The Penguins on Monday night lost for the ninth time in 10 games, suffering a 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
Here are the Penguins on November 20th, currently playing at a 78 point pace.
Despite some positives in the loss that have to continue long-term if this team is going to have a chance to turn this thing around, such as the play of Derick Brassard/Tanner Pearson last night and the top-2 lines as a whole getting to the net-front effectively for the first part of the game, it’s hard to overlook how bad of a loss this was in blowing a 4-1 lead.
After the Penguins were in complete control of the game, Buffalo began to tilt momentum in the middle part of the second period and Pittsburgh never grasped it back.
They just couldn’t put any shifts together to stop the Sabres comeback and as the Sabres got it to 4-2 then 4-3, it was just a matter of time till it was going to be 4-4. Anyone in the building could sense it.
Beyond the top 6-7 players, this is a flawed roster with poor goaltending right now and blame can go all around.
The coaching staff for one is having a great deal of trouble to get this group to defend the right way, along with all parties involved showing an unwillingness to adjust based on in-game situations that are seeing the Penguins drop winnable games.
Are the Penguins dead?
No yet in a division where there’s little separation and some clubs are having a fluke start like the Islanders for one.
Most concerning with this group, though, isn’t what you see with them on the ice.
It’s the mentality they have after losses.
All championship runs start to see a slide, it’s the reality of sports, but less than two years removed from winning back-to-back Cups, where did the Championship mentality go with this group?
After the Ottawa game you have players in that room padding themselves on the back for the fight they had in the third period, a game that was over as they embarrassingly trailed 5-1 after forty minutes against a rebuilding team that was unanimously projected to be bottom-5 team in the league.
It’s not just the players. Jason Mackey of the Post-Gazette had comments from Jim Rutherford in today’s PG with Rutherford talking about how fast the Penguins looked in the third period vs the Senators.
I mean come on.
Surrendering four unanswered goals to the Sabres last night had a ton of “step in the right direction” talk in that room.
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Most concerning with this team is how quick this group has gone from having a Championship mentality to constantly touting moral victories.
This isn’t the Lebron James-less Cleveland Cavaliers.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel and Kris Letang are still on this roster…….
Mike Sullivan is also handling this team currently playing at a 78 point pace with kid gloves. Sullivan had more “we’re getting better in a lot of areas” talk last night but “not getting results”.
It might be time for him to go the route of his mentor John Tortorella.
Sullivan is by no means on the hot seat but he has to find a way to start implementing adjustments/tweaks to the style of play that caters more to THIS slower roster and a lot of eyes will continue to be on how his message is getting received.
Right now that message looks to be getting tuned out. To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Next two games will be the true measuring stick of where this team stands.
which comes first, penguins actually getting to 78 points or a new article?
Or Sam with a coherent post.
Or Montreal winning another cup?
Or Murray plays at least half the season
or another democratic president
Hextall fired
im overwhelmed by all the new content.
https://youtu.be/2Lf7ViVOKZU Got to love this kid she’s so smart for her age
The way Sam(e) spells, flip flops, insults people and pats himself on the back I would not be surprised at all if he really was Donald Trump.
Npl suckss
Hey zerotool and npl how did fleury do again 2 games in a row shutout.
You think scum sully was watching those games I’m sure Murray is since he is home
Soon organization will realize their mistake
And they are only 2 points ahead of the Penguins in the overall standings and Vegas played 3 more games. The only stat that matters at the end of the day boxscore Sam. Don’t get run over by your bandwagon.
I know Mr box score I know you only look that. But last I’ve checked Vegas been playing way better hockey than penguins.
Well if they have then they should be in a much better position standings wise considering they played 3 more games then the Penguins and are only 1 game ahead. Nice try bandwagon boy. I would worry more about your 10.5 million dollar a season boy who looks like an average over paid goalie.
Sam, we get it, Fleury is really good when the games arent as important. He’s a regular season warrior.
Maybe fleury can be good in playoffs too if he takes time off in the season
Just like last year he took time off come playoffs he was the mvp
Actually he was NOT the playoff MVP.
Nice win. Keep that top six together and try to find a scoring winger for that third line. The team isn’t nearly as broken as some seem to think.
Pearson seems to be fitting in nicely so far. See if he can keep it up.
Sam is right so far.
Hahaha you said that was a bad trade
He meant that from the Kings stand point. He was a Kings fan that day.
Maybe a third line center should go pick up first.
Huh?
Pens Winning you know why?
Because fraud Murray is on vacation
Fraud Backes scored on Fraud Price.
At least you can be happy for his first of his season 1 goal = 5m
I don’t give a fuck. You were the one conplaining about him. I am a Penguins fan, what he does in Boston means nothing to me bandwagon boy.
They won bc they scored more goals. Same reason Montreal lost.
Poor Phil.
R.I.P. Mick McGeough
11% dropped Murray on yahoo hockey pool more and more people realizing his a fraud and not worth anymore to hold on too. By Christmas organization will realize that by April average bandwagons in Pittsburgh will realize .now we are still at the stage some morons comparing weber for fraud Murray
Sounds like someone has sand in his vagina.
Add hockey pools to the extremely long list of failures for the virginal bandwagon.
Pens sign Savard yet?
I heard they will sign Bennett back to compete with Murray in the vacation. Department
Webber can give him vacation advice.
Yeah because his injured as often as those 2
Webber had missed almost a seasons worth of games since coming to Montreal and BB is not a Penguin so who gives a fuck. He was also not involved in a block buster trade that backfired in the teams face. GMMB got bent over backwards on that trade.
Ya and when his back he Is an important peace. While fraud Murray comes back. Team is set to lose and forced to score minimum 4 in order to pull a W for him. Now that team can’t score fraud Murray is exposed. So now he decided to take vacation
Peace!
Maybe he will, maybe he wont but since Montreal has not done jack shit in 25 years and Weber has never lead a team anywhere and has missed almost a seasons worth of gams since joining Montreal I would say right now he is irrelevant. He gets traded and PK helps take Nashville to the finals. Weber and Price belong together. As for MM, if he is a “fraud” as you put it he will retire a “fraud” with two cups as a rookie! No one else will ever be able to say that. Trading away MAF was a buisness… Read more »
Thank God pens only play once In the TD garden
One less thing for you to complain about bandwagon boy.
Rust finishes plays like Sam finishes sentences
Didn’t you at one point liked this American boy?
That was good.
Fraud backes still looking for his 1st goal of the season. 5m. And has only 1 assist. Can’t believe his contract is not bought off yet
Better 5 than 10+ like frauds Toews and Price
Price and toews are important part of the team while backes has become a garbage like Bobby Ryan and fraud Murray
Probably why both their teams suck and missed the playoffs.
When Price actually makes it to the Stanley Cup finals without having to buy a ticket then we will talk.
Hows the Bergeron line look tonight, Sam? #dumass
Fat lives matter
What a weak goal let in by jarry
A la Murray
Cry virginal bandwagon, cry.
Malkin helping Letang’s point totals. He’s ok at making 10 foot passes with no one in that vicinity, but defense isn’t really his thing.
Thank God for the power play
Hey zeroTool or fat npl I am still waiting the stats update of Murray and fleury of this season.
Btw how did fleury do tonight?
Anyone miss fleury yet ?
Regular season Fleury is pretty good.
It’s true Murray takes seasons off and rest then takes over from tired goalies in playoffs and have the glory. The question is now that fleury gone who will he be taking the glory from
I dont care if he takes off all season. As long as he performs like he can in the playoffs. I know this has been lost in Montreal but the goal every year is to win the Stanley Cup.
So you are happy to pay a goalie close to 4m to just play playoffs while other on team busts their assess all season all season long .but coming from a democRAT morons like you makes sense frauding system .
$15 minimum wage
I think you have lost the right to call anyone a moron after reading that post.
D any new article.
Something. .how long fraud Murray out.
Or maybe can pens beat bruins tonight since they haven’t won in Boston since 2014
No
I heard today npl squashed a few dozen people at the annual black Friday stampede
Jarry to start tonight.
They call him up and throw him with the wolves. Bergeron line
So who is throwing Jarry and the wolves?
Sam, fire your translator. He/she is terrible.
Fraud Murray saw there is a few back to back games in the up coming schedule so he fuckedd off so his numbers doesn’t get worst.
I bet scum sully told him to
Hey zerotool can you give us the latest stats.
How many times Murray been injured .
How many times fleury been injured .
And how long they been in the NHL
Fleury is the reason the Pens did not win more Stanley Cups during Sid and Geno’s prime years. Never forget.
I don’t know how you can forget that. After 09’ he was a mental case come playoff time. Hillary supporters cried less the Sam does when she lost the election.
Lets say Jarry comes in and over the next month or so puts up great numbers and helps get this ship steared in the right direction.
What better way to send a message to Sully and lazy players than to trade Murray….a guy who thought he was untouchable and could get by as a slacker. Unfortunately his value is probably extremely low.
Even if you put sid in a package deal with him no one will want fraud Murray. As I said he would never got more value that what he was They should’ve traded him to flames . Now stuck with the bum .
He is injured once a month
What’s his longest streak consecutive games played during seasons?
I will take I Must Have Failed English for 1,000 Alex.
It definitely makes sense to trade your starting goalie when your third stringer has a few good games. Maybe if Cullen does well, we can trade Sid to send a message. Are we still trading for a backup as well?
Anyone miss fleury yet?
Happy Thanksgiving!
Pens Thanksgiving gift is announcing fraud Murray injured
Matt Murray has been placed on Injured Reserve as announced by Jim Rutherford today. The Penguins recall Tristan Jarry from Wilkes-Barre.
Doesn’t say what it is. Must have hurt his shoulder opening up the bench door. Dude is always hurt. Like to see Jarry seize this opportunity. We need some solid goaltending. I bet he plays Saturday at home.
He probably got a concussion. By watching the game from the bench
It just said lower body injury. I guess scum sully over suckedd his dickk on thanksgiving
It is a lower body injury.
Another solid outing by Murray.
Amazing outing. He was able to track the puck from the bench .surprisingly he didn’t need his glove tonight in order to win. No wonder team didn’t need minimum 4
At least your unbiased in your hatred for goalies.
You have to admit DeSmith looks a lot like Zatkoff.
DeSmith would have had a shutout if Letang could clear a puck.
In the spirit of the season guess we should be thankful for the Western Conference
Yeah only thing is come playoffs you have to go through 3 teams in order to play a western team and win the cup
Capt. Obvious
Sam was right about Pearson.
Price is looking good.
So does Murray
Funny the way you prove you are a certified clown on this site.
You constantly make fun of price yet if tomorrow pens would trade Murray for price you’d be the first one drooling over that deal. And yes fraud Murray has 2 cups and price 0 and you would still drool over
And last I checked price is playing good the team is playing bad tonight. Unlike pens team plays good yet fraud Murray finds ways to make team lose.
You always have an excuse.
The Pens would have won the same cups with price that they would have won with Murray. Murray isn’t better than Price.
Actually I wouldn’t. I never liked Price. He was never able to win the big game. All individual awards and nothing more. Blame the team infront of him all you want, he never steals the bigs game.
No one would “drool” over that deal. He makes 7 million dollars more and no one in the NHL would want that contract.
oh wow, see what happens when you put your best players in the top 6…..who yelled at sullivan?
Relax buddy. Stars only have 1 shot on goal. Let them shoot a other 20 shots then will talk. So stop drooling for now
Pens going with desmith again and not fraud Murray.
Penguins have the most expensive backup goalie in the league right now
they had an even more expensive backup when that fraud st.bleury was in town….and i looooooove it!
I bet you would pick fleury right now over fraud Murray and desmith combined
6-0
So pens hire back CP as professional scout . Does this mean he will take over his old job eventually
Yeah Sam. They brought in a 72 year old to eventually replace a 69 year old. That makes sense.
Anything makes sense in Pittsburgh they like going back in the past . Soon the will rebuild igloo back and play there. And use ppg as a museum.
The GM sucks.
Scum sully fired yet?
the pens quit on sullivan plain and simple. they dominated on the canadien road trip and came back home and have been garbage since. they don’t like their coach and they want him gone.