OT: WTH Sully?
- Thread starter CCHS82
- Start date
Horni, Letang and Maatta were by far the 3 worst players out there.
12 is garbage and doesn't deserve to have his name written out. Provides absolutely nothing.
Sully and his over coaching lost this game. Lineup moves when none were needed and these guys came out with 0 energy.
12 is garbage and doesn't deserve to have his name written out. Provides absolutely nothing.
Sully and his over coaching lost this game. Lineup moves when none were needed and these guys came out with 0 energy.
The Pens got to bury some shots. This was not Sid's finest hour for sure.
Oh well, had to take one of two, makes Friday's game more important.
Oh well, had to take one of two, makes Friday's game more important.
Sid with some real head scratcher passes.
The veteran team sure didn’t look like one tonight.
I hate to say it, but that’s pretty typical for Letang in a playoff game.
They all blew many easy chances especially in the 2nd ... Kessel ... Malkin...
Poor effort all the way around. Should have lost by several.
Still have a chance to salvage a split but not playing (or coaching) this way.
Sid was the only one that didn't have his line f'd with and he was invisible. All 3 other lines had moments.
Malkin and Kessell played strong games. Immagine if they were together like they were 90% of the year. Nope it's playoff time, time to panic and go for balance by splitting stars!
By the way, Maatta was pretty bad tonight, along with several other notable veterans.
He skates like he has 2 cinder blocks for skates. It's mind boggling he hasn't taken some type of skating lessons to make him a better/faster skater. That's what ruins his game.
We have a 40 goal scorer on the 2nd power play unit while we have horni out there on the top unit who can't bury anything this year and looks beat.
We have a defenseman in Letang on the top PP unit who can't hit the net from the point and isn't even used to carry the puck in. We have schultz who has a cannon for a shot running the 2nd unit.
What coach in their right mind can't see the obvious moves here?
We have a defenseman in Letang on the top PP unit who can't hit the net from the point and isn't even used to carry the puck in. We have schultz who has a cannon for a shot running the 2nd unit.
What coach in their right mind can't see the obvious moves here?
Agree, they do have our number. That said, Sully is a pain in the ass that plays favorites. Johnson and Blueger should be in the lineup and Matta and Simon should be out. This team is a bad matchup for us. They screen and just plow over murray regularly while we skate around attempting to make the pretty play. I thought Geno was great last night, he will have to be even better to save this team from another embarasssing out courtesy of the NYI.
Guentzel had no shots on goal. Did Rust even play? I don't remember him. Letang was not good, neither was Maatta and Murray was "meh". Even Sid was "meh" by his standards.
It's Game 1. If you are a long time Penguins fan, you know this, Game 1 loss, especially on the road is nothing to get excited about. Game 2 is important, moreso now, but still not a "must win".
This particular season, I'd call game 2 a must win.
This.
The Islanders had all the energy and the big crowd behind them. Pens did not play smart like they have the past few weeks. They tried to bull rush the Isles instead of respecting their offensive game like they have others. Still took OT to beat them.
The D didn't play well, waaaaay too much time spent in their own end.
Thought the last second tying goal would deflate NY, and the Pens came out hard in OT with some of their best energy, then it flipped. Give them and Trotz credit for that.
As you say, win Friday and it flips home ice in a best of 5. That's the key, but still not "must" win.
As Tampa found out, nothing comes easy in this tournament!
Yeah and also think about this.
Dumoulin just came back from being out 2 weeks. Letang and Malkin returned 2 games ago, but they were out a month. Maatta too. ZAR just came back after 2 months last night.
It's not like the Pens had a cohesive roster going into the playoffs that was rolling along. That is why I felt it was paramount to avoid the Caps or Bolts, because it is likely they need a game or 2 to get it going.
All of that, they still went to OT in such an emotional, highly charged environment in which I thought the Pens came out flat. They got better as the game went along, but they still have a level to go.
I didn't think the Isles would be a pushover (on a sidenote, I did not say that Columbus would beat Tampa, but they would give them all they can handle) so anyone thinking an easy series just doesn't follow hockey.
I agree with a lot of what you say. But the one negative to add, the Islanders didn’t even play that well. If the Pens play like that against a really good team, they lose something like 5-1.
I know he’s not a darling around here but no one in their right mind would take Lehner or Greiss over Murray in a 7 game series. If we’re 0-2 tomorrow then maybe panic a little. However, I strongly believe tomorrow night is a game in which one could comfortably bet the farm against the Isles. I will be absolutely shocked if this series comes back to Pittsburgh not tied.
Well . I thought I heard on the ride home that both Johnson and Blueger are both again scratches tomorrow night .
That is a head scratcher .
I tend to agree with all who say that Friday night's game is important and the Pens were welcoming back some injured players in game one and the loss is in no way an indication of what is to come. That said, I harken back to four seconds left in last night's game and an Islander was alone in front of Murray who had no chance at stopping the deflection that rang off the post.
If this is the type of attention to detail they are going to approach this series with, then I can guarantee the Islanders will be moving on. I don't think the Islanders played particularly well and I thought the Pens burned a good bit of the luck they may get in the series in a losing effort. I mean, we got a goal overturned due to offsides. We survived two third period posts hit. We got a gift power play on the first opportunity. Tommy Khunackel almost slid he and Murray along with the puck into the goal.
This is just an awful matchup that requires the Pens to execute with maximum discipline and I am not sure this team can do it. Sully better pull the dead weight and get the right guys in the lineup. The Islanders don't need our coaches poor personnel decisions to win this series. I think it goes 7 games and the goalie who is money in game 7, well..... that team will move on.
If this is the type of attention to detail they are going to approach this series with, then I can guarantee the Islanders will be moving on. I don't think the Islanders played particularly well and I thought the Pens burned a good bit of the luck they may get in the series in a losing effort. I mean, we got a goal overturned due to offsides. We survived two third period posts hit. We got a gift power play on the first opportunity. Tommy Khunackel almost slid he and Murray along with the puck into the goal.
This is just an awful matchup that requires the Pens to execute with maximum discipline and I am not sure this team can do it. Sully better pull the dead weight and get the right guys in the lineup. The Islanders don't need our coaches poor personnel decisions to win this series. I think it goes 7 games and the goalie who is money in game 7, well..... that team will move on.
This team is no longer good enough to give away a game. Nobody outside 412 thinks this team is in the top echelon of Cup contenders. If Murray gets hot it's another story but no more so than any other of the 16 teams. The Isles are a solid club, every bit as good as us. This isn't 2008. If it goes to 0-2, it's over.
Yeah.
The way it goes in hockey . Coaches have a short leash when it comes to poor decisions and holding there job .
Sucks . I like Sullivan .
Is it really a head scratcher?
The coach is stubborn and almost seems to make decisions to go against the media/public opinion just to prove he's right and won't be pushed into decisions by them.
The guys on the NHL Network, specifically Brian Laughton and Mike Rupp have consistently talked about how the Pens will be a tough out for anybody since about a month ago. They also made mention of how the players still consider Crosby the best in the league.
Guys can talk about it all they want. At some point, you actually have to play like it. Syd's line was invisible and other than when Geno's line was out there, the team looked woefully average.
I could be wrong, but I would bank on Sid having a better game. Sully has to work to free him up more from their checking line.
I would move McCann up for Rust. Rust is an incredibly streaky player. He scores all his goals in bunches, he can score 10 goals in 12 games then go the next 15 without a goal. And that is where he is right now.
.....and neither of those comments suggest that this team is on the short list of elite teams in the league.
Pens are indeed a tough out and yes Crosby is possibly the best in the world. Yet the separation between him and several players in the playoffs is minimal and I can't think of a team that isn't a "tough out" this year.
It's why on the Hoops board that I said the NBA playoffs pale in comparison to the NHL playoffs. My reasoning is not necessarily which sport you prefer, but in the NBA there are usually 2-3 teams that have a shot.
Agree that we will see a better game from Syd and Jake. The problem to me is that the Islanders literally possess nothing but checking lines. Some of those lines are a bit more skilled than the others, but, what they do best is check you and cramp the space you have to work with.
I agree that Rust is a streaky player but, I just love him in the playoffs. He has shown to be money in the biggest of games. I can't say moving McCann up is a bad idea, however. We need Syd's line going.
As I mentioned before, this team will really test our discipline. If we can't handle it, then there will be an enormous amount of undue pressure applied to Murray. He shouldn't be required to stand on his head for a team with our talent level to beat a team loaded with mostly offensive grinders. I mean, they are good defensively, but, if we play a solid game and make the simple plays and no bad pinches from Tanger, and Murray is solid (But not A+), they should not score more than two goals in any game against us.
Jack Johnson back in tonight. Now if we could just get Sully to play Blueger in place of his pet project Dominic Simon.
And he not only insists on playing Simon, he almost always plays on one of the top 2 lines. Not sure Simon is a top 6 forward at WB-S, let alone Pittsburgh. Has had me baffled all year.
Mears & Errey have started touting Simon as being such a "smart" player. So they must feel a need to try to drum up something positive to try to placate the critics.
Islanders really have Penguins back on their heels. Pens don't seem to know how to shake these guys and find space.
Shorthanded 3 times in first period!! One of these times it's going to pay off.
This is horrible hockey to watch. Reminds me of the NJ Devils games in years past.
Jack Johnston wipes out 2 Islanders just going to bench!!
IDK about that guaranteed win. This team is ugly to play against, driving the free wheeling Pens absolutely nuts!
Murray keeping them in it so far, but how long can he keep it up?? 1 might be enough at this pace!
Shorthanded 3 times in first period!! One of these times it's going to pay off.
This is horrible hockey to watch. Reminds me of the NJ Devils games in years past.
Jack Johnston wipes out 2 Islanders just going to bench!!
IDK about that guaranteed win. This team is ugly to play against, driving the free wheeling Pens absolutely nuts!
Murray keeping them in it so far, but how long can he keep it up?? 1 might be enough at this pace!
