Post-Game Talk: Sharks 5, Pens 0 - After the Meat Sweats Subside, It's the Hangover I Must Contend With

[The Worst One]

You would rather lose right now and then kick ass in the playoffs.

 

[OswaldBates]

Paying 3.5 for blocked shots is a bigger issue than having Sheary on L1.

But I guess JJ has been bad from blocking so many shots too.

So we’ve got 6.75 tied up in blocking shots.

There is no end to your utter f***ing stupidity, I have been ripping Sharry since he was traded back, no You & Magic Mike's hero Blueger can't win FO's & I have seen Tanev getting hurt a bunch blocking shots the last month or so, that shit adds up

 

[OswaldBates]

You would rather lose right now and then kick ass in the playoffs.

I'd actually like them to show a pulse now & kick ass in playoffs

 

[Your Boy Troy]

It's not the idiotic line combos/pairings. It's not the wholly incapable blueline outside of Letang and Riikola. It's that we don't have anyone to punch faces.

No one insinuated that the sole reason to their losing streak is because of their lack of fighting prowess. However - it is a problem, and it could have been addressed by signing Jamie Devane as an extra forward down the stretch of the regular season; Sullivan wouldn't have played him for even a game - so it is a moot point by me.

This team is incredibly soft when it comes to going to prime scoring areas and clearing the crease. No one can dispute that. Adding Sheary and Rodrigues whilst omitting Lafferty/Angello further exemplifies this point. Regardless of whether they are more established talents, they only further broaden their transparent weakness.

What is this fascination with Riikola as well? Should he be prioritize over a minor-leaguer like Trotman playing on his off side? Of course. However, there is a reason why he gets sheltered minutes. He is far too indecisive in the type of defenseman he wants to be, seldom does he engage in board battles, his positional play still needs some refinement. The talent level is there - he just hasn't made enough adjustments to be an everyday defenseman.

 

[Gurglesons]

There is no end to your utter f***ing stupidity, I have been ripping Sharry since he was traded back, no You & Magic Mike's hero Blueger can't win FO's & I have seen Tanev getting hurt a bunch blocking shots the last month or so, that shit adds up

You’ve been ripping Sheary for three games? That probably says enough about your opinion, eh?

 

[OswaldBates]

You’ve been ripping Sheary for three games? That probably says enough about your opinion, eh?

Yeah Junior I have been ripping him before he was traded away the first time, BUT Good Try

 

[ChaosAgent]

What is this fascination with Riikola as well? Should he be prioritize over a minor-leaguer like Trotman playing on his off side? Of course. However, there is a reason why he gets sheltered minutes. He is far too indecisive in the type of defenseman he wants to be, seldom does he engage in board battles, his positional play still needs some refinement. The talent level is there - he just hasn't made enough adjustments to be an everyday defenseman.

The fascination is that 99.9% of the world that watches Penguins hockey knows he is better than Trotman. The .1% is Sully or Martin and it's downright concerning that they see it that way.

 

[WayneSid9987]

What is this fascination with Riikola as well? Should he be prioritize over a minor-leaguer like Trotman playing on his off side? Of course. However, there is a reason why he gets sheltered minutes. He is far too indecisive in the type of defenseman he wants to be, seldom does he engage in board battles, his positional play still needs some refinement. The talent level is there - he just hasn't made enough adjustments to be an everyday defenseman.

For depth D, Riiko is their best shot generator by miles this season.
He's easily in this teams best top 6 this season.

 

[OswaldBates]

For depth D, Riiko is their best shot generator by miles this season.
He's easily in this teams best top 6 this season.

BUT He is no Trotman

 

[WayneSid9987]

The reality is their best bottom pairing with Dumo/JM back is Riiko-Ruh.
Me, personally, i'd go with Riiko-JS and deploy them very offensively(JJ would sit).

 

[Your Boy Troy]

For depth D, Riiko is their best shot generator by miles this season.
He's easily in this teams best top 6 this season.

I wouldn't put too much stock into his shot generation with his low TOI, favorable oZS%, and time against bottom-six competition. That being said, he does have the best shot on the backend ignoring Letang. He definitely has what it takes to be a contributor in the league, but he is the odd man once every defenseman is healthy.

 

[Icarium]

This thread is hilarious. The entire team has been trash in the last two games and mostly trash in the four games before that. But people are scrambling to point at fingers at individual players as if that's the biggest problem. When you score 8 in 6 games against some of the worst defenses in the entire league, with three of the games against teams with nothing to play for to boot, it's obvious that this is a system problem, not a problem with individual players.

 

[ChaosAgent]

This thread is hilarious. The entire team has been trash in the last two games and mostly trash in the four games before that. But people are scrambling to point at fingers at individual players as if that's the biggest problem. When you score 8 in 6 games against some of the worst defenses in the entire league, with three of the games against teams with nothing to play for to boot, it's obvious that this is a system problem, not a problem with individual players.

Dude, people are just taking names of the players that they've always disliked and coming to collect. Since everyone has been trash with a few bright spots (Riiks, Zucker scoring 2 goals on Friday, uh Marleau has functioned I suppose) there's a lot of material.

 

[LOGiK]

Since they game were so late/early here in Sweden it hadnt ended when i woke up. so the stream jumped in live and not from the start of it.

Cant say it bothered me much...

What do you think about living in Sweden?
Were you born there too? (just for context)

 

[Terrapin]

No one insinuated that the sole reason to their losing streak is because of their lack of fighting prowess. However - it is a problem, and it could have been addressed by signing Jamie Devane as an extra forward down the stretch of the regular season; Sullivan wouldn't have played him for even a game - so it is a moot point by me.

This team is incredibly soft when it comes to going to prime scoring areas and clearing the crease. No one can dispute that. Adding Sheary and Rodrigues whilst omitting Lafferty/Angello further exemplifies this point. Regardless of whether they are more established talents, they only further broaden their transparent weakness.

What is this fascination with Riikola as well? Should he be prioritize over a minor-leaguer like Trotman playing on his off side? Of course. However, there is a reason why he gets sheltered minutes. He is far too indecisive in the type of defenseman he wants to be, seldom does he engage in board battles, his positional play still needs some refinement. The talent level is there - he just hasn't made enough adjustments to be an everyday defenseman.

They have exactly 1 player that goes anywhere near the net, and that's Hornqvist. They have nobody except maybe Sid (when he's engaged) that can win a board battle. So that means their only hope of scoring is the fancy bullshit that works once in a great while in the regular season, and never in the playoffs.

Their defense is also Charmin soft. They make bad decisions because they don't want to be hit (which makes sense since they're always hurt), and let guys do their taxes in front of Murray/Jarry.

Yet the millenials on here equate any type of physical player as a mouth-breathing goon. To them, there is no difference. Unfortunately, Sullivan feels the same way

 

[LOGiK]

This thread is hilarious. The entire team has been trash in the last two games and mostly trash in the four games before that. But people are scrambling to point at fingers at individual players as if that's the biggest problem. When you score 8 in 6 games against some of the worst defenses in the entire league, with three of the games against teams with nothing to play for to boot, it's obvious that this is a system problem, not a problem with individual players.

It's not about records at this point. Just earlier in the year people would post how well structured the penguins are: just plug in player after injury and keep on winning.
Well that structure is no longer present. The system has broken and I have no idea where to place the blame. It started with Jake injury and got worse ever since. The system broke down that day and the cracks in the dam came to the surface.

 

[Angrrus]

What's funny is when we got the puck in the defensive zone. I couldn't even see the Sharks d they were so far back. I was told you need pinching defensemen in 2020 to generate offense. At one point they were up 3-0 and had 2 d and their center at center ice while we left the defensive zone. That would never happen with this dumbass team. 3-0 lead. Our d we would be pinching and trying to score and would give up a breakaway that would result in a 3-1 game and eventually 3-2 and close game. Instead of the Sharks playing smart and scoring two more times off our desperation instead of them being desperate for more points up 3.

Dunno why you brought that up. Can’t remember Pens leading even by a goal during this 6 game skid, let alone by 3.

So apparently unnecessary pinching was not the reason why we lost 6 games.

 

[Icarium]

Nah, we kept up the structure after Jake's injury but had trouble finishing off games, had something like five 4-3 victories in a span of seven or eight games. Then Crosby came back and the structure disappeared. Even the games which we won, we did it thanks to incredible goaltending, hot PP or Sid/Geno playing out of his mind. I expected a losing streak at some point but not quite as bad as the current one.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Dude, people are just taking names of the players that they've always disliked and coming to collect. Since everyone has been trash with a few bright spots (Riiks, Zucker scoring 2 goals on Friday, uh Marleau has functioned I suppose) there's a lot of material.

Hey! At least I'm open about that.

I don't pander my shit, or hide behind alts, or make any bones about being a logical, rational, poster. Hell, I'm not even smarter than most people here, despite my titles. I'm just here to talk shit, watch hockey, and clown on people who take their shit too seriously.

 

[LOGiK]

Dunno why you brought that up. Can’t remember Pens leading even by a goal during this 6 game skid, let alone by 3.

So apparently unnecessary pinching was not the reason why we lost 6 games.

At this point you can basically make up any reason you want to -- plug it in to 'penguins suck because of (reason)' -- and you wouldn't be entirely wrong.

Everything is broken.. literally......... everything

 

[LOGiK]

Nah, we kept up the structure after Jake's injury but had trouble finishing off games, had something like five 4-3 victories in a span of seven or eight games. Then Crosby came back and the structure disappeared. Even the games which we won, we did it thanks to incredible goaltending, hot PP or Sid/Geno playing out of his mind. I expected a losing streak at some point but not quite as bad as the current one.

No way. I don't jump behind the popular theories to hide my posts, but this time I totally agree with it and pretty much everyone else.

The game Sid game back (the game after Jake went down) is when this team stopped playing like a team. I even remember @pixiesfanyo saying, "They look like the Pittsburgh Crosby's".
That was the end of playing the system as a coherent team. It broke at that moment.

Now I have no idea why, I have ideas, but that was the moment it all broke and gradually evolved into this tepid cess pool of hockey.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Everything is broken, except the pure love that exists between Conor Sheary and falling down.

 

[Gurglesons]

No way. I don't jump behind the popular theories to hide my posts, but this time I totally agree with it and pretty much everyone else.

The game Sid game back (the game after Jake went down) is when this team stopped playing like a team. I even remember @pixiesfanyo saying, "They look like the Pittsburgh Crosby's".
That was the end of playing the system as a coherent team. It broke at that moment.

Now I have no idea why, I have ideas, but that was the moment it all broke and gradually evolved into this tepid cess pool of hockey.

The issue is they built the system around Sid and Geno instead of four (well three technically) rolling lines.

The deadline moves were suppose to help with that, but we just continue to pile up injuries.

 

[LOGiK]

@Icarium

I just read your post again and we said the same exact things, lol.
You said the structure was there in one sentence then you said the structure disappeared.
Just in different words than I said, but we're both saying the same thing =P

 

[ChaosAgent]

Hey! At least I'm open about that.

I don't pander my shit, or hide behind alts, or make any bones about being a logical, rational, poster. Hell, I'm not even smarter than most people here, despite my titles. I'm just here to talk shit, watch hockey, and clown on people who take their shit too seriously.

I'm just describing what's going on. I'm not above it. I've been calling the Zucker trade an overpay so if he didn't score 2 goals Friday I might be doing that stuff too.

I do think people take it too far though. Like when @Soggy Biscuit was adamantly arguing for Kahun over Sheary, people were bringing up Kessel with him. I disagreed with him like crazy on Kessel...but what ON EARTH does Kessel have to do with Kahun or Sheary? Nothing.

But there are quite a few posters who are simply an itemized list of player grudges against others. That's their right.