Speculation: This 20-21 Penguins team misses the playoffs... UPDATE - WRONG

[Dipsy Doodle]

Saying anything about this team being "Stacked" is really stupid...

The top 6, as currently constructed, scored at a collective .93 P/G last year.

Name the NHL top 6s that produced at a better rate than that last year.

Bet it's a real short list.

They’re both good and if people think they are the best we’ve had that’s fine but it’s a real fine line and not sure the make up of parts of the rest of the team are good enough.

The bottom 6 is off. It’s not far away but it doesn’t seem like JR wants to do anything about it and we need better results than the last 2 seasons.

Then there’s the D. It’s either the top 4 is really good and the bottom pair sucks or a lot more pressure gets put on Marino and Pettersson if they are split.

Yep, agree with all of this.

 

[RSPens]

I would say if we miss the playoffs it is largely because of an accelerated season and Jarry and DeSmith not being able to handle the new roles.

I don't the defense of forwards are bad enough to cause us to miss. Especially considering what our division did this offseason with nearly every team losing major pieces outside of New Jersey.

I don't really understand why people are so concerned about Jarry and DeSmith. Let's start with Jarry. Before his breakout year last season, people who watched him in Edmonton or in W/B always said that he looks better when he gets more games. Well I think last season proved this to be true. Do I think he is going to have another all star season this year, not likely, but he is not going to cost the Pens too many games. Now for DeSmith...why did Jarry get a chance last season? The only reason Jarry was in the NHL was because he cost less than DeSmith and the Pens were against the cap. So why did Jarry cost less? Well the previous season Murray had injuries, so DeSmith stepped in, stepped up and earned himself a contract. So if Jarry is better with more games and DeSmith has a history of stepping up when needed why do people think that all of a sudden they will fail?

The team may struggle if they get hit with injuries again (especially with a shortened season) but if they don't make the playoffs it won't be because of the goaltending.

 

[Flying Dego]

I don't really understand why people are so concerned about Jarry and DeSmith. Let's start with Jarry. Before his breakout year last season, people who watched him in Edmonton or in W/B always said that he looks better when he gets more games. Well I think last season proved this to be true. Do I think he is going to have another all star season this year, not likely, but he is not going to cost the Pens too many games. Now for DeSmith...why did Jarry get a chance last season? The only reason Jarry was in the NHL was because he cost less than DeSmith and the Pens were against the cap. So why did Jarry cost less? Well the previous season Murray had injuries, so DeSmith stepped in, stepped up and earned himself a contract. So if Jarry is better with more games and DeSmith has a history of stepping up when needed why do people think that all of a sudden they will fail?

The team may struggle if they get hit with injuries again (especially with a shortened season) but if they don't make the playoffs it won't be because of the goaltending.

TJ will be fine. We will never have a Vezina goalie and our team construction doesn't require that. We need a goalie that doesn't throw away games...Both Fleury and late MM got prone to costly blunders.

Sound goaltending no more, no less.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

No concern regarding Jarry. I think he's fine, even if he doesn't replicate his all-star play from last season. But, we need a backup. DeSmith ain't cutting it.

 

[RSPens]

No concern regarding Jarry. I think he's fine, even if he doesn't replicate his all-star play from last season. But, we need a backup. DeSmith ain't cutting it.

But why do you think DeSmith can't cut it? He did when Murray was hurt 2 seasons ago, has he had any major injuries that could set him back (concussion, groin)? Is there really any options out there that are better?

People like to say that DeSmith doesn't cut it, but we have seen as recently as 2018/19 that he does.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I mean they had a good RS last year with awful injury luck, a shoddy d core and their starter being sub .900.

So they can survive a lot of issues if the top end guys are going.

Given the goaltending is NHL level- 87, 71, and 58 make or break us. If they contribute at a high level we’re fine as far as a postseason berth imo. Should be doable because the Cs have better wingers and Sid really can’t be worse than he was last year.

The other parts (Jarry, Marino’s sophomore progression, MM/CC, bottom 6, Kapanen’ fit, etc) matter more in terms of contending for a Cup imo. But barring one of the big 3 completely dropping off a cliff we should be alright in terms of getting to the playoffs.

 

[Shockmaster]

Could see them missing the playoffs due to being traumatized that Simon is no longer on the team.

 

[EightyOne]

Could see them missing the playoffs due to being traumatized that Simon is no longer on the team.

You just can't replace that...

*furiously checks notes *

... Playmaking support????

 

[Al Smith]

You just can't replace that...

*furiously checks notes *

... Playmaking support????

Quiet, consistent, solid ineffectiveness.

 

[Rakell67]

You just can't replace that...

*furiously checks notes *

... Playmaking support????

No shot?

 

[HandshakeLine]

No shot?

I think by removing Simon's negative shot, we actually trigger a buffer overflow which will randomly power up one Pens player's shot per shift.

 

[Pens x]

I don't really understand why people are so concerned about Jarry and DeSmith. Let's start with Jarry. Before his breakout year last season, people who watched him in Edmonton or in W/B always said that he looks better when he gets more games. Well I think last season proved this to be true. Do I think he is going to have another all star season this year, not likely, but he is not going to cost the Pens too many games. Now for DeSmith...why did Jarry get a chance last season? The only reason Jarry was in the NHL was because he cost less than DeSmith and the Pens were against the cap. So why did Jarry cost less? Well the previous season Murray had injuries, so DeSmith stepped in, stepped up and earned himself a contract. So if Jarry is better with more games and DeSmith has a history of stepping up when needed why do people think that all of a sudden they will fail?

The team may struggle if they get hit with injuries again (especially with a shortened season) but if they don't make the playoffs it won't be because of the goaltending.

Jarry’s save percentage dropped from .947 to .906 from December to January and resulted in Murray seeing more action once February rolled around. Whether or not Jarry was playing above his head in the early part of the season remains to be seen.
2019-20 Season in Review: Tristan Jarry

I like Jarry quite a bit but management needs to find a veteran back up. He’s just unproven at this point. Instead of pissing away limited cap and cash on crap forwards, they need to find a decent, established back up.

 

[EightyOne]

Jarry’s save percentage dropped from .947 to .906 from December to January and resulted in Murray seeing more action once February rolled around. Whether or not Jarry was playing above his head in the early part of the season remains to be seen.
2019-20 Season in Review: Tristan Jarry

I like Jarry quite a bit but management needs to find a veteran back up. He’s just unproven at this point. Instead of pissing away limited cap and cash on crap forwards, they need to find a decent, established back up.

Not disputing the drop argument (let's be real, the entire team started slumping).

If Murray was not moved, would you still feel that a veteran backup was needed?

 

[Pens x]

Not disputing the drop argument (let's be real, the entire team started slumping).

If Murray was not moved, would you still feel that a veteran backup was needed?

If Murray was still here, we’d have Jarry as a second option. If Jarry wasn’t on this team and we had Murray (the crap Murray post 2017) yes, I would want a back up better than DeSmith.

I think JR had to deal Murray; I’m not criticizing him for that. But seeing Jarry struggle a bit over the last couple of months, I’m worried heading into the season.

 

[EightyOne]

2 years ago, I would have been confident enough in Murray. I lost it. So to me, Jarry ends up being more of a lateral risk than anything. It is an area of concern. JR has his priorities effed up still, though.

 

[Headshot77]

That’s it... discuss.

Nah this team is good. I expect playoffs. However, things can always go wrong.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Nah this team is good. I expect playoffs. However, things can always go wrong.

Last few years, it's usually when the playoff starts.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Last few years, it's usually when the playoff starts.

2018 still bugs me. We never got a fair shot at the 3peat with all those injuries plus Washington winning was just the icing on the cake.

2019 I called it after game 2 that we wouldn’t win a game. That was a mentally broken team.

2020 was not as bad but it was still Montreal. Price “Halak’d” us but after game 1 we didn’t really deserve anything. Even though it was a COVID crapshoot to not win a game though.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

2018 still bugs me. We never got a fair shot at the 3peat with all those injuries plus Washington winning was just the icing on the cake.

2019 I called it after game 2 that we wouldn’t win a game. That was a mentally broken team.

2020 was not as bad but it was still Montreal. Price “Halak’d” us but after game 1 we didn’t really deserve anything. Even though it was a COVID crapshoot to not win a game though.

Yeah I was more or less harsher about the last 3yrs, haha..

2018 was just being out coached imo.
2019 was that same coach so deep in Sullivan’s mind, he was building condo’s in there.
2020 was just, the full on stubbornness and lack of awareness of his usage of players.

JR putting his omnipresent stupidity on all 3 seasons just compounded the frustration.

 

[Fraction Jackson]

At the end of the day, we were one of the best regular season teams before the plague, and added some potentially good pieces in the offseason while getting rid of bad ones. Of the good players that left we already have their replacements, who are younger and could be better. We may not have improved as much as other teams did but we didn't get worse enough to where we would miss the playoffs completely.

What happens when we get to the first round is another question...

 

[EightyOne]

At the end of the day, we were one of the best regular season teams before the plague, and added some potentially good pieces in the offseason while getting rid of bad ones. Of the good players that left we already have their replacements, who are younger and could be better. We may not have improved as much as other teams did but we didn't get worse enough to where we would miss the playoffs completely.

What happens when we get to the first round is another question...

Not really though. Jarry was being very good at helping to mask issues. The pens might have had a good record but that belies the fact they really were not one of the better teams on the year.

 

[Gurglesons]

Not really though. Jarry was being very good at helping to mask issues. The pens might have had a good record but that belies the fact they really were not one of the better teams on the year.

We were analytically the best team after Boston for much of the year.

 

[EightyOne]

We were analytically the best team after Boston for much of the year.

You know I make baseless knee jerk claims and disregard fancy numbers

 

[Gurglesons]

You know I make baseless knee jerk claims and disregard fancy numbers

Probably the smart route to go.

 

[ncm7772]

I think they barely miss. As others have mentioned, incredibly top heavy forward corps. As it stands now, the bottom six is straight t-rash. Its not good.

Defense is average, at best. That's with everyone healthy. The bottom pair really scares me.

Jarry, IMO, has the potentail to be a legit top-end goaltender. But is he ready? We'll see.