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GDT: The Return of Cole - Penguins @ Blue Jackets @ 19:00EST

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vodeni

vodeni

Registered User
Oct 27, 2010
30,335
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Pittsburgh
I am watching one and only one thing tonight: our worst penalty killer and our worst defensman (according to the stat and his precieved value, not our perception) Matt Murray, fortunately he is the one I have no doubt will bounce back to his old form, I just hope that does not happen way too late in the first round...

read somewhere amazing statistic , that now dawn on me that thats what I've been really seeing but kind of not registering...for all the bashing of our defense this stat (an I am praphrasing it) is looking in save percentages for high danger scoring chance, than medium range and low range (long shots etc..). It appears that MM is still one of the best in the league in saves at the HDCF, however his SV is really bad in low and medium range/danger scoring chances. maybe too many screens, bad luck or whatever, but we need to clamp down on those (blocking more shots? however we are still up there in shots blocked)
 
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JimmyTwoTimes

JimmyTwoTimes

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Apr 13, 2010
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pixiesfanyo said:
Is Rinne our goaltender?

Nashville is a great example of why home advantage means nothing. Didn’t have it once last year.
Click to expand...

You missed the point.

He was horrible in Pitt. And great in Nashville. If they had home ice, that might have been a different series.

Sometimes home ice does matter. Especially if a team isnt firing on all cylinders heading into the playoffs. It would help to start off with the first two games being at home , and building off of that.
 
Ryder71

Ryder71

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Nov 24, 2017
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pixiesfanyo said:
I hate this argument as Pens fans tried to use it all playoffs. Big difference between your # 1 D going down in February versus losing your # 1 C in the WCF.
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We also were without Bonino quite a bit that series and Hagelin wasn't anywhere near a 100%. We had injury challenges ourselves.
 
Gurglesons

Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
92,129
74,407
San Diego, CA
last-train-tocool.blogspot.com
ColePens said:
Pixies is on a rampage to bring out positive thinking from the group. I am a fan.
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I have time for realistic complaints, but when you’re going into the playoffs after back to back Cups won based on your forward depth and possession game with Malkin, Crosby, Brassard and Sheahan down the gut, there are no realistic complaints.

If CBJ sweeps us or we lose a seven game series in embarrassing faction, I’ll have the time of a day for it. Very little, but whatever.
 

Andy99

Registered User
Jun 26, 2017
50,782
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ColePens said:
Pixies is on a rampage to bring out positive thinking from the group. I am a fan.
Click to expand...

Well, if you’re bringing out those guns, I’m bringing out your favorite decade of the 80s....

Survivor says we’re risin’ up to the challenge of our rivals! And they’re never wrong.... Let’s go boys!

 
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LOGiK

LOGiK

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Nov 14, 2007
18,319
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This is like WW2 kind of big. I expect some intense stuff here tonight, from both teams.
 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Sep 5, 2008
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This team's got the talent to make up for any and all glaring issues it currently struggles with. We can win despite being miserable defensively. We did so last season.

We need the big names to come up huge; Sid, Geno, Kessel, and maybe most importantly Murray. If that happens more often than not this post season, we can go deep. If not, and we need to rely on a more team-oriented style with emphasis on stifling defensive play and tight-checking, we're in heaps of trouble.

I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy the ride. If we win, f***ing awesome. If we lose, ah well. This team's wayyyy too flawed to be blindly confident in their ability to steamroll through the East. JR's got a ton of work to do this summer, and I hope he knows it.
 
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BlindWillyMcHurt

BlindWillyMcHurt

ti kallisti
May 31, 2004
34,321
28,312
Yeah... I'm not really bugged by anything this season. How could I be? But the team is awfully uneven this year and troublingly possibly moreso since the TDL. My expectations are pretty low. But that's OK, too. I'm just happy they have a ball in the lottery.

I WOULD like to see a good game tonight, though. I'd prefer they flip that magical switch sooner rather than later...
 
madinsomniac

madinsomniac

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Jul 3, 2012
12,854
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Pittsburgh, Pa
Almost all of our road losses were focus and work ethic related... lets face facts, the majority of this team played low energy hockey on the road because they were divested this regular season... they occasionally got up for tge home fans, but on the road they couldn't have cared less...

That will not be an issue in the playoffs...

Maybe the defense does them in

Maybe Murray falters

Maybe the injury bug crushes them

But the focus issues won't be why we lose if we do... this is what they all saved energy for all year
 
Ryder71

Ryder71

Registered User
Nov 24, 2017
23,230
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madinsomniac said:
Almost all of our road losses were focus and work ethic related... lets face facts, the majority of this team played low energy hockey on the road because they were divested this regular season... they occasionally got up for tge home fans, but on the road they couldn't have cared less...

That will not be an issue in the playoffs...

Maybe the defense does them in

Maybe Murray falters

Maybe the injury bug crushes them

But the focus issues won't be why we lose if we do... this is what they all saved energy for all year
Click to expand...
I still don't like the make up of our defense, but hopefully the guys we do have play to their talent level. If they do, and while I see glaring weaknesses, hopefully they'll be somewhat mitigated by paying better attention to detail, fundamentals and positioning.
 
PensandCaps

PensandCaps

Beddy Tlueger
May 22, 2015
27,648
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Coach John McGuirk said:
This team's got the talent to make up for any and all glaring issues it currently struggles with. We can win despite being miserable defensively. We did so last season.

We need the big names to come up huge; Sid, Geno, Kessel, and maybe most importantly Murray. If that happens more often than not this post season, we can go deep. If not, and we need to rely on a more team-oriented style with emphasis on stifling defensive play and tight-checking, we're in heaps of trouble.

I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy the ride. If we win, ****ing awesome. If we lose, ah well. This team's wayyyy too flawed to be blindly confident in their ability to steamroll through the East. JR's got a ton of work to do this summer, and I hope he knows it.
Click to expand...

They have won 3 since 09. I'm not gonna complain, even if we lose in round one for the next 5 seasons.
 
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BlindWillyMcHurt

BlindWillyMcHurt

ti kallisti
May 31, 2004
34,321
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5 Stanley Cups, multiple Art Ross, Rocket and other individual award winners, a few generational talents, a beautiful new barn... yeah... I'm pretty much good for a lifetime.

'Course... that doesn't mean I won't bitch about stuff.
 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Registered User
Sep 5, 2008
28,726
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Too many guys on this team just don't want to work. I don't think it's a situation where we have bad players, just a bunch of guys either too tired or too lazy to do the dirty work it takes to win games. We lose nearly all battles in the defensive zone. We allow teams to walk through the neutral zone unabated. We get heavy legs when it comes to chasing loose pucks. We are way too easy to play against around our own net. JR needs to address that and bring in new, fresh, hungry players this summer. I don't think it's necessarily that our roster is comprised of bad players, on paper--just that too many guys have lost the fire.

In a vacuum, this team has the players to be much, much better than it has been. We were never as good as our record in the first month or so of 2018 showed. We got phenomenal performances by key players that overwhelmed the opposition and covered up a ton of flaws, leading to wins. Once those guys cooled off, reality set in again that we're just not very good. If those guys reach their top gear again over the next few months, we can win another Cup. If they don't, I wouldn't be surprised if we got bounced in the first round. Either way, I'm just gonna enjoy the games and look forward to what JR can/will do this summer. I'm hoping for some serious moves to right the ship moving forward, because there are only so many seasons of Sid, Geno and Kessel being elite left.
 
LOGiK

LOGiK

Registered User
Nov 14, 2007
18,319
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PensandCaps said:
They have won 3 since 09. I'm not gonna complain, even if we lose in round one for the next 5 seasons.
Click to expand...

I will complain because after the next 5 years when Sid and Geno are getting ready to bow out I expect abysmal seasons for at least a decade.
 
JimmyTwoTimes

JimmyTwoTimes

Registered User
Apr 13, 2010
19,958
5,281
shoplifter said:
I will complain because after the next 5 years when Sid and Geno are getting ready to bow out I expect abysmal seasons for at least a decade.
Click to expand...

Actually with the new lottery the way it is, we have a better chance at re-tooling on the fly to keep things going.

Could finish 10th worst and get into the top 3 during any of those years.
 
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