2018 Penguins Postmortem

[BurghThing]

I know which one I'm betting on Del.

[penny lane]

And after fielding all the questions from all the usual cameras and microphones surrounding his locker stall, after nearly everyone else was out of this area, too -- only Murray, a vacant-eyed Evgeni Malkin and a silent Carl Hagelin remained -- the greatest player in hockey took a deep breath, then leaned forward to finally unlace his right skate.

That was it. It was over.

It's really over.

And yet ...

"We had a chance," Crosby would tell me as that skate was peeled off. "We could have done it again."

https://www.dkpittsburghsports.com/2018 ... -capitals/

[Jim]

Steigey on NHL radio saying he hasn’t heard of any injury to Kessel. So one of two things, a person who should know the situation considering he works for the Pens is correct and Kessel just wasn’t mentally in the game or the Pens have a clueless buffoon employee who doesn’t know what’s going on in the organization.

Steigey = clueless baffoon, no matter who he works for.

[DelPen]

It’s one thing for fans to be upset and throw crazy rants out there, i did it last night and I’m sure I’ll do it again before the summer is done and probably keep saying stupid things. But for some guys, take Ron Cook for example, need to chill and be professional.

[Penspal]

It’s one thing for fans to be upset and throw crazy rants out there, i did it last night and I’m sure I’ll do it again before the summer is done and probably keep saying stupid things. But for some guys, take Ron Cook for example, need to chill and be professional.

WORD! Everyone needs a couple days to digest this, can't turn things off so quickly.

As for Steigy, he'd probably lose his job if he started talking injuries before the locker clear out day.

[DelPen]

It’s one thing for fans to be upset and throw crazy rants out there, i did it last night and I’m sure I’ll do it again before the summer is done and probably keep saying stupid things. But for some guys, take Ron Cook for example, need to chill and be professional.

WORD! Everyone needs a couple days to digest this, can't turn things off so quickly.

As for Steigy, he'd probably lose his job if he started talking injuries before the locker clear out day.

What he said was worse, Kessel had his feelings hurt by getting moved around the lineup so he was essentially pouting. That’s the gist of what steigy said.

[LimerickPensFan]

It’s one thing for fans to be upset and throw crazy rants out there, i did it last night and I’m sure I’ll do it again before the summer is done and probably keep saying stupid things. But for some guys, take Ron Cook for example, need to chill and be professional.

WORD! Everyone needs a couple days to digest this, can't turn things off so quickly.

As for Steigy, he'd probably lose his job if he started talking injuries before the locker clear out day.

What he said was worse, Kessel had his feelings hurt by getting moved around the lineup so he was essentially pouting. That’s the gist of what steigy said.

Maybe Steigy is just taking his feelings about being moved out of the booth and assuming Kessel feels the same way.

[Badger Bob]

Somebody please smack me for reading Ron Cook's column in the P-G today.

[no name]

Somebody please smack me for reading Ron Cook's column in the P-G today.

I can't reach you from here ?! but that is a very good reason to get smacked.

[LimerickPensFan]

Somebody please smack me for reading Ron Cook's column in the P-G today.

Thanks. I went out and read it after seeing this.

[pens_srq]

Pacing. The thing to me that I see making a difference with Sully is that he generally keeps the Pens level-headed and steady. They keep a good clip up the entire game. And often have to endure a surge from the other team at the start of 1st or 3rd period. But overall, the steady pace wins the race. I love that Sully doesn't run his top PP unit into the ground on every important power play. But in Game 5 and Game 6 - Pens came out hard and the Caps weathered the storm. In the end the Pens were the team that was too tired to keep up.

[midd]

I don't get the "should have played Desmith" rant. The only way he Desmith starts is if Murray is injured. period. All the monday morning quarterbacking, ugh... Murray is THE guy. He won 2 Cups for the Pens. He is the man in net. You're not throwing some rookie in net unless you absolutely have to.

I get why everyone is saying sohuld have kept Cole. But financially it was the right thing to do. He's a UFA and the Pens have Brassard still under contract. Like it or not, it was the right thing to do.

Same thing for Fleury. He had to go. It was only fair to MAF and MM. Flower isn't getting any younger and he needed to start somewhere. See above why MM had to start- 2 Cups.

This team was tired except for Crosby and Jake. They did everything they could to put the team on their backs. Hats off to them both.

Sheahan will be back.

Letang isn't worth his $7.25 million. I loved the guy when he came up. I remember he was brought up because the Pens had no RH D-men at the time. He reminded me so much of Paul Coffey. Blame the injuries, the time off whatever you want, but his decision making this entire season sucked. I wished he would have shot the puck more but he always looked to pass. His turnovers trying to move the puck out of the zone killed this team throughout the season. It's time for the Penguins to let go of him, even if they have to retain some of his salary to do it.


I'm not mad, a little disappointed but not mad. I enjoyed the last few years and driving 300 miles each way for the parades. A 3 peat would have been awesome but not getting it won't diminish the appreciation I have for the previous 2 years.

This team isn't on the decline yet. They just need some fine tuning!

[FLPensFan]

I pounded the secondary scoring gavel as the series began, and I still think that is the biggest issue. It's a bit bigger than "secondary scoring" though. The lack of anyone not named Crosby, Guentzel, or Hornqvist being able to put pucks in the net prevented the Penguins from creating ANY type of matchup problems. The goal going into the playoffs was separating Crosby, Malkin, and Kessel to create matchup nightmares.....but that only works if those guys are actually producing.

I don't want to take away from the Capitals because I'm sure they had more to do with it than I realize, but from my vantage point, this was more the Penguins bottom 9 failing to produce or generate quality chances than Washington just smothering them defensively. I think after 2 games, Washington put it's best defensive matchup out against the Crosby lined, and dared other lines to beat them. They never did.

I think we will find that Kessel (which seems obvious) and Brassard are banged up a lot worse than we imagine, which was a contributor. I thought even though Hagelin came back, he looked more like early season Hagelin than 2018 Hagelin. Speed and tenacity didn't seem to be there.

I'll also reiterate that I think I started seeing the Bylsma-era stubbornness in Sullivan, with refusal to alter his lineup, continuing to go to Simon in a role that seemed to be over his head, not splitting up Crosby and Guentzel and Hornqvist on 3 separate lines to see if that generated sparks of offense, etc, etc, etc.

Not mad at all; I just think on paper this team could have and should have played better and went farther. But Letang wilted, Murray was not at the same level as the last 2 years, and only 4 or 5 players could put pucks in nets. I still don't buy the tired narrative all that much, as Crosby, Hornqvist, Dumoulin, and Maatta were 4 of their best players, who have been through the last 2 Cup runs. Brassard should have been fresh (if not injured).....Sheahan should have been fresh.....Simon should have been fresh.....ZAR was fresh.

[Lesky]

Not mad at all; I just think on paper this team could have and should have played better and went farther. But Letang wilted, Murray was not at the same level as the last 2 years, and only 4 or 5 players could put pucks in nets. I still don't buy the tired narrative all that much, as Crosby, Hornqvist, Dumoulin, and Maatta were 4 of their best players, who have been through the last 2 Cup runs. Brassard should have been fresh (if not injured).....Sheahan should have been fresh.....Simon should have been fresh.....ZAR was fresh.

On freshness.

Oleksiak also. Ruwhedel must have been very fresh. And Letang?

[LimerickPensFan]

I don't get the "should have played Desmith" rant. The only way he Desmith starts is if Murray is injured. period. All the monday morning quarterbacking, ugh... Murray is THE guy. He won 2 Cups for the Pens. He is the man in net. You're not throwing some rookie in net unless you absolutely have to.

Isn't that what happened two years ago when Murray unseated Fleury?

Murray, to me, was the first indication of one of "Sully's guys". Someone he brought up with him from WBS. It always seemed he was the coach's favorite over Fleury. I personally, from day 1, have not thought he was as good as MAF. I understand keeping him over MAF (cheaper, younger...), but I don't know why he was declared the starter over him.

[DelPen]

So a game every 3 days on average the last 1000 days. That’s insane.

[penny lane]

So a game every 3 days on average the last 1000 days. That’s insane.

Plus the back 2 back games.
It's one thing to play tired, another to play injured and tired.

[midd]

Yes that's exactly what happened. Fleury was injured and Murray was thrown in there. Actually they were both injured and Zatkoff opened the series against the Rangers. Murray came back after that.

I don't get the "should have played Desmith" rant. The only way he Desmith starts is if Murray is injured. period. All the monday morning quarterbacking, ugh... Murray is THE guy. He won 2 Cups for the Pens. He is the man in net. You're not throwing some rookie in net unless you absolutely have to.

Isn't that what happened two years ago when Murray unseated Fleury?

Murray, to me, was the first indication of one of "Sully's guys". Someone he brought up with him from WBS. It always seemed he was the coach's favorite over Fleury. I personally, from day 1, have not thought he was as good as MAF. I understand keeping him over MAF (cheaper, younger...), but I don't know why he was declared the starter over him.

[farnham16]

I have nothing negative to say about this team or organization right now. Maybe later I will but not now. The ride they took us on the past two years has been unbelievable and unparalleled in the salary cap era. They simply have not gotten enough credit for this accomplishment...to win 9 playoff series in a row, that is absolutely incredible in today's day and age.

Thank you for the thrills, the near heart attacks, and the heart you displayed over three hundred plus games. What a team. What a group of men.

Now take your much deserved rest and enjoy it. Heal up and recharge you're batteries. Next year is waiting and I know this group is not done yet.

[penny lane]

Thankfully both Sid and Evgeni will not go play more hockey at the International tournament. Sid is healthy but said No.
Evgeni as thought has some kind of knee problem.

[pressure=9Pa]

I think if you look at the teams since 2007-08 (the year we lost to DET in the finals), you can probably correlate our success with the production on lines 3 & 4 pretty easily. Goaltending was up and down, discipline was up and down, but I think multi-line depth deteriorated just enough this year to take us from top-contender to "above average".

I'm too lazy to find the stats, but the eye test tells me that this years' 3rd & 4th lines:

1. Didn't produce scoring (duh)
2. Didn't cycle the puck like in previous runs
3. Weren't trusted in key moments
4. Did comparatively little to wear down opponents.

The beauty of this is that we can survive most of the season without a stellar 3rd/4th line. We have until ~Feb to try some young guys, test out a minor acquisition or two, and analyze what we need. Come the deadline however, we need to have 4 productive lines that can be trusted in the 3rd period.

[Lesky]

Unfortunately Patric Hornqvist has decided to go and play the WC. So much for the well needed rest.....in his case he will be just as tired next year as if playing a 3rd cup final in a row.

[Badger Bob]

It’s one thing for fans to be upset and throw crazy rants out there, i did it last night and I’m sure I’ll do it again before the summer is done and probably keep saying stupid things. But for some guys, take Ron Cook for example, need to chill and be professional.

One way for Cook to start is by not writing columns about the Pens and hockey.

[DelPen]

Unfortunately Patric Hornqvist has decided to go and play the WC. So much for the well needed rest.....in his case he will be just as tired next year as if playing a 3rd cup final in a row.

Would he though? The WC aren’t even close to one round of the Stanley Cup in intensity. He will be fine.

[DelPen]

Thankfully both Sid and Evgeni will not go play more hockey at the International tournament. Sid is healthy but said No.
Evgeni as thought has some kind of knee problem.

I think I part of Sid not going is to not step on McDavid. Let the kid lead the team without the best player in the world looking over his shoulder.