Thanks for Everything, Sully

[Honour Over Glory]

It's why you look into trading Rust for something that fits better in the top six.

I think people underrate Kapanen and how he plays too.

Kapanen is what we needed in addition to Rust. If there's another winger that was emerging if our coach gave anyone a shot to, I'd agree even being a huge Rust fan. As I'd likely pair Zucker as well and look at getting maybe a top 6 lw and rw but here we are...

We don't know what O'Connor can do outside of being stuck with a butt plug like Jankowski and I bet any other decent winger we'll never know either. Maybe Rodrigues and Gaudreau will get another whirl in the top 6.


Yay.

 

[Gurglesons]

Kapanen is what we needed in addition to Rust. If there's another winger that was emerging if our coach gave anyone a shot to, I'd agree even being a huge Rust fan. As I'd likely pair Zucker as well and look at getting maybe a top 6 lw and rw but here we are...

We don't know what O'Connor can do outside of being stuck with a butt plug like Jankowski and I bet any other decent winger we'll never know either. Maybe Rodrigues and Gaudreau will get another whirl in the top 6.


Yay.

I think my point was more so that Kapanen can play with some bite to his game.

I'd hope a new coach would realize Malkin needs Guentzel more and try Zucker with Crosby for more than 5 minutes next year if he is still here. But what do I know.

Zucker - Crosby - Palmieri
Guentzel - Malkin - Kapanen
Poulin - Carter - Tanev

Would be a hypothetical top nine for me with us hopefully bringing in someone that fits in our top nine on the left side with size like Greenway to push Poulin out.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Weird. I always laugh at you and @Terrapin's agenda of physicality. I guess that makes us friends.

Exactly......just like I laugh at sissy boy hockey....

Lucky for me Sully will be booted and Burke agrees with me!!!

 

[Coastal Kev]

You know, it's not even that you (or I) would take it to the extreme that @Terrapin or @Coastal Kev might, but it's pretty clear there needs to be a balance and it's even more clear that the Pens have gotten further from rather than closer to it over the last 4 years.

As an aside, @HandshakeLine and I have been talking for a while that one thing this team also desperately needs is a Ruutu style predator . . . someone to go after the other team's top players from pre-game warm up on, because every second the other team spends trying to kill that guy is one less they spend trying to kill Sid, Geno, or Letang.

BUT, Sullivan has as little use for that type of player as he has for the toughness/physicality in general.

What is my extreme view?

 

[KIRK]

What is my extreme view?

I said I wouldn't take your wanting more toughness to the extreme in practice that you would. I didn't say getting tougher was an extreme view. I hope I don't need to explain the difference.

 

[Coastal Kev]

I said I wouldn't take your wanting more toughness to the extreme in practice that you would. I didn't say getting tougher was an extreme view. I hope I don't need to explain the difference.

Please do.....I only read every third word with most posts....make it count.

 

[KIRK]

Please do.....I only read every third word with most posts....make it count.

@Gurglesons is the HR professional. Teaching people to read is his department.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I think my point was more so that Kapanen can play with some bite to his game.

I'd hope a new coach would realize Malkin needs Guentzel more and try Zucker with Crosby for more than 5 minutes next year if he is still here. But what do I know.

Zucker - Crosby - Palmieri
Guentzel - Malkin - Kapanen
Poulin - Carter - Tanev

Would be a hypothetical top nine for me with us hopefully bringing in someone that fits in our top nine on the left side with size like Greenway to push Poulin out.

Lol I respect your optimism. We know Jake should be with Geno.

We know..

 

[ronduguayshair]

Lol I respect your optimism. We know Jake should be with Geno.

We know..

favorite player should get in shape or not injured because he excused the off-season.

When Burke and Hextall don’t resign #71 this messageboard will get better.

 

[KIRK]

favorite player should get in shape or not injured because he excused the off-season.

When Burke and Hextall don’t resign #71 this messageboard will get better.

It certainly is better for having you and your insight here, ShawnLesky ronduguayshair.

 

[ronduguayshair]

It certainly is better for having you and your insight here, ShawnLesky ronduguayshair.

Ive always had the same login over messageboards. You’re always wrong.

try talking about hockey instead of pushing narrative.

 

[KIRK]

Ive always had the same login over messageboards. You’re always wrong.

try talking about hockey instead of pushing narrative.

Looks like I owe @HandshakeLine some money. He said you'd give yourself up exactly like you just did, and I bet you weren't (still) that obtuse. I lost. One dollar.

 

[Ryder71]

Looks like I owe @HandshakeLine some money. He said you'd give yourself up exactly like you just did, and I bet you weren't (still) that obtuse. I lost. One dollar.

What do you owe him a dollar for? Also, why only bet a dollar? Also, with him being on another continent is it even worth paying him? The postage alone would cost more. A check, cash, wire transfer, what method of payment did you agree to? I want to know.

 

[ronduguayshair]

Looks like I owe @HandshakeLine some money. He said you'd give yourself up exactly like you just did, and I bet you weren't (still) that obtuse. I lost. One dollar.

Really cool stuff man. Great game you played. Hey that's one more game played than #71 this playoffs. Interesting stuff.

 

[KIRK]

What do you owe him a dollar for? Also, why only bet a dollar? Also, with him being on another continent is it even worth paying him? The postage alone would cost more. A check, cash, wire transfer, what method of payment did you agree to? I want to know.

Actually, I paid @HandshakeLine with 1/43000th of a bit coin . . . right before the value tanked 20%.

I think my point was more so that Kapanen can play with some bite to his game.

I'd hope a new coach would realize Malkin needs Guentzel more and try Zucker with Crosby for more than 5 minutes next year if he is still here. But what do I know.

Zucker - Crosby - Palmieri
Guentzel - Malkin - Kapanen
Poulin - Carter - Tanev

Would be a hypothetical top nine for me with us hopefully bringing in someone that fits in our top nine on the left side with size like Greenway to push Poulin out.

Doubt Zucker is an option for a new coach. Suspect Hextall moves him before then.

 

[CTZ181]

great thread 2/10

 

[edog37]

This is where I think this train of thought is asinine. I applaud Sullivan for finally showing some mental chess this season with his coaching but only a few things were good, the team was still a disaster defensively with consistency and remains an issue while teams with even lesser defense seem to at least be able to sort that out more often than the Pens have shown.

Also, what's the end game here mate?

So you want Sullivan to waste 7 years in the playoffs before you consider him worse than Bylsma? This core is not young, even 2 early exits (not making to the ECF with Sid, Geno, Letang, and Jake is a failure IMO) is already too much when you automatically ignore that it's been 3yrs now.

2018 - They lost to the Caps in Round 2.
2019 - They were swept by the Islanders in Round 1.
2020 - They were knocked out by the Habs in the "Playoffs" but technically, they were booted in the play-in "playoffs" and didn't even realistically make the playoffs, but it's considered one.

So 2021, you've already set the low bar at "Well, as long as we are out in the 2nd only..."

Here's something I will agee on.

Dan Bylsma was awful in the playoffs.

But a lot of you blokes already have excuses made. So you want to pump Sullivan's tires? He did great without Malkin and some others. So given that, he should still do well with or without them because he has shown he can. The Islanders have an inferior Roster and lost their Captain for the season. To me, if Hextall sees this team barely beat the Islanders and then they're out in the 2nd, it tells me the window is barely open and you need to make a move fast and it has to be coaching - This team has moved Kessel, Hornqvist, etc, those are big names. This team is pretty deep on 4 lines whether people want to admit it or not.

This should be an ECF team. If this team isn't in the final 4, they've failed and keeping Sullivan on a 5th year o fail once more solves nothing. Sullivan is a good coach, but his innovation with this core can only be fresh for so long.



See above.

this isn't the same team as 2016 & 2017 & the core players are now 4-5 years older. People forget that when they look at the window. In truth, I believe the window already closed & no matter who is behind the bench changes that fact.

 

[Pens x]

this isn't the same team as 2016 & 2017 & the core players are now 4-5 years older. People forget that when they look at the window. In truth, I believe the window already closed & no matter who is behind the bench changes that fact.

I think they are good enough to compete, and certainly better than the Isles on paper. I’d like to think other coaches would have stopped the Zucker madness and actually tried him with Sid for a couple of games, or try Jake with Geno.

 

[ronduguayshair]

this isn't the same team as 2016 & 2017 & the core players are now 4-5 years older. People forget that when they look at the window. In truth, I believe the window already closed & no matter who is behind the bench changes that fact.

Exactly. Just look at the "Stars" numbers last couple of playoffs. Still blaming Sullivan? Well then you have a personal agenda (and it probably has to do with a favorite player).

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

this isn't the same team as 2016 & 2017 & the core players are now 4-5 years older. People forget that when they look at the window. In truth, I believe the window already closed & no matter who is behind the bench changes that fact.

Agree, but you don't ignore a problem because it's not the only problem. Sullivan's a problem and has been for years.

The time to change things was after the last Isles series, imo. Still probably had a couple of years left in the tank if you change things then. Now? Not sure it really matters, like you say, but it's still a problem that needs addressing imo.

 

[Mr. T]

Man, benching pressing 495 lbs. for 35 consecutive reps is hard. Glad I'm strong enough to do it.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Man, benching pressing 495 lbs. for 35 consecutive reps is hard. Glad I'm strong enough to do it.

But are you strong enough to kill youre feelings?

 

[edog37]

Agree, but you don't ignore a problem because it's not the only problem. Sullivan's a problem and has been for years.

The time to change things was after the last Isles series, imo. Still probably had a couple of years left in the tank if you change things then. Now? Not sure it really matters, like you say, but it's still a problem that needs addressing imo.

i disagree. I think the window closed when we list to the Caps in 2018.

 

[edog37]

I think they are good enough to compete, and certainly better than the Isles on paper. I’d like to think other coaches would have stopped the Zucker madness and actually tried him with Sid for a couple of games, or try Jake with Geno.

Zucker has been a bad fit here. He’s basically Brassard without the whining. And why punish Sid to get Zucker going? No, it’s time to move on from Zucker

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Zucker has been a bad fit here. He’s basically Brassard without the whining. And why punish Sid to get Zucker going? No, it’s time to move on from Zucker

I think there is at least an outside shot that had they tried some different combinations, they could have had some success there. Zucker and Sid at least seemed to be playing on the same planet unlike he and Malkin.

But duos or whatever, I guess.

I agree that at this point I hope they just move on.