Official GDT: SC Qualifier Game 3 - Pens "@" Habs 8/5/20

[KG]

Sit Marleau....total waste of minutes. Insert Rodrigues. Sit ZAR and get McCann back in.
Wasn’t Murray’s fault but he wasn’t even close to being the goalie he was on Monday.

Marleau -3 in 10 minutes of ice time. Not good enough. Time to get creative and make some changes Sully.

And with McCann crapping the bed at
3C I guess we will continue our annual search for a Bonino replacement after the season ends.

Horrible loss. They don’t have the hunger. They refuse to play the right way for 60 minutes. Tuning out the coaching staff.

[DelPen]

So technically this ends the penguins playoff streak

If this same group of players couldn’t get fired up to make sure the last game ever in the igloo wasn’t an embarrassing **** show of a loss against another garbage Habs team I doubt anyone new that had any more character was added to make sure that streak stays intact.

[KG]

So technically this ends the penguins playoff streak

True it would be. Amazing. Really curious to see how they respond with the season on the line.

[DelPen]

Sit Marleau....total waste of minutes. Insert Rodrigues. Sit ZAR and get McCann back in.
Wasn’t Murray’s fault but he wasn’t even close to being the goalie he was on Monday.

Marleau -3 in 10 minutes of ice time. Not good enough. Time to get creative and make some changes Sully.

And with McCann crapping the bed at
3C I guess we will continue our annual search for a Bonino replacement after the season ends.

Horrible loss. They don’t have the hunger. They refuse to play the right way for 60 minutes. Tuning out the coaching staff.

You say they are tuning out the staff. I say they are doing what they are told and the execution is damn near impossible against a Julien coached team. Thy requires adjustments and Sullivan can’t make them over the course of a season let alone in a game.

But either case, when the entire team looks as though they aren’t listening or even worse playing like garbage by actually following the plan the coach needs to go. This is true in every single sport.

[Toke]

How much can we expect to get back for Murray? Especially if he doesn’t win this series.

[jf]

Except for the sixth skater , the same guys were on the ice for the last 2.5 minutes . That will not work .

[KG]

Just some late thoughts here as I'm out on vacation...

I thought Lafferty played well in his limited ice time. Better than anything McCann has done in this series. Nothing great, but not horrible. Marleau on the other hand remains a ghost. Looks like his tank is past empty. Just not noticeable out there at all.

Sheary has used up his passes. He fell down while attempting to receive a pass with a wide open net. Sid and Jake need someone who can dig the puck out from the boards.

Geno is the ghost of the 2nd line. Racking up shots almost as fast as turnovers. Back to trying to stick handle through the entire team. Needs to step up big time.

I'm not sure who is the worse 3rd pairing dman right now, Schultz or Johnson. Schultz ruined 2 consecutive ozone chances for the Pens in the 3rd. Johnson was Johnsonesque.

The sad part about losing this series, if it happens, is 12% isnt that big. Would be different 88% chance of getting what, the 15th pick or worse?

Penguins lose to Montreal, a major shake overhaul is needed...and not sure if more on the ice or the bench/management.

2018 - We just won 2 Cups. We tired.
2019 - We cant score. These Islanders just played better.
2020 - Hmmm. Another inferior team beats us.

The effort level is just not there against Montreal. Its last year all over again

Yeah wonder if they lose if there will be coaching/management changes. Botteril and Laviolette? If they lose I wouldn’t be against moving on from Sully. Sure he’s a good coach but the results in the playoffs haven’t been there the last 3 seasons and they aren’t looking good in the process.

[Sigwolf]

The effort level is just not there against Montreal. Its last year all over again

It's not last year all over again. Last year was against a team on the rise with plenty of talent. This year is against a team that gave up and was a seller before the pandemic. This team has pleny of talent, but it is unfortunately overwhelmed by even more complacency.

[RentedMule66]

Everyone keeps saying no effort, but they're not coasting out there. I see them playing hard. They are just constantly out of position and turn the puck over ad nauseam. They are poorly coached with incorrect personnel on the ice. Most of the players just shoot in the goalies chest. We have no snipers... just too many issues, but I don't think effort is high on my list.

[Steve]

It's been a long time since I've watched a Pens team down by a goal with 5 mins to go and just knew there was almost no chance that they could tie the game.

[Toke]

It's been a long time since I've watched a Pens team down by a goal with 5 mins to go and just knew there was almost no chance that they could tie the game.

Same

[alancac98]

I'm questioning this team's heart and desire. Right now, they don't want it. The team that shouldn't even be in the playoffs just wants it a lot more.

Exactly, the team that should not even be there has everything to gain from their chance. The Pens seem to be expecting to win this series. They lose game 1 and come back to win game 2. Then, they let their foot off the gas and let Montreal get momentum and put them on their heels - playing tight. I truly believe they got cocky winning game 2 and did not learn their lesson from losing game 1. They thought they were on the road to victory and that the Canadiens would just fold. Well, it was the Pens that folded! After the Canadiens scored the 4th goal, you could see the Pens players were resigned to the fact they were going to lose this game (I could see it in their play over the next several minutes after the score).

[LordStanley919209]

I know the issues standing in the way of another Cup are way bigger than one guy, but I also feel like this series is already over in a sweep if Jack Johnson is scratched in these three games.

[alancac98]

Except for the sixth skater , the same guys were on the ice for the last 2.5 minutes . That will not work .

Yep, I was screaming to put fresh guys on the ice and drop the puck quick - the Canadiens were also totally gassed! But...

[Steve]

Everyone keeps saying no effort, but they're not coasting out there. I see them playing hard. They are just constantly out of position and turn the puck over ad nauseam. They are poorly coached with incorrect personnel on the ice. Most of the players just shoot in the goalies chest. We have no snipers... just too many issues, but I don't think effort is high on my list.

They are skating hard but not working hard - I would like to see a stat on board battles, it seems like we lost almost all of them that didn't involve 87.

You nailed it with positioning - the winning goal was awful on so many levels - they had two guys down low to our one player, he had all day to pick that corner.

[penny lane]

If we see changes for Friday I'll know whether Coach Sullivan is looking to win.

[KG]

Switch up these lines. Sheary with 2 goals in 37 playoff games
Or whatever it is. Get Horny in the top 6. Maybe put Zucker with Sid.

Sully has to switch it up.

[Steve]

Its also not helping that our most reliable defensman is playing so poorly.

[BlackNGold4Life]

List of issues in my order:

Execution (neutral zone, break outs, points not facilitating)
PP (has been a mess)
Coaching (no in game adjustments, deployment choices)
Goaltending (Inconsistency)
Defense ( 3, 4, 28)
Complacency (effort is okay but no extra gear)

What’s needed if we can get next 2 and right the ship, maybe a Malkin or Letang trade, Sully on a short leash, new PP coach)

Players on the bubble or out for me:

Matt Murray
Johnson
Shultz
Marleau
Letang/Malkin
ZAR
Nicky B
Pettersson

I know 80% above will stay but overall these are the holes we constantly see. 28 is grossly overrated by this organization. Jack Johnson needs to go somehow someway.

[FLPensFan]

I'm not sure how I never knew this but....Jack Johnson has never won an NHL playoff series in his career. He

In 09-10, he didnt dress until the conference finals. LA lost to Vancouver in that round in 6 games.

In 10-11, he again didn't dress until conference finals for LA. He played 6 games of the conference finals. LA lost the 6 game series to SJ.

He played in 2 playoff series for Columbus. Both of those were 1st round losses to Pittsburgh.

He played with Pittsburgh against the Islanders last year....and they lost that series.

This year, he plays for Pittsburgh against Montreal, and the team is on the brink of continuing JJs streak.

[penny lane]

I really believe Dumoulin is playing with an injury. That is the only explanation.

[Pensfan4life8771]

I think this is what I do Friday. Enough with the bs:

Zucker - Crosby - Rodrigues
Guentzel - Malkin - Rust
MCann - Lafferty - Horny
ZAR - Teddy - Tanev

Dumo - Letang
Marino - Schultz
Peterson - Ruhwedel

Jarry
Murray

[sirik71]

Determination, we had it in '16, '17 and '18. Lost it in last years play offs, after playing a good game 1 ending in a loss and haven't found it back. It creates those extra percentage points you need to be successful in the play offs.

[Lesky]

I'm not sure how I never knew this but....Jack Johnson has never won an NHL playoff series in his career. He

In 09-10, he didnt dress until the conference finals. LA lost to Vancouver in that round in 6 games.

In 10-11, he again didn't dress until conference finals for LA. He played 6 games of the conference finals. LA lost the 6 game series to SJ.

He played in 2 playoff series for Columbus. Both of those were 1st round losses to Pittsburgh.

He played with Pittsburgh against the Islanders last year....and they lost that series.

This year, he plays for Pittsburgh against Montreal, and the team is on the brink of continuing JJs streak.

JJs sucks, but LA lost in the western quarterfinals in both 2009-10 and 2010-11, so JJ could not have played in the conference finals these years.

[Wyopen]

If the Pens lose this series, I’m not saying they will, what would be the worst draft position they could earn? I know the best. Since they have the most points of the qualifiers, I think, they could land around 15.