Game 6 vs. NY Islanders - Thoughts from the morning after

[shmenguin]

I've liked what I've seen from Sutter defensively. He's go-go-go in the defensive zone, but then he looks inept when he has the puck on the rush.

he's fine, but he's a 3rd liner and nothing more.

[sil]

I've liked what I've seen from Sutter defensively. He's go-go-go in the defensive zone, but then he looks inept when he has the puck on the rush.

he's fine, but he's a 3rd liner and nothing more.

Offensively speaking I don't know if I'd even say that.

[IntangibleBeer]

Wow, that was painful to watch.

They just weren't there? interested? able to click?

There seem to be a lot of issues with this team bubbling just under the surface. The talent level is there, with 1-2 holes. Motivation? Uh-uh. Game strategy? Obviously sucked or wasn't executed. Someone said earlier that they are playing like a team that wants to get its coach fired. I'm beginning to believe that. The "Fire DB" thread may be the right one.

And it was the Islanders last year who proved to the league how you beat the Pens. We had a home and home with them. We win those 2 games and we win the conference (or at least don't have to face the Flyers). We lost both and looked bad doing it. Last night was a continuation of that nightmare.

[The Snapshot]

Fleury was not strong last night, but overall the Pens have gotten good goaltending.

The D, while many are on the bottom pairing, has been ok except for the anchor, who is off his game as well.

The forwards have not created anything of late and to me that points at 3 players. Crosby, Malkin and Sutter are all struggling offensively. If you have the centers of your top 3 lines not playing well, its going to make a lot of others look bad.

Neal has scored a few off of faceoffs. Kunitz has been a mess. Dupuis has always been streaky. There is no 4th winger on the top two lines. Still, all of those follow the lead of their centers. To me it is as simple as that.

If Crosby, Malkin and Sutter do not back the D off or press the action, then this roster will not be successful. I would like to think that these guys are not on the "let's get our coach fired" train, so I am expecting that they will find their way out of a tough start and things will get better.

Systems aside, what has traditionally happened when they have the puck on their stick is not what is happening now.

[no name]

Malkin and Neal look ok, but i never realized how much Kunitz added to that line. But if you take Kunitz off Sid, well you can't have Sid play with Duper and Jefferys.

But the lack of depth of our D is eveident. We really could use a vet like Scuderi back there, a no frills defensivce guy.

But with our current team we sould be able to pull off wins vs thoes marginal teams we lost to.

[iWonTheCup87]

we have had some losing streaks in recent years and even when we lost 5-10 in a row i dont think i ever felt this worried. Not going to overreact but man they didnt just lose they got beat in every aspect of the game. It just doesnt sit right at all watching how they looked so flat the ENTIRE game and how many bad turnovers they keep committing. The record of 3-3 isnt that bad but it is much worse when it looks like the pens are not getting any better.

i hope they wake up in NY. I am going to the Pens Caps on sunday, please do not play this bad i wont be able to take it live in DC.

[rgj]

And it was the Islanders last year who proved to the league how you beat the Pens. We had a home and home with them. We win those 2 games and we win the conference (or at least don't have to face the Flyers). We lost both and looked bad doing it. Last night was a continuation of that nightmare.

That's due to the scouting, diligence, intelligence, plus the ability of the Isle's coaching staff to implement their strategy. It is obvious that the Isles have responded to their coaching staff in a positive manner.

The Pens USED to be that way.

You got some problems, Mario. Big problems.

[Hawkeynut]

And it was the Islanders last year who proved to the league how you beat the Pens. We had a home and home with them. We win those 2 games and we win the conference (or at least don't have to face the Flyers). We lost both and looked bad doing it. Last night was a continuation of that nightmare.

That's due to the scouting, diligence, intelligence, plus the ability of the Isle's coaching staff to implement their strategy. It is obvious that the Isles have responded to their coaching staff in a positive manner.

The Pens USED to be that way.

You got some problems, Mario. Big problems.

Mario doesn't seem to think so.

[Pens15]

I don't care how talented you are, you won't beat anybody in the NHL playing this garbage brand of pond hockey. And that's exactly what Bylsma's fast break "North South" philosophy has degenerated into.

[relantel]

As the game went on, I thought the Pens got better. I.e. if they could have played 60 minutes like the last 10 minutes...

The game to me turned on the Neal penalty, on the heels of 2-3 mins of Pens domination in the Isles end. Well, that and the way they couldn't kill it. The failed five min power play was only throwing dirt on the grave.

[slappybrown]

ITT, I learned that "Ovenchicken" is still a thing

[shafnutz05]

ITT, I learned that "Ovenchicken" is still a thing

yes, first time I have seen that in years.

[slappybrown]

Also I went to HFBoards, and its good times over there as well. Some guy was complaining about the Kunitz/Tangradi for Whitney trade! That's commitment.

[llipgh2]

As the game went on, I thought the Pens got better. I.e. if they could have played 60 minutes like the last 10 minutes...

The game to me turned on the Neal penalty, on the heels of 2-3 mins of Pens domination in the Isles end. Well, that and the way they couldn't kill it. The failed five min power play was only throwing dirt on the grave.

They looked better in the last 10 minutes because the Islanders sat back to protect the lead.

I was not impress...

[meow]

I haven't seen much credit given to the Islanders. I think they deserve some.

[Rylan]

I haven't seen much credit given to the Islanders. I think they deserve some.

No. They will get nothing and like it.

[MRandall25]

I haven't seen much credit given to the Islanders. I think they deserve some.

Their PK up to before last night was 16/17.

Very un-Islanders-like

[owtahear]

1) Frustration #1. The Hyperbole by local Pens alum media. Bob Errey actually said last night after the Ottawa game “Marc Andre Fleury is playing as good as he ever has”. Really Bibs? REALLY? Forget the 2008 and 2009 Cup Finals run?
“All of this talent” I hear Jay Caulfield and others say. Where? Sid. Geno. Neal. Letang. Okay…now I am struggling to see where the Pens differ than the Isles.

2) Power Play. I cannot believe we are this far into having all of these guys and not figure out how to use them. You put Sid on one half wall, Geno on the opposite. Doesn’t matter who where. This way the PK can’t overload. What has Chris Kunitz done to warrant PP time? Is he that valuable? No. Put James Neal back up front. Letang and Martin on the points. Go.

3) Sid. You don’t have Mike Bossy and Teemu Selanne on your wings. I am sorry, you are going to have to be more selfish. Let Dupuis and Kunitz drive to the net and let Sid shoot from anywhere.

4) Geno. Shoot sometimes. Stop with these stupid cute giveaways.

5) Grit, toughness. The Pens are like cotton to play against, not sandpaper. You would think last night frustrations would boil over. Nope. Hell, right now I would take a Matty Cooke suspendable elbow to the head just to show this team has some pulse.

6) Role players have gotten too stale. I like how the Pens have kept their core mostly intact. But I believe sometimes you have to change up the role players. Most of these guys are the same guys we won a cup with. However, that was in 2009. It is 2013. They have lost a lot of that edge. Need to insert some guys who have grit and are hungry.

7) Kunitz. Not to pick on him but he has been beyond horrible. Here’s a bold move and a good message to send. Scratch him for the next game. What can it hurt?

8) Marc Andre Fleury. He was not close to be the reason why they lost, but he is less and less becoming the reason why they win. I am getting worried.

9) This team needs a shakeup of the highest order. It is stale.

10) All of these defensive prospects…you cannot fall in love with them or worse, hold onto them until they die on the vine. MOVE SOME OF THEM NOW for a winger for Sid.

11) Finally, how long is it until Dan Bylsma is feeling the heat?

[Penspal]

Kunitz is a slow starter, sucks to have slow starters in a short year.
- Kunitz's hitting is problematic. He can't seem to find the line between hit hard & boarding/penalty. So until he does, he's not as effective
- Factor in that Sid had in my opinion, his worst game ever, hard to completely blame Kunitz.

Orpik & Martin are still working things out as a pairing, which was evident in at least 2 goals last night. Moulson left "UNTOUCHED" in front, wow.

Kennedy worked really well along the wall, left and right side. He's really shifty and quick, but when he gets the 1-2 secs to make a pass, all he seems to have is the point.

When the Pens do gain the zone and get the pass to point, it results in NOTHING. D is missing the net, or everything is blocked. Perhaps a few quick shots on net with traffic (rather than the stock pass to the point) may make things less predictable and allow for more success when they do get it back to the point. Right now its always going to the point, very predictable and obviously defensible.

Malkin is showing some bad habits from his stay in Russian league. He hates getting hit, won't shoot when he has the chance, gripes, gripes gripes.

[brwi]

If Crosby, Malkin and Sutter do not back the D off or press the action, then this roster will not be successful. I would like to think that these guys are not on the "let's get our coach fired" train, so I am expecting that they will find their way out of a tough start and things will get better.

Systems aside, what has traditionally happened when they have the puck on their stick is not what is happening now.

The forwards as a whole have fallen into the "cross the blueline and pull up" mentality and NHL teams have picked up on that from late last year and now this season. They aren't respecting Pens' forwards to attack and simply line up near the blueline and are all over the Pens when they immediately slow down or try an ill-advised drop pass or cross-ice pass. Pens' forwards aren't gaining the zone and getting deep and opponents are not backing off in fear like they have in the past.

Another problem with the offense is when the Pens try to breakout in a 5 man unit, Pens are turning it over frequently right near the opponents blue line or the neutral zone just as the D is charging forward on the rush also. Pens are real sloppy with the puck in these situations which leave the D in a really bad position. Team is way out of synch right now and last night's game did bring back memories of a few games right before MT was fired. There is no one who is obviously dogging it, but they seem to be just going through the motions at times and opponents are showing that they are not intimidated just because you have 87 and 71 heading their way.

[Paekman]

Anybody else notice the ROOT lead-in where Disco says: "Let's play our game: Fast, gritty, Penguins hockey", and wonder how he can say that when the Penguins have no speed or grit to speak of?

The bottom line is that these guys aren't paying the price to win these games. No intensity, no speed, no guts (for lack of a better way to put it).

Winning is first and foremost an attitude, and attitude reflects leadership. Unfortunately, the leadership on this team sucks right now, from HCDB down to the team leaders.

[bh]

Geez, where to start

- The PK sucked. As NBC said, the defense is weakest around the net. Also leaving Tavares open for one timer after one timer is NOT a good idea if you want to win. Holy crap can that guy shoot!

- The PP sucked. Can someone tell Letang that he's supposed to be shooting the puck to the goal, not peoples shin pads. We need a PP QB bad. I'd even try Despres there and see how he does.

- We miss Staal a TON. From what I've seen so far Staal >>>>>>>>>> Sutter.

- What did Kennedy do to piss off DB? Got demoted to the 4th line for most of the game. I saw where he took a really long shift on one of the power plays.

- Was refreshing to see Jeffrey play such a good game.

- Was sad that no one decided to join Jeffrey and play a good game.

- Our 3rd and 4th lines have degraded so much over the last couple years. I think a lot of the guys we've kept are getting worn out. Cooke, Kunitz, and Adams don't seem like they have much left in the tank.

- Engo's fumble was just... rewdakjgldkadsf;lksaddsjflk! The new normal.

- I'm not too concerned about goal tending now. When the team starts to play better and softies are killing us, THEN I will worry.

[abwvu1]

Complete embarassment. The struggle is real.

[shmenguin]

- What did Kennedy do to piss off DB? Got demoted to the 4th line for most of the game. I saw where he took a really long shift on one of the power plays.

he took the bad penalty, but i don't think that was it. i think everyone agreed that he super uncomfortable on the 2nd line. bylsma probably put him on line 4 as sort of a "don't think - just go around and hit people and forecheck" gesture. it was effective. though if tanner f'ing glass starts the next game on line 3, you can edit my post to simply say, "bylsma is an idiot".

[relantel]

Noticed Kunitz had the A last night and not Orpik... was Orpik stripped of the A, or are they doing a home/road alternating thing?