Post-Game Talk: Sharks 4, Pens 2: Wasted Opportunities

[Jacob]

Still figuratively and literally sick about last night. Had a fair amount to drink, and I'm still feeling it. I didn't expect them to win. But I wanted it really bad. I was ready. The Sharks only need one squeezed-out win on their plinko board home ice to force a game 7. Game 7...

Even then.. I like our chances in a game 7 at home. I hope it doesn't come to that. They don't *deserve* it to come to that, but it wouldn't be the end of the world.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Super... I have to spend the last hour at work listening to people across the row talk about putting MAF in for Game 6.

 

[ncm7772]

This feels like the 2014 Rangers series all over again. Same exact feel to every game, being up 3-1 in the series and outplaying the Rags but they won't go away... just larger stakes this time.

Will the outcome be the same? I'm too jaded to think otherwise

Actually, Pens got stomped in Game 5 of that series.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Even then.. I like our chances in a game 7 at home. I hope it doesn't come to that. They don't *deserve* it to come to that, but it wouldn't be the end of the world.

Same.

Of an not insignificant sample size of this same situation of 22 games, a shade under 40 percent of the teams lost game five, none lost the series. None.

Forty percent is a fairly big number who ended up in the same situation as the Pens find themselves. In fact if the Pens do win the series it will then be forty percent of teams who did so when losing game five. So the Pens by losing game five are following a pretty well worn path.

Move history aside though as Cole hates referencing it. The Pens have to this point outplayed the other team, the 3-2 series lead is deceptive to what we have seen on the ice. I doubt that is true in all of the historically analogous cases that I list above.

 

[Rossi Rat]

Even then.. I like our chances in a game 7 at home. I hope it doesn't come to that. They don't *deserve* it to come to that, but it wouldn't be the end of the world.

They would deserve it. Already two big opportunities blown.

 

[ColePens]

I could see it if the Sharks were dominating play and we were at 3-2. But man.. we seriously could have won all 5 games in this series. I think the Pens have outplayed the Sharks pretty much every game.

 

[ColePens]

They would deserve it. Already two big opportunities blown.

You realize two very good teams play hockey, right? Not just one.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Teams that go up 3-1 in the cup have never lost the series since the NHL expanded to 12 teams. The Pens have won 2 series after losing game 5 in these playoffs alone. The Pens lost game 5 in 2009 and the Wings lost game 5 in 2008, and both of those teams won the cup that year. So yeah, I don't see why people are worried yet. If the Sharks win game 6, then it's time to be worried. So far, I just see 1 team massively outplaying the other and the other team's goalie stealing 2 games/our goalie blowing 2 games.

 

[SirBrad]

For the record, momentum doesn't exist.

Truth. It only exists until you lose it - which really contradicts the fact that it existed in the first place.

 

[TheSniper26]

I do think some of you guys(albeit a minority) are potentially setting yourselves up for a massive let down. Yeah, the Pens have outplayed SJ... to the result of a whopping 3-2 series lead headed back to SJ. What happened in games 1-5 no longer matters. It's now two games. That's it. And anyone that doesn't think SJ is capable of winning two games is drinking some Steigytown Kool-Aid.

I'm not saying to panic or be all doom and gloom either but I think cautious optimism is about as far as I'm willing to go here. We're one win away from a cup. SJ is two. The difference isn't as big as some are making it out to be.

 

[ColePens]

I do think some of you guys(albeit a minority) are potentially setting yourselves up for a massive let down. Yeah, the Pens have outplayed SJ... to the result of a whopping 3-2 series lead headed back to SJ. What happened in games 1-5 no longer matters. It's now two games. That's it. And anyone that doesn't think SJ is capable of winning two games is drinking some Steigytown Kool-Aid.

I'm not saying to panic or be all doom and gloom either but I think cautious optimism is about as far as I'm willing to go here. We're one win away from a cup. SJ is two. The difference isn't as big as some are making it out to be.

Cool. And they are without Hertl every night. Geno seems to be getting better every night. I think that's a huge swing.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I could see it if the Sharks were dominating play and we were at 3-2. But man.. we seriously could have won all 5 games in this series. I think the Pens have outplayed the Sharks pretty much every game.

 

[ColePens]

I'm in, Jaded. I'm in. I watch the game and see the Pens dominating and then people lose their mind around here. Sharks are a good team. We knew that. Pens have completely owned them, though. I trust Game 6 or Game 7.

 

[Shady Machine]

Super... I have to spend the last hour at work listening to people across the row talk about putting MAF in for Game 6.

Do you work with 10 Ragamuffin's?

 

[TheSniper26]

Cool. And they are without Hertl every night. Geno seems to be getting better every night. I think that's a huge swing.

They were without Hertl last night and Geno was great last night... and the Pens lost because games aren't won on paper. One bad bounce, one turnover, one soft goal, etc. It really doesn't take much in this game for a team that is "outplaying" their opponent to suddenly find themselves behind. The better team doesn't always win and if last night didn't underscore that for everyone then I don't know what will.

Again, not saying to panic or resort to doom-and-gloom hyperbole but anyone that's sure the Pens have this thing locked down is just asking for a gut-punch.

 

[Shady Machine]

I do think some of you guys(albeit a minority) are potentially setting yourselves up for a massive let down. Yeah, the Pens have outplayed SJ... to the result of a whopping 3-2 series lead headed back to SJ. What happened in games 1-5 no longer matters. It's now two games. That's it. And anyone that doesn't think SJ is capable of winning two games is drinking some Steigytown Kool-Aid.

I'm not saying to panic or be all doom and gloom either but I think cautious optimism is about as far as I'm willing to go here. We're one win away from a cup. SJ is two. The difference isn't as big as some are making it out to be.

I'm sort of in between you and Jaded/ColePens. I believe the Penguins are going to win the Cup, but I do have some concern in the back of my mind. Ultimately both of you are right. The Pens have outplayed San Jose in every game and all of the stats (fancy and non fancy) along with eye test say the Pens are going to win. Having said that, the Sharks still won two games and they can win two more. Really anything can happen, but I'm not going to let myself get concerned until game time.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I simply can not see the Sharks winning this series.

Zero percent chance.

I COULD see the Pens lose this series, but that is just what it would be.

The Sharks are a great team, but the Pens are a horrid match up for them and the only way that the Sharks can win is if the Pens give games away that they should have won.

The Pens already have done so twice.

 

[Ogelthorpe]

I could see it if the Sharks were dominating play and we were at 3-2. But man.. we seriously could have won all 5 games in this series. I think the Pens have outplayed the Sharks pretty much every game.

Pretty much this. The Sharks have not had an answer all series to the Pens game, and last night was no different. If the Sharks big adjustment was having Jones steal games, I don't think it will work 3 straight games. The fact remains that we are up 3 games to 2. Had we won game 5 to go up 3-2, everyone would be praising this team, instead of talking about blowing it.

Yes it would have been cool to win at home last night, and yes I know anything is possible, as we have seen from past experience. However, nothing about how this team goes about its business reminds me of the 2014 team. Not only that, but it seems that Gino has finally come alive in this playoff, and Sid and Kessel are still playing hungry (no Phil pun intended) as well.

I expect the Pens to come out and close out the series in game 6. This team has been too resilient all year to let it get away now, I know Murray will rebound from last game, and the Pens will do a better job of finishing their chances Sunday!

 

[Rossi Rat]

You realize two very good teams play hockey, right? Not just one.

I think the Sharks showed a bit more desperation than we anticipated to start the game as well as Martin Jones. They may have been outplayed but a win's a win, especially this time of year. They're a great team, so yeah I get you, such is life in a 7 game series.

 

[ColePens]

They were without Hertl last night and Geno was great last night... and the Pens lost because games aren't won on paper. One bad bounce, one turnover, one soft goal, etc. It really doesn't take much in this game for a team that is "outplaying" their opponent to suddenly find themselves behind. The better team doesn't always win and if last night didn't underscore that for everyone then I don't know what will.

Again, not saying to panic or resort to doom-and-gloom hyperbole but anyone that's sure the Pens have this thing locked down is just asking for a gut-punch.

Did you seriously think SJ outplayed us and deserved last night? Do you really find that sustainable? 9/10 times we win that game.

Yes.. I know we are one step closer to blowing a 3-1 lead. We are also still 1 game away from the Cup. They have to win Game 6 just to get a chance. Game 6... we have a chance.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Do you work with 10 Ragamuffin's?

I wonder sometimes.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

So the team that puts up 40 some shots but can't finish their chances are too pass first?

I think you need to pick a narrative. Sid and Geno are probably too unselfish but it's tough when you are double teamed.

Specific players can be too pass-first while the team puts tons of shots on goal.

I'd rather Sid be taking shots than Sheary or Hornqvist from the circles, or having Sid pull up when he's got a lane to shoot only to try and force a pass through 2 or 3 sets of legs/sticks to find a trailer. Sorry if that's a narrative.

 

[Beauner]

I remember yelling "Sid stop passing to Sheary!" multiple times last night.

Sid's just gotta shoot. Sheary isn't always gonna convert like he did in game 2

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Move history aside though as Cole hates referencing it. The Pens have to this point outplayed the other team, the 3-2 series lead is deceptive to what we have seen on the ice. I doubt that is true in all of the historically analogous cases that I list above.

You could look at that another way, though. The Sharks are due for a dominant game and/or the Pens are due for a real stinker.

San Jose didn't get to the Cup finals by playing bad hockey or by being dominated all previous series, only to have Jones bail them out all the time. They're a good team. And they might be due.

Similarly, the Pens have been fantastic for most of the first five games of this series. They've yet to have a real stinker. At some point, the Pens have to have one of those games where they just don't have it.

So in some ways, the fact the Pens have been dominant for all five games and the series is still only 3-2 could be seen as a bad thing. Because all it will take is for San Jose to be the better team one night or the Pens to lay an egg for this thing to get out of hand.

 

[Ogrezilla]

If we play like we did yesterday, I would be shocked to see us lose 3 in a row. I'd be surprised to lose 2 in a row like that.

If we could magically redo games without changing anything but one play at a time, Kessel comes out of that game with a goal the majority of the time, and 2 goals as often if not more often than 0 goals. Bones scores on his open chance a good 50/50 split I'd say. Murray gives up 2 goals more often than 3. And 1 about as often as 3. We played a lot of good hockey with a lot of bad execution imo. If you could replay that game (and pretend one change would somehow not change how the plays after it played out) with the same scoring chances on both sides, we would win it the majority of the times, and by more than one goal a significant number of those times.