Post-Game Talk: Stars 3, Pens 2 - Kunitz Not Enough To Overcome Murray's Glove, Undesperate Team

[JTG]

Glove hand is still Murray's bugaboo.

 

[turd]

48-26-8.

That was their record last year in the regular season and they won the ****ing championship. Largely with the same team. With the same coaching staff and philosophy. Both of which are WAY more relevant than the 2013 season that was two coaching regimes ago and probably about 60-70% of a different roster ago. But yeah, checkmate and all that.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Glove hand is still Murray's bugaboo.

I think it's a lot of goalie's bugaboos. Especially our backups. You could make a 30 minute lowlight reel of it for him. I'm just saying.

 

[Dey so soff*]

He basically said we sucked tonight, and we didn't compete hard enough.

But he kept Kunitz with Sid all night...

 

[CertifiedLurker]

Man, I don´t disagree. I hate Bonino-Kessel as much as you do. I am just saying it´s not all about excuses for Kessel anymore.

Well I agree, he's been terrible lately but the steps to go fix this aren't to simply make him pull himself up by the bootstraps. I remember watching him in a few games earlier this month where he would come out like fire in the first period, watch all of his plays and chances get flubbed and simply go into float mode. This is on him and on Sullivan, imo it looks like he doesn't give effort because he knows what the results are going to be.

 

[zhenyas most fly rep]

March 1st 2017, if you told me 4 years ago (probably more) that I would still be watching Malkin stuck on the left point or around/behind the net 90% of the time with the extra man, I wouldn't have believed it.

You just need to watch a little hockey and not be a total ****** to understand he should be playing on the right half board spot and Crosby around the net.
He played there about 15 sec at the end and had a pretty good opportunity, well about the only one we had with the extra man anyway, is that obvious enough?

..Probably not obvious enough for the genius that won't use on the breakouts during the pp, asking him to stand still near the off blue line on the zone entries.

As for the rest of the game, at some point I was thinking "Man, Murray is masking a lot of issues right now", well at the end of the game he didn't mask them anymore.. In other words, the loss isn't on Murray at all, even if he had a bad third.

 

[KIRK]

48-26-8.

That was their record last year in the regular season and they won the ****ing championship. Largely with the same team. With the same coaching staff and philosophy. Both of which are WAY more relevant than the 2013 season that was two coaching regimes ago and probably about 60-70% of a different roster ago. But yeah, checkmate and all that.

Remind me what happened in December. And, after you've done that, keep digging.

But he kept Kunitz with Sid all night...

Well, Sid did get one shift with Jake and Kessel. So, technically, you're not correct.

March 1st 2017, if you told me 4 years ago (probably more) that I would still be watching Malkin stuck on the left point or around/behind the net 90% of the time with the extra man, I wouldn't have believed it.

You just need to watch a little hockey and not be a total ****** to understand he should be playing on the right half board spot and Crosby around the net.
He played there about 15 sec at the end and had a pretty good opportunity, well about the only one we had with the extra man anyway, is that obvious enough?

..Probably not obvious enough for the genius that won't use on the breakouts during the pp, asking him to stand still near the off blue line on the zone entries.

As for the rest of the game, just when I was thinking "Man, Murray is masking a lot of issues right now", well at the end of the game he didn't mask them anymore.. In other words, the loss isn't on Murray at all, even if he had a bad third.

The ways in which the Pens coaches turn Malkin into a glorified decoy in odd numbered situations (EN, PP) have not gone unnoticed here.

EDIT: Personally, I agree about Murray. I mean, on one level, he had the bad third. On another level, if he's a lesser goalie, the game is over before that.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Well, Sid did get one shift with Jake and Kessel. So, technically, you're not correct.

They didn't immediately score a goal though, so clearly it sucked and will always suck from now until eternity.

 

[CertifiedLurker]

Remind me what happened in December. And, after you've done that, keep digging.



Well, Sid did get one shift with Jake and Kessel. So, technically, you're not correct.

Oh Kessel and Sid had a shift together and didn't do much? Better never try them ever again for a full game or something.

 

[MtlPenFan]

Too many things have to go right when you have key guys missing up and down the lineup, most importantly the goaltending.

I can forgive the first two goals. First one is a clapper from too close to grab. Second deflects first before hitting Murray then bouncing off Dumo.

3rd goal was unforgivable. Shame too, because he was spectacular without having to look it.

Anywho, I'll get worked up when the team is actually healthy while losing games. The freakout seems to be for the sake of it.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Too many things have to go right when you have key guys missing up and down the lineup, most importantly the goaltending.

I can forgive the first two goals. First one is a clapper from too close to grab. Second deflects first before hitting Murray then bouncing off Dumo.

3rd goal was unforgivable. Shame too, because he was spectacular without having to look it.

Anywho, I'll get worked up when the team is actually healthy while losing games. The freakout seems to be for the sake of it.

The only issue I have with that is the fact that we probably won't be healthy until right before the playoffs start. Pretty much zero time to get any form of cohesiveness.

Then there's the fact that most guys have been coasting for waaaay too long to be trusted to simply flip that proverbial switch.

 

[CertifiedLurker]

Too many things have to go right when you have key guys missing up and down the lineup, most importantly the goaltending.

I can forgive the first two goals. First one is a clapper from too close to grab. Second deflects first before hitting Murray then bouncing off Dumo.

3rd goal was unforgivable. Shame too, because he was spectacular without having to look it.

Anywho, I'll get worked up when the team is actually healthy while losing games. The freakout seems to be for the sake of it.

My freakout is pretty consistent whether they win or lose. They just don't look good. Even with Sheary, Letang, Daley, Maatta returning to the line-up, there are still going to be glaring issues that aren't affected by them returning to the lineup.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

If the team is healthy breakouts, pk, pp and the lack of a 3rd line center are all still issues.

 

[turd]

Remind me what happened in December. And, after you've done that, keep digging.

Yeah they fired their dunce head coach and hired the guy who instilled a system and a philosophy that led them to winning the Stanley Cup, and he just so happens to still run the show, with arguably an equally talented, if not slightly more talented, roster at his disposal. Not really sure what you're trying to get at.

But quite honestly, I don't really care what you're getting at. If you wanna live in the past and hang your hat on prior playoff flame outs that have no relevance to this current team, be my guest.

 

[BHD]

The frustration is warranted. Players, healthy or hurt, have been playing at less than 100% all season.

 

[chethejet]

pens are not quite there. The ability to elevate the play is hit and miss. The consistency of play last year was remarkable. Letang, injuries Daley and Olli with injuries to forwards at times have kept the lid on momentum and building of success. Hard to duplicate SC seasons and still hope they can get it together. The return of some key people like Rust and Daley before the playoffs will help.

 

[Mattpilf]

Sully's voice is cracking in his post game presser almost like he's losing it from shouting so much.

Or he just has a cold/sore throat like 25% of Pittsburgh seems to right now.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

The frustration is warranted. Players, healthy or hurt, have been playing at less than 100% all season.

I am still trying to be worried or encouraged by that. On the one hand I almost want a team whose core is around 30 years old and played more hockey in the last couple of years than any other team in the NHL. On the other hand will they be able to flip that switch in a month and a half when it counts?

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Sully's voice is cracking in his post game presser almost like he's losing it from shouting so much.

Maybe if he'd stop using nonsensical, ******, ****ing stupid lines, he wouldn't have a need to yell so much?

These performances are on Sullivan. Yes, there are injuries. But handicapping your team even further by misusing the players you *do* have available to you is inexcusable.

 

[MtlPenFan]

My freakout is pretty consistent whether they win or lose. They just don't look good. Even with Sheary, Letang, Daley, Maatta returning to the line-up, there are still going to be glaring issues that aren't affected by them returning to the lineup.

They didn't look good last year either, at least not until much later in the season than people remember. Not saying it'll happen again, but if anyone cares to look around the East, everyone's been up and down lately, including everyone in the Metro.

When healthy, Kunitz drops down, and Wilson is out of the lineup altogether. Sheary Sid Rust won't be a thing and more importantly, their speed game will get a boost when those two return.

People should have learned after last season, but I guess manufactured outrage is the way to go.

 

[cygnus47]

Everyone that is calling out people for *****ing should note that late last year there wasn't this *****ing because the team was actually playing well more often than not. The one time there were few complaints was the one year we finally got over the hump in the playoffs.

Every other year that we have *****ed there have been proper issues masked by our stars that have shown up in the playoffs. There's a big difference between having issues most games and overcoming them sometimes vs occasionally having a dud game while playing well most of the time. We're very much in the first type at the moment.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Maybe if he'd stop using nonsensical, ******, ****ing stupid lines, he wouldn't have a need to yell so much?

These performances are on Sullivan. Yes, there are injuries. But handicapping your team even further by misusing the players you *do* have available to you is inexcusable.

Exactly. He should just be yelling at a mirror.

 

[madinsomniac]

I just really hope no matter what Kunitz hangs up the skates after this season... its all i really want from a player i liked in his prime

 

[turd]

There's a big difference between having issues most games and overcoming them sometimes vs occasionally having a dud game while playing well most of the time. We're very much in the first type at the moment.

The first type?

They're 8-2-3 in their last 13 games. They're on pace (if my math is right) for 112 points this season, which is 8 more than last year. The sky's most certainly not falling.

Clearly I must be watching a different team than everyone else here.

 

[zhenyas most fly rep]

The fact that Sullivan changed the lines immediately after that game is an overreaction, he was looking for a reason to flip the lines back and he found it. They played on some ****** ice in an outdoor game where Kessel's game is predicated on speed. Yes he looked bad in that game, he's looked about 100 times worse in every game he plays with Bonino over the entire year and it hasn't stopped Sullivan from keeping them inseparable. At least there were two stretches when he was playing with Malkin where they were actually amazing together. I don't think we've had like one game where Kessel's looked like that with Bonino this season.

Agree, the thing is, there won't be instant chemistry between Malkin and Kessel (like you had with Neal) but, as we've seen already, if you give them a few games their understanding on how to play with each other will grow and Kessel will morph into more of a playmaker on the line (which isn't actually a bad thing at all).
Plus, Kessel and Hagelin is a pretty good duo in itself.

Giving them a game here and there or worse, a few shifts, to break them back the second it's not working, hell, even when the line was coming along at the end of the Canes game he broke the line the following game..
It's totally counter productive and has rendered Kessel, on whatever the line he's on, useless :
Worst player on his line tonight, as Bonino had good game for his awfully low standards.