Post-Game Talk: Yikes. Pens struggle against a formidable Detroit Team

[JimmyTwoTimes]

JR wanted to upgrade the D. Had offers out there. Was in on Mcdonagh which he probably shouldnt have been, and focused more on someone else...since that went down to the final minute. And you have to assume we were willing to give up alot if we were in on Mcdonagh.

Was happy with the Brassard trade, but the deadline did feel "incomplete" by not upgrading the D.

Cant say the Pens were content with what they have for depth on D, and didnt want to mortgage the future if they were willing to trade for Mcdonagh.

 

[Shady Machine]

Call me crazy, but I'd rather use Brassard on Crosby's wing and put Sheehan back with Kessel. I liked the way Sheehan and Kessel were working together before they got broke up after the deadline. I think it helps cover up for Kessel's defensive deficiencies more as well.

You're crazy

 

[Gurglesons]

JR wanted to upgrade the D. Had offers out there. Was in on Mcdonagh which he probably shouldnt have been, and focused more on someone else...since that went down to the final minute. And you have to assume we were willing to give up alot if we were in on Mcdonagh.

Was happy with the Brassard trade, but the deadline did feel "incomplete" by not upgrading the D.

Cant say the Pens were content with what they have for depth on D, and didnt want to mortgage the future if they were willing to trade for Mcdonagh.

Yeah. This isn’t a situation this summer where you can argue what was the right move. Deadline is over, Rutherford OBVIOUSLY wanted to improve the D. He couldn’t.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

You're crazy

Eh it's something I've thought of too. It's hard to guage whether Brass/Kessel aren't working bc of the latter's injury or if it's chemistry. They are both 2 very good players individuallly and you'd think it click eventually. But if it doesn't you should exhaust all options. I've also thought that Sid and Kessel should be tried. Note this is something I'd experiment with next year

Maybe Brassard or Kessel is the winger that Sid needs to really flourish?

 

[Shady Machine]

Eh it's something I've thought of too. It's hard to guage whether Brass/Kessel aren't working bc of the latter's injury or if it's chemistry. They are both 2 very good players individuallly and you'd think it click eventually. But if it doesn't you should exhaust all options. I've also thought that Sid and Kessel should be tried. Note this is something I'd experiment with next year

Maybe Brassard or Kessel is the winger that Sid needs to really flourish?

We acquired Brass to have superior center depth. Why change that to move Brass to Sid's wing? You realize that means your 4th line will totally blow and a talented winger will be removed from the lineup?

Brass-Crosby-Rust
Hagelin-Malkin-Horny
Jake-Sheahan-Kessel
TURDS

 

[Pete Gas]

I think the Pens are still trying to find their spines.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

We acquired Brass to have superior center depth. Why change that to move Brass to Sid's wing? You realize that means your 4th line will totally blow and a talented winger will be removed from the lineup?

Brass-Crosby-Rust
Hagelin-Malkin-Horny
Jake-Sheahan-Kessel
TURDS

Well my presumption is that we get a lower level 4th C: Letestu or someone like that. Landing Brass, you had to assume JR was big game hunting and he likely had offers for lower level C's but wanted to ensure he bagged the lion

 

[Shady Machine]

Well my presumption is that we get a lower level 4th C: Letestu or someone like that. Landing Brass, you had to assume JR was big game hunting and he likely had offers for lower level C's but wanted to ensure he bagged the lion

Trade deadline is over...

If you want to try this next year, go right ahead, but not for the playoffs. Brass-Kessel have produced well statistically and the eye test has been fine when Kessel isn't gliding around like he doesn't care.

 

[Gurglesons]

Eh it's something I've thought of too. It's hard to guage whether Brass/Kessel aren't working bc of the latter's injury or if it's chemistry. They are both 2 very good players individuallly and you'd think it click eventually. But if it doesn't you should exhaust all options. I've also thought that Sid and Kessel should be tried. Note this is something I'd experiment with next year

Maybe Brassard or Kessel is the winger that Sid needs to really flourish?

Until the last game, Brassard and Kessel put up an average of 3 scoring chances per game and were on a six game point streak.

What more do they need to do?

 

[Gurglesons]

Well my presumption is that we get a lower level 4th C: Letestu or someone like that. Landing Brass, you had to assume JR was big game hunting and he likely had offers for lower level C's but wanted to ensure he bagged the lion

So, we get Letestu and what exactly?

The pieces that were moved for McDonagh we didn’t have.

Who else on the D market makes us a better team?

 

[DesertPenguin]

Kinda feels like 2010 huh? Pens still had that magic some nights, and some nights they didn't. The talk was always that they we're going to flip the switch in the playoffs, but it never happened. They made it past an Ottawa team they should have beat and then lost to Montreal team that barely made it in but was running on an incredible hot streak. We either get hungry right now, or we are going to lose to a team hungrier than us.

Terrible to say, but they won 2 cups in a row. Maybe the best thing for them is to pack it in and get some rest. Even the Oilers didn't win 3 in a row.

 

[Gurglesons]

Kinda feels like 2010 huh? Pens still had that magic some nights, and some nights they didn't. The talk was always that they we're going to flip the switch in the playoffs, but it never happened. They made it past an Ottawa team they should have beat and then lost to Montreal team that barely made it in but was running on an incredible hot streak. We either get hungry right now, or we are going to lose to a team hungrier than us.

Terrible to say, but they won 2 cups in a row. Maybe the best thing for them is to pack it in and get some rest. Even the Oilers didn't win 3 in a row.

But, like we went into the playoffs just like this last year.

 

[DesertPenguin]

So, we get Letestu and what exactly?

The pieces that were moved for McDonagh we didn’t have.

Who else on the D market makes us a better team?

Not losing Cole would have helped.

 

[Gurglesons]

Not losing Cole would have helped.

I’m done. I can’t deal with the revisionist history of Ian Cole on here.

 

[DesertPenguin]

But, like we went into the playoffs just like this last year.

It could still happen. I'm a lot less doom and gloom than many on here after a loss. It just doesn't feel right, right now. We will see. They should still be able to beat CBJ or PHI, and then they likely see Washington. I won't believe Washington is going to beat the Pens until they actually do. After that, who knows? Maybe they've got their mojo back by then.

 

[Pancakes]

Kinda feels like 2010 huh? Pens still had that magic some nights, and some nights they didn't. The talk was always that they we're going to flip the switch in the playoffs, but it never happened. They made it past an Ottawa team they should have beat and then lost to Montreal team that barely made it in but was running on an incredible hot streak. We either get hungry right now, or we are going to lose to a team hungrier than us.

Terrible to say, but they won 2 cups in a row. Maybe the best thing for them is to pack it in and get some rest. Even the Oilers didn't win 3 in a row.

2010 was different. They dominated that Montreal series and only lost because Halak was red hot. Well and also Maf/they laid a huge turd in game 7 but for the first 6 games of that series they mostly dominated. Just got goalied. The switch was flipped, they just couldn't solve Halak.

 

[turd]

I’m done. I can’t deal with the revisionist history of Ian Cole on here.

The way this board tells it, Ian Cole and Simon Despres were essentially Bobby Orr and Nik Lidstrom.

 

[Ryder71]

The way this board tells it, Ian Cole and Simon Despres were essentially Bobby Orr and Nik Lidstrom.

Not really, there's much more nuance and context to the premise and reasoning as to why losing Cole was a mistake.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

Trade deadline is over...

If you want to try this next year, go right ahead, but not for the playoffs. Brass-Kessel have produced well statistically and the eye test has been fine when Kessel isn't gliding around like he doesn't care.

I did indicate on my initial post that this would be a next year thing

Fair statement that Kessel is gliding (or injured). I knew little about Brassard and perhaps I overestimated his offensive game and underestimated his defensive game. So my expectations perhaps need adjusted, but I thought it'd be better than HBK

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

By 2010 full-ninny Disco had his claws in the team, too.

Cole was more than just your standard third pairing guy, here. And he has helped Columbus a good bit in an expanded role. I didn't want to lose him and feel he was a big part of this defense when he was clicking but ultimately... that's not the reason they look like they do now. It's just a contributing factor.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

The way this board tells it, Ian Cole and Simon Despres were essentially Bobby Orr and Nik Lidstrom.

Nothing like adding hyperbole to an alleged hyperbole to stir the masses.

This isn't about Ian Cole per se. It's about not getting a capable NHL defender who did the things Cole did: block shots, clear defenders on the PK, etc. Especially for a team that was paperthin on Defense WITH Cole. Now we have 1 less body.

I'm on record stating if we get eliminated, it'll be because of the terrible PK

 

[Dey so soff*]

I think the Pens are still trying to find their spines.

Pittsburgh Jellyfish?

 

[Gurglesons]

Nothing like adding hyperbole to an alleged hyperbole to stir the masses.

This isn't about Ian Cole per se. It's about not getting a capable NHL defender who did the things Cole did: block shots, clear defenders on the PK, etc. Especially for a team that was paperthin on Defense WITH Cole. Now we have 1 less body.

I'm on record stating if we get eliminated, it'll be because of the terrible PK

We went from 23rd to 28th from September - Ian Cole’s grand departure to ICGD - Now.

 

[Andy99]

Nothing like adding hyperbole to an alleged hyperbole to stir the masses.

This isn't about Ian Cole per se. It's about not getting a capable NHL defender who did the things Cole did: block shots, clear defenders on the PK, etc. Especially for a team that was paperthin on Defense WITH Cole. Now we have 1 less body.

I'm on record stating if we get eliminated, it'll be because of the terrible PK

You would be wrong...there’s only like 2-4 penalties called per game in the POs...the biggest team factor, aside from injuries, why we would get eliminated is the play of Matt Murray if he doesn’t pick it up (of course, I said team factor, that does not include some other team being better, getting lucky or having a hot goalie)

 

[turd]

Nothing like adding hyperbole to an alleged hyperbole to stir the masses.

This isn't about Ian Cole per se. It's about not getting a capable NHL defender who did the things Cole did: block shots, clear defenders on the PK, etc. Especially for a team that was paperthin on Defense WITH Cole. Now we have 1 less body.

I'm on record stating if we get eliminated, it'll be because of the terrible PK

Well you must not have read the board during the Despres trade or in the last few weeks since Cole’s trade.

Ian Cole is a good defenseman for what he does and is capable of doing. But this whole team defense sucking thing isn’t new. It happened all the time even when Cole was here, almost right out of the gate this season (the Chicago debacle was game 2). The majority of it is due to some horrendous self-inflicted wounds. Some of it is due to the regression of certain players (Letang and Schultz come to mind) or the flat out garbage play of some players (Hunwick). But the loss of Cole is a very minor symptom to the overall problem.