s worth...and Sully has some issues with him too...says he’s not seeing his speed game as much as needs to...too high a price to pay for this player with this contract...

From day 1 I saw a lot of bobbled passes and really noticed how small he plays. The Penguins have a lot of small guys but Zucker plays smaller than Simon/Jake and even Kahun. Those guys bring grit to the table and work along the boards to turn the puck over and give Sid-Geno opportunities. Zucker has been a passenger.

Listen, I'd like to be wrong (hahahha chicken little untenured posters so stupid kinda stuff) but I have full-blown buyer's remorse on the trade.

 

[Andy99]

From day 1 I saw a lot of bobbled passes and really noticed how small he plays. The Penguins have a lot of small guys but Zucker plays smaller than Simon/Jake and even Kahun. Those guys bring grit to the table and work along the boards to turn the puck over and give Sid-Geno opportunities. Zucker has been a passenger.

Listen, I'd like to be wrong (hahahha chicken little untenured posters so stupid kinda stuff) but I have full-blown buyer's remorse on the trade.

Yeah, he has a past history as a non-PO performer and that could be why...let’s hope we get more hard work from everyone else and he falls in line...

 

[BeatenLikeRentedMule]

Little bit of a skid here. I always say - it's good to skid just a little to regather and know what you need to work on. Defense, faceoffs, and need to work hard. Every single shift/game. Every single time.

Caps are going through a similar one. Teams do it all the time. It happens. Just get back on the horse. This is why sports are so much fun. It's like life. Things go well. Things go bad. Things change. You just have to embrace it and take it head on. It's fantastic.

Embrace it. This is part of the journey.

Sabres needed the game and played with urgency.

Pens don't need urgency...why would they? You can't create urgency out of nothing.

Pens already have top spot in the Metro signed, sealed and delivered.

 

[Turin]

So I just watched the game on DVR. Or at least skimmed it.

------Our breakouts are so stilted and unfluid. That's mostly because our defensemen blow and our forwards are collapsed deep constantly in the offensive zone.

-----Where have you gone, Big Game Bryan Rust? He is back to tweener 2nd-3rd liner Rust and that is sad.

----Geno and Letang turnovers in the beginning. At least Geno really made up for it.

----Let me say that I was underwhelmed with Zucker from game 1 and the 2-goal game has not wiped those feelings away. He is fast, buzzy and occasionally skilled. But he is incredibly SOFF and un-physical on the boards. He loses seemingly every puck battle. I was going to say that he's just a slightly faster Kahun but I'm not actually sure he's better than Kahun really.

Seeing what I've seen, I'd do take-sy back-seys on the trade and just trade either the first or Addison to land a rental like Kreider. Why a rental? I'm not all that excited about paying Zucker $5.5M/year; I don't think we're getting a lot of surplus value from that deal. So the term is whatever to me for this particular player.

Flame away on the Zucker take.

Zucker was awesome against Montreal and Toronto. Your take is premature and bad and you should feel bad.

 

[Coastal Kev]

I’m not saying nothing .......

 

[PhilThrillPill]

Positives:
When Marino and Dumo come back that will completely change things...
Schultz is gone next year

Negative:
Pettersson is signed long term and is looking atrocious