Moderators: Three Stars, dagny, pfim, netwolf
Pitts wrote:The Pens will make the playoffs, but their play to date has to be a major concern. They have far too much talent to be playing like they are and letting teams win games over them. Personally, I think they need a coaching change. That won't happen, so I don't know what the answer is. The DB simply doesn't seem willing or able to get them to play a different game.
Hugo Stiglitz wrote:Looking over the rest of this month has really put things into perspective: Even though it's early, the rest of this month could dictate the rest of the season for the Pens.
Current Situation:
- 3 game losing streak
- can't buy goals
- 10 games in the next 2 1/2 weeks
- Missing our two best dmen
- Washington, NYR and Carolina all within three points of the Pens.
sil wrote:Hugo Stiglitz wrote:Looking over the rest of this month has really put things into perspective: Even though it's early, the rest of this month could dictate the rest of the season for the Pens.
Current Situation:
- 3 game losing streak
- can't buy goals
- 10 games in the next 2 1/2 weeks
- Missing our two best dmen
- Washington, NYR and Carolina all within three points of the Pens.
Yep. Don't ya just love the ups and downs of a full regular season!
sil wrote:Hugo Stiglitz wrote:Looking over the rest of this month has really put things into perspective: Even though it's early, the rest of this month could dictate the rest of the season for the Pens.
Current Situation:
- 3 game losing streak
- can't buy goals
- 10 games in the next 2 1/2 weeks
- Missing our two best dmen
- Washington, NYR and Carolina all within three points of the Pens.
Yep. Don't ya just love the ups and downs of a full regular season!
sil wrote:This team simply isn't as good as some in previous years...and the cap structure/ceiling has a lot to do with it. Also, I don't like a three game losing streak as much as the next person, but describing this current team as "unravel(ing)" is a bit of a stretch to me.
On another note, the last time this team found themselves fighting hard to make the playoffs and fighting tooth-n-nail every night...the calender read 2009...and that was a pretty good year if I recall.
Hugo Stiglitz wrote:sil wrote:This team simply isn't as good as some in previous years...and the cap structure/ceiling has a lot to do with it. Also, I don't like a three game losing streak as much as the next person, but describing this current team as "unravel(ing)" is a bit of a stretch to me.
On another note, the last time this team found themselves fighting hard to make the playoffs and fighting tooth-n-nail every night...the calender read 2009...and that was a pretty good year if I recall.
I could be stretching it, but I'm seeing the problems that plagued them in the playoffs last year showing themselves much sooner this year.
I also disagree that this team isn't as good as previous years. The third line may not be as potent, but I think we have better dmen than previous teams.
Steve wrote:sil wrote:Hugo Stiglitz wrote:Looking over the rest of this month has really put things into perspective: Even though it's early, the rest of this month could dictate the rest of the season for the Pens.
Current Situation:
- 3 game losing streak
- can't buy goals
- 10 games in the next 2 1/2 weeks
- Missing our two best dmen
- Washington, NYR and Carolina all within three points of the Pens.
Yep. Don't ya just love the ups and downs of a full regular season!
Exactly - I think we'll see another losing streak this season, but there will be alot more ups than downs.
The Pens do need to break out of this funk though - I suspect we'll see some more inspired/smarter play tonight.
MRandall25 wrote:Steve wrote:sil wrote:Hugo Stiglitz wrote:Looking over the rest of this month has really put things into perspective: Even though it's early, the rest of this month could dictate the rest of the season for the Pens.
Current Situation:
- 3 game losing streak
- can't buy goals
- 10 games in the next 2 1/2 weeks
- Missing our two best dmen
- Washington, NYR and Carolina all within three points of the Pens.
Yep. Don't ya just love the ups and downs of a full regular season!
Exactly - I think we'll see another losing streak this season, but there will be alot more ups than downs.
The Pens do need to break out of this funk though - I suspect we'll see some more inspired/smarter play tonight.
I still remember last year. The Pens lost two or three in a row, everyone freaked out, and then they won a few, then had a 14 game winning streak. Such is the regular season. Such is hockey. Anything can happen.
You're going to see some growing pains with the added defensive system of Jacques Martin to go along with the Bylsma offense. It's still relatively early enough in the year to work the inevitable kinks out of it.
If losing a few games in a row at the beginning of the year helps us refine the team's game before the playoffs, I'm not going to complain.
sil wrote:Hugo Stiglitz wrote:sil wrote:This team simply isn't as good as some in previous years...and the cap structure/ceiling has a lot to do with it. Also, I don't like a three game losing streak as much as the next person, but describing this current team as "unravel(ing)" is a bit of a stretch to me.
On another note, the last time this team found themselves fighting hard to make the playoffs and fighting tooth-n-nail every night...the calender read 2009...and that was a pretty good year if I recall.
I could be stretching it, but I'm seeing the problems that plagued them in the playoffs last year showing themselves much sooner this year.
I also disagree that this team isn't as good as previous years. The third line may not be as potent, but I think we have better dmen than previous teams.
I think the STL game was reminicent of the B's series, but the pens were actually pretty sound and patient in that game the other night...which was good to see. They generated many chances against both the Rags and the Flyers, and I've a hard time seeing the same impatience and frustration that I saw last spring against Boston. Perhaps I'm being too easy on them though.
but that they're in a very tough position right now to where it could slip away very easily.
Hugo Stiglitz wrote:The STL game was definitely reminiscent of the B's series and that's not a good thing. If the Penguins are still having the same problems then it means they're continuing to not address them.
Again, I know it's super early in the season but timing couldn't be worse. I'm also not saying it's going to get bad, but that they're in a very tough position right now to where it could slip away very easily.
sil wrote:Hugo Stiglitz wrote:The STL game was definitely reminiscent of the B's series and that's not a good thing. If the Penguins are still having the same problems then it means they're continuing to not address them.
Again, I know it's super early in the season but timing couldn't be worse. I'm also not saying it's going to get bad, but that they're in a very tough position right now to where it could slip away very easily.
They definitely were more patient against STL though. The team didn't panic...they didn't attempt the same breakouts one after another, they were quite calculated and used multiple looks to try and break STL backcheck...and they didn't sacrifice their defensive play to do it either. And, if you really look at it from a distance, the only reason we didn't get to OT is because of a 1-in-a-dozen lucky deflection goal for Shattenkirk in the third...and one the pens were defensively well set up for. Sometimes the puck-luck just isn't yours.
Hugo Stiglitz wrote:sil wrote:Hugo Stiglitz wrote:The STL game was definitely reminiscent of the B's series and that's not a good thing. If the Penguins are still having the same problems then it means they're continuing to not address them.
Again, I know it's super early in the season but timing couldn't be worse. I'm also not saying it's going to get bad, but that they're in a very tough position right now to where it could slip away very easily.
They definitely were more patient against STL though. The team didn't panic...they didn't attempt the same breakouts one after another, they were quite calculated and used multiple looks to try and break STL backcheck...and they didn't sacrifice their defensive play to do it either. And, if you really look at it from a distance, the only reason we didn't get to OT is because of a 1-in-a-dozen lucky deflection goal for Shattenkirk in the third...and one the pens were defensively well set up for. Sometimes the puck-luck just isn't yours.
I agree with much of what you said, but the issue is the last sentence. How many times have we uttered those words or ones similar to it this year and since the last round of the playoffs?
MRandall25 wrote:Steve wrote:sil wrote:Hugo Stiglitz wrote:Looking over the rest of this month has really put things into perspective: Even though it's early, the rest of this month could dictate the rest of the season for the Pens.
Current Situation:
- 3 game losing streak
- can't buy goals
- 10 games in the next 2 1/2 weeks
- Missing our two best dmen
- Washington, NYR and Carolina all within three points of the Pens.
Yep. Don't ya just love the ups and downs of a full regular season!
Exactly - I think we'll see another losing streak this season, but there will be alot more ups than downs.
The Pens do need to break out of this funk though - I suspect we'll see some more inspired/smarter play tonight.
I still remember last year. The Pens lost two or three in a row, everyone freaked out, and then they won a few, then had a 14 game winning streak. Such is the regular season. Such is hockey. Anything can happen.
You're going to see some growing pains with the added defensive system of Jacques Martin to go along with the Bylsma offense. It's still relatively early enough in the year to work the inevitable kinks out of it.
If losing a few games in a row at the beginning of the year helps us refine the team's game before the playoffs, I'm not going to complain.
nocera wrote:It's almost like we've forgotten that an NHL season is 82 games long. The Penguins have played 18.
SolidSnake wrote:I can't wait for back to back losses this weekend
Users browsing this forum: Daniel, DelPen, FLPensFan, Hatrick, longtimefan and 26 guests