IMPROVEMENT ON GETTING PUCK OUT OF ZONE QUICKLY, BUT NOT MUCH ELSE
The Penguins 3-0 loss to the Bruins saw Pittsburgh have a 34-29 edge in shots, including a 59-37 edge in shot attempts at even strength. They ran into a hot goaltender again, right?
Only paid team reporters and some fan blogs might be writing about that today.
There’s wasn’t much to like from the Penguins in the loss. Through two games under Mike Sullivan we’ve seen an improvement in the Penguins getting the puck out of their own zone quicker with less reliance on the defensemen carrying the puck out of the zone themselves.
That was better vs the Bruins and puck possession wasn’t the issue. But, when you’re a perimeter offense (that doesn’t get quality shots) like the Penguins are, puck possession numbers on a nightly basis becomes overrated.
Among the issues vs Boston was forwards supporting each other in the attacking zone, which has been very poor this season and it’s continued to be poor so far under Sullivan. The Penguins are often too spaced out or players are flat footed when receiving passes. The forwards are far too often caught in situations where they have to make a 1-on-1 play.
What it all comes down to is at the forefront of the Penguins inability to score is how they’re built.
Change coaches all you want but everything points to the Penguins remaining a perimeter offense. That’s who they are, while the Penguins who are willing to mix things up in front like Patric Hornqvist can’t make a skilled play if their life depended on it. It’s just a bad combination.
This quote from Mike Sullivan stood out last night.
“We can’t be kind of a one-and-done team,” Sullivan said. “We have to stay engaged. We have to become a next play team and constantly re-engaging in a battle.”
The way Sullivan wants his team to play, I’d venture to say he’d rather have the forward group from last year that included gritty players like Daniel Winnik, Blake Comeau, Steve Downie and Max Lapierre than this group that doesn’t engage much and has to rely so much on making perfect shots. Those are Tortorella/Sullivan type players.
Why do the Penguins miss the net so much?
Because they are so wired to pick corners and make perfect shots. Hard to envision that suddenly changing.
OBSERVATIONS
— Another concerning aspect from the loss to the Bruins — Boston’s top players, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron were much more impactful than Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby —
— You always have to weary of overrating small samples, especially games where a player is making his NHL debut or debut for a new team. Eric Fehr’s first two games as a Penguin he looked like the second coming of Jordan Staal.
That said, making his NHL debut, Conor Sheary provided the type of speed and youth the Penguins need. Sheary was quick on pucks and created space for his line mates. It had Mike Sullivan who called Sheary’s game afterwards “terrific”, bumping him up to the Malkin line mid-way through the second period. Likely to be a drop off sooner than later but Sheary certainly earned himself more of an audition.
— The odd Penguins setup on power play went about as expected. This power play has little chance of becoming a respectable unit until they find a power play QB who can walk the blueline. Don’t ask Ranger fans about Mike Sullivan and the power play….
— Sullivan has taken complete control of the forward lines. Around eight minutes left in the third and trailing 2-0, Sullivan went over to Rick Tocchet to see who he had up next, Tocchet points to Malkin line, Sullivan over-rides Tocchet and puts out the Cullen line. Cullen has seen an increased role at even strength, playing 12:22 5 v 5 against the Bruins.
Anyone see Star Wars yet other than me?
I won’t ruin it because I’m not who has or who hasn’t seen it yet, but the nostalgia was on point and just be ready for a somewhat recycled plot. Overall I have it at 4th of 7 behind Return of thJedi, Revenge of the Sith, and Empire Strikes Back.
So ur saying more entertaining than a pens hame ha
Taking a dump can be more entertaining than watching the pens some times
I think i have it third.
Empire
A New Hope
Force Awakens
Sith
Jedi
TPM
AOTC
Worth the watch though – not perfect, but good.
Lame
Lame
Lame
Lame
Lame
Lame
Lame
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It’s probably over your head anyway.
What is, top response from a nerd when confronted by someone who doesnt like Star Wars.
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Eh. I’m fine being a nerd. Probably a solid portion of the reason I get paid so much and don’t have to vote democrat.
At the theater now.
Kingpuck’s sources told me Jar Jar was the bad guy.
Foiled again!
Acting and visuals were on point, a few plot things screamed “BUY THE BOOKS” though. Overall, still satisfied.
30 game mark, and he still hasn’t hit the 20 points King said he would have in 20 games before he welched on the bet.
Crosby has 6 goals and 13 helpers and is a -7. Jussi Jokinen has 6 goals and 15 helpers and is a +3.
I don’t know if I’ve ever felt this hopeless about a Pens team. I’m beyond frustrated. There is a ton of tangible problems one can point out (powerplay, scoring in general among others), but how do you fix it? How is it this bad? How do you bring in Phil Kessel and have your PP worse?? How does he do better with Tyler Bozak than 71/87?? Obviously the book just opened on Sullivan but the first couple games sure as hell weren’t impressive. The other two coaches were out of answers though. The defense obviously isn’t good on paper, especially… Read more »
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The Kessel answer is quite simple I think, some players are better being the focal point than they are being the compliment and Kessel is one of those players, he’s at his best when the puck is on his stick and he’s doing his thing while the players around him adjust to what he’s doing, now he’s being ask to be the person that adjust to what Sid/Geno want to do and it’s just not his game. Kessel much like Sid and Geno is at his best when being the Alpha Dog and 2 Alpha Dogs on the same line… Read more »
As long as he leaves Kessel on the RW – that line combo with Kessel on the LW was beyond retarded – was Iginla redux.
Gaydogg Hope u saw sharks,and kings VA Habs and both games Habs dominated them just luck didn’t go their way. Tonight Habs had 45 shots while kings ad 18 shots.
Luck didn’t go their way! Haha you delusional French Canadian tool
This team confuses me. I’ve liked every move they made. But they can’t score goals. Without fleury we would be fighting for the number 1 pick. The only player who seems capable of creating offense is Malkin. We’ve had the injury bug in the pasts and still won and that is when we had guys like Adams on our 4th line. I get for this team to be elite we Need Malkin, Crosby, Letang, Kessel, and Fleury playing at elite levels but not be able to be a good hockey team should makes no sense to me. I guess we… Read more »
This team reminds me a lot of the early 2000 Dallas Cowboys, everyone assume that because they amassed a roster full of talent they would be awesome but since all the talent never formed a “team” they always fell short of expectations.
Shut up.
I miss Disco Dan and his water bottle drinking, no yelling, arm folding, confusing system, always winning ass.
Dynasty that never was
There used to be a sign at the old Mellon Arena during the playoffs iin 08, 09 and 10 that read something like “Destiny is not given – it is EARNED.” Describes this gaggle of entitled cunts to a T – apparently very few of them ever read that sign.
there was also a sign that said “goaltenders need to put up a save % over .900 for the team to have a shot”
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Yeah – that old drum again. Funny how they got perfectly acceptable goaltending in the ECF, but your girlfriend Cindy couldn’t score. Or how they got great goaltending the last two post seasons. But then your girlfriend Cindy couldn’t score. You picked the wrong horse. I give you credit for trying to pretend that you hold him accountable now – too bad you’re 5 years too late.
the goaltending in the ECF was good because it was vokoun. st.blurry had his epic meltdown vs the isles that year, remember?
Yeah – you say the goaltending was the problem – yet they got the goaltending you so long for, and your hero Sid still shit down his leg (and on your chest post-coitus).
cant say bu.tt, but you can say cunts lol
Doesn’t seem to matter who you plug into the Pens’ lineup. Need net front presence? How about Kunitz and Hornqvist? Need a sniper? How about Kessel? And yet only four players on the team are shooting over 10%. Bennett is one and he’s out. Fehr is another and has only 19 shots. Malkin and Maatta are the others. For whatever reason, it’s still a bad shooting team and even when you have a player at the net in scoring position, they’re particularly awful at locating and jumping on rebounds.
Steelers and Pirates shouldn’t win so much if they want to have some space on TIOPS. #selfish
I like that two games into Sullivan’s tenure, William Nancy Depaoli can conclude that the coaching change “wasn’t going to fix the problem.” It’s two games bruh.
They should have fired DB, it was time, what should have never happened was the fans assuming that things would automatically be better because they made a change. Change only guarantees different not better.
This team is different and for the worse. Remember a few years back they were in every game. Didn’t matter if they were down by 3, they also had a chance to battle back. It was entertaining and exciting. Now they’re out of it before the game even begins, let alone down 1. Boring pathetic lifeless hockey
Remember how Bylsma used to be able to win games with largely an AHL roster, and these idiots have talent out the ass and can’t do shit?
NEVER should have fired Dan…..
Yup and have first round exits. And only beat teams with no playoff experience like the Sens,jackets and isles
He won more cups than MT. MT was on roughly an 11 game skid with the team DB took and won the cup with…..dont be a hypocrit you also said they would win once DB was out…..WRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRONG
Speaking of the original Coach Fraud, how’s he doing without the best goaltender in the league? If my math is correct MTL is 3-5-1 since Price went down this last time and are 10-7-3 overall without Price. Hopefully MT is smart enough to give Price 1 hell of a Xmas present for keeping him employeed in the NHL.
Well, you said Johnston would be better (you know, cause he’s Canadian), and he wasn’t even going to make the playoffs. Wrong again, chubby.
dan thinks dupuis and kunitz are better than iginla. he should have been fired the second he turned jerome into a LWer
Actually. Sid thought Dupuis and Kunitz were better than Iginla. And Sid always gets his way. Dan’s responsible for being too much of a pussy to tell him no – which is no different than…pretty much any coach since Mike Therrien.
dan is the coach not crosby. that’s on dicksco
I gave Dan, and Mike, and probably Sully their hand in that responsibilty. But don’t say it’s not on Sid. If he’s too stupid to recognize Iginla’s talent, then he’s just as much to blame as those who let him get away with it. Moreso, IMO. How retarded is that pansy?
the pens play like a bunch of gay euros. they’d be the best in a street hockey tournament
Sam is Fat
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Are the Steelers playing this week or do we need another ten articles on the Penguins “woes”??