Random Penguins Fodder

[KG]

NHL Penguins
@nhlpenguins_
·
29m
In Zohorna’s 26 games with PIT, the Penguins control:

57% of the chances
56% of the shots
88% of the goals

..when he’s on the ice at 5v5. The Penguins have outscored the opponent 21-3 at 5v5 with Zohorna on the ice.

21-3 is the one that jumps out to me. Let him keep playing Sully! let's give it a little go and see if we can piece together a not horrible 3rd line. Also, waive Shea so we can recall Poulin or White and take Cartssss out of the lineup. Acciari and Nieto are both solid NHL players. Yet they get saddled with Cartsss and they look like waiver fodder.

Put the best lineup on the ice.

[Daniel]

In all fairness if the Penguins drafted those players we’d be saying the opposite, that they could have had Bjorkqvist. They simply prioritize scrub veterans.

So what you’re saying is that our scouting and developing of players is dog ####. I couldn’t agree more

I think it's mostly development and attitude towards younger players, but yeah both need a complete overhaul. That includes AHL and NHL coaches.

[KG]

You can tell Sully had a lot of input and worked closely with Dubas on this roster over the summer. I think the heat is definitely on Sully to right the ship. I just don't understand how he/they think that running a top heavy lineup with 2 scoring lines (with an older core) and 2 defensive lines (with zero offense) is going to work. What if Geno or Sid miss a game? Eller is 2C? I mean it's just not sustainable.

Sully, more than anyone there should know that this team was at it's best when they rolled 4 lines. All 4 lines could play in both zones and contribute on both sides of the rink. It's a flawed roster.

It's also a ridiculously soff team. This I put squarely on Sully. He has a long track record now of not wanting physicality and just play mentality. That ship has long sailed, but here we are still trying to play like its 2016-17 again. How many goals are given up with people wide open in front of the net? Conversely, we never score goals in front of the net and stir the pot to make things happen.

Dubas did his best in a tough situation and built a competitive team on paper. This is 100% on Sullivan. The team doesn't play 60 minutes, there are zero consequences. Sully just pout's and holds his 2 minute press conference when they lose, but nothing changes. I personally thought that after that ridiculous showing at the bubble where they didn't show up against Montreal that it was time for a change. Here we are 3 years later. SOS.

Get a coach in here that can get the message across these guys and make them play 60 minutes. Big question is who? That's what POHO/GM KD gets paid the very big bucks to figure out.

[maopens]

Matt Nieto has been a good (not great) hockey player on other teams.
Noel Acciari has been a good (not great) hockey player on other teams.
Lars Eller has been a good (not great) hockey player on other teams.

Thus far, they look like a fraction of their former selves.

On that same note, we've watched many players leave Pittsburgh only to become better players elsewhere.

At what point do we question "the system" that Pittsburgh is running and why the endless merry-go-round of players moving through the bottom 6 never play up to their potential/career production levels?

[maopens]

When Sullivan goes to the cameras post-game and says "We don't play hard enough" that sounds a bit like he's saying the team isn't responding to him and his message anymore.

[Daniel]

When Sullivan goes to the cameras post-game and says "We don't play hard enough" that sounds a bit like he's saying the team isn't responding to him and his message anymore.

From this article: https://www.pensburgh.com/2023/10/22/23 ... 40AdobeOrg

Sullivan’s words show a coach trying to find a way to get his team to perform. He used his timeout early last night to lace into his team verbally, he wasn’t letting an assistant handling the messaging, the head coach was getting after it himself. It was hard not to notice coming out of the time the team’s first line and top defensive pair immediately stumbled and gave up another scoring chance from right in front of the net. It was a perfect moment to sum up the frustration of an off night.

I didn't watch the game so didn't notice that but if that's true he's probably lost the team.

[KG]

Pens Inside Scoop

@PensInsideScoop
Bryan Rust, who has four goals in five games to start the year, is skating on the top power-play unit. Rickard Rakell, who has one assist, has moved to the second.

Here's the big change Sully makes. Getting his boy Rust more ice-time. Sounds like PO is back skating with Chad as practice went along as well.

[KG]

Same forward workflow at practice. It's only 5 games into the season and I'm already sick of seeing the same lineup, no changes. No creativity. It clearly isn't working.

How about putting Acciari with Sid to get him going so we can utilize his play on the wing instead of being saddled as 4C with JMFC. ? Maybe put Jake with Geno for 3 seconds to at least try something different to give the team a jolt. They clearly aren't receiving the coaches message.

Waive Shea so we can recall another forward already. Nobody is going to claim Shea and if they do, big deal. We need to get Carter out of the lineup.

[FLPensFan]

Same forward workflow at practice. It's only 5 games into the season and I'm already sick of seeing the same lineup, no changes. No creativity. It clearly isn't working.

How about putting Acciari with Sid to get him going so we can utilize his play on the wing instead of being saddled as 4C with JMFC. ? Maybe put Jake with Geno for 3 seconds to at least try something different to give the team a jolt. They clearly aren't receiving the coaches message.

Waive Shea so we can recall another forward already. Nobody is going to claim Shea and if they do, big deal. We need to get Carter out of the lineup.

I wouldn't mind seeing the team go to a more balanced lineup, rather than 2 stacked lines. Imagine this lineup...

Guentzel-Crosby-Acciari
Smith-Malkin-Zohorna
Rakell-Eller-Rust
DOC-Poulin-Nieto
x-Carter

Let Acciari and Zohorna do the board work and feed Sid/Jake and Geno/Reilly, and Rakell and Rust flanking Eller should be a 3rd line that can score.

WILL.NEVER.HAPPEN though

[KG]

Same forward workflow at practice. It's only 5 games into the season and I'm already sick of seeing the same lineup, no changes. No creativity. It clearly isn't working.

How about putting Acciari with Sid to get him going so we can utilize his play on the wing instead of being saddled as 4C with JMFC. ? Maybe put Jake with Geno for 3 seconds to at least try something different to give the team a jolt. They clearly aren't receiving the coaches message.

Waive Shea so we can recall another forward already. Nobody is going to claim Shea and if they do, big deal. We need to get Carter out of the lineup.

I wouldn't mind seeing the team go to a more balanced lineup, rather than 2 stacked lines. Imagine this lineup...

Guentzel-Crosby-Acciari
Smith-Malkin-Zohorna
Rakell-Eller-Rust
DOC-Poulin-Nieto
x-Carter

Let Acciari and Zohorna do the board work and feed Sid/Jake and Geno/Reilly, and Rakell and Rust flanking Eller should be a 3rd line that can score.

WILL.NEVER.HAPPEN though

Agreed. Taylor had this quote from Sully about changing lines:

"We have conversations as a staff on whether we stay patient with certain combinations and allow them to play through things, or we try to be proactive and make adjustments," Sullivan said. "My experience has been that there's not always a right or a wrong answer there. I think it's more about knowing your group and trying to make the right decisions at the right times. If we just throw the lines in a blender every time we go through struggles, we're going to have an awful lot of line combinations, and we don't allow our guys to play through anything."

My retort would be, how would Sully know if shuffling the lines would work or not? He has never tried putting the lines "in a blender" it's always the same.

[Daniel]

Same forward workflow at practice. It's only 5 games into the season and I'm already sick of seeing the same lineup, no changes. No creativity. It clearly isn't working.

How about putting Acciari with Sid to get him going so we can utilize his play on the wing instead of being saddled as 4C with JMFC. ? Maybe put Jake with Geno for 3 seconds to at least try something different to give the team a jolt. They clearly aren't receiving the coaches message.

Waive Shea so we can recall another forward already. Nobody is going to claim Shea and if they do, big deal. We need to get Carter out of the lineup.

I wouldn't mind seeing the team go to a more balanced lineup, rather than 2 stacked lines. Imagine this lineup...

Guentzel-Crosby-Acciari
Smith-Malkin-Zohorna
Rakell-Eller-Rust
DOC-Poulin-Nieto
x-Carter

Let Acciari and Zohorna do the board work and feed Sid/Jake and Geno/Reilly, and Rakell and Rust flanking Eller should be a 3rd line that can score.

WILL.NEVER.HAPPEN though

I'd eventually swap Poulin and Eller, depending on how well he plays, but for the next game that would be a great setup. 3 legit scoring lines, even with Eller.

[Daniel]

Same forward workflow at practice. It's only 5 games into the season and I'm already sick of seeing the same lineup, no changes. No creativity. It clearly isn't working.

How about putting Acciari with Sid to get him going so we can utilize his play on the wing instead of being saddled as 4C with JMFC. ? Maybe put Jake with Geno for 3 seconds to at least try something different to give the team a jolt. They clearly aren't receiving the coaches message.

Waive Shea so we can recall another forward already. Nobody is going to claim Shea and if they do, big deal. We need to get Carter out of the lineup.

I wouldn't mind seeing the team go to a more balanced lineup, rather than 2 stacked lines. Imagine this lineup...

Guentzel-Crosby-Acciari
Smith-Malkin-Zohorna
Rakell-Eller-Rust
DOC-Poulin-Nieto
x-Carter

Let Acciari and Zohorna do the board work and feed Sid/Jake and Geno/Reilly, and Rakell and Rust flanking Eller should be a 3rd line that can score.

WILL.NEVER.HAPPEN though

Agreed. Taylor had this quote from Sully about changing lines:

"We have conversations as a staff on whether we stay patient with certain combinations and allow them to play through things, or we try to be proactive and make adjustments," Sullivan said. "My experience has been that there's not always a right or a wrong answer there. I think it's more about knowing your group and trying to make the right decisions at the right times. If we just throw the lines in a blender every time we go through struggles, we're going to have an awful lot of line combinations, and we don't allow our guys to play through anything."

My retort would be, how would Sully know if shuffling the lines would work or not? He has never tried putting the lines "in a blender" it's always the same.

Didn't he used to change the lines up all the time back when the team was a legit cup contender? I think he played Kessel, Hornqvist, Hagelin up and down the lineup, Rust was on the 3rd line for awhile. It's funny how using WBS and changing line combinations worked so well for 2 years. WBS doesn't have good enough talent is the argument, but Kuhnekal and Wilson weren't exactly All Stars but they were pretty solid bottom 6 guys.

[Maestro]

[Three Stars]

[brwi]

I'm going to go way out on a limb here and predict Carolina finishes #1 and #2 won't be too close to them. Canes will also lead the NHL in Corsi yet again and still might not make it past the ECF unless they make a significant addition to the roster between now and then.

[Three Stars]

[FLPensFan]

Jeff Carter posting that speed....

[KG]

With the lack of depth scoring, this team needs a top tier power play to remain competitive. They haven't had this in years. They should be doing anything and everything to come up with a scheme that works. Or bring in a power play coach that can get through to them, or put different personnel out there.

They need to go to the net and cause havoc if the pretty tic-tac-toe plays aren't there (and they usually aren't). They need to get their nose dirty and keep it simple. Karlsson has a shot first approach on the PP. It needs to run through him and everyone needs to be hungry and go after it.

Team won't make the playoffs with a 19th overall powerplay.

[FLPensFan]

With the lack of depth scoring, this team needs a top tier power play to remain competitive. They haven't had this in years. They should be doing anything and everything to come up with a scheme that works. Or bring in a power play coach that can get through to them, or put different personnel out there.

They need to go to the net and cause havoc if the pretty tic-tac-toe plays aren't there (and they usually aren't). They need to get their nose dirty and keep it simple. Karlsson has a shot first approach on the PP. It needs to run through him and everyone needs to be hungry and go after it.

Team won't make the playoffs with a 19th overall powerplay.

This is why I've been saying break up the top PP for years. The thinking is, we have all these highly skilled guys out there, they should be awesome. The reality is, nobody on that 1st unit has a killer shoot-first mentality. There's also not much in the way of movement. Everyone has their spot, the PK knows that 75% of the time, everyone is going to be in their spot.

[maopens]

I don't want to say the Power Play is stale but if it was a bread, we'd call it a crouton.

[Coffey Break]

Officially at the bottom of the toilet by ourselves in the Metro after WSH beat NJD tonight.

[FLPensFan]

Officially at the bottom of the toilet by ourselves in the Metro after WSH beat NJD tonight.

We are currently tied with Chicago and Anaheim for 3rd fewest points in the league.

If the season ended today, we'd be guaranteed a top 5 pick.

Does anyone think we have a chance tomorrow against Colorado, who is 6-0-0 on the season, averaging 4.5 goals for per game, 2 goals against per game?

[BigMcK]

Checking stats for the WBS Penguins, well, let's say, they ain't pretty.

Is the sullivan system to blame? How many were handpicked by Dubas?

At first glance, the cupboard is still bare.

[pronovost19]

Matt Nieto has been a good (not great) hockey player on other teams.
Noel Acciari has been a good (not great) hockey player on other teams.
Lars Eller has been a good (not great) hockey player on other teams.

Thus far, they look like a fraction of their former selves.

On that same note, we've watched many players leave Pittsburgh only to become better players elsewhere.

At what point do we question "the system" that Pittsburgh is running and why the endless merry-go-round of players moving through the bottom 6 never play up to their potential/career production levels?

To your point, the Sully miss on McCann…McCann has scored 70 goals in 160 games since leaving the Penguins. That is a 35 goal per season rate over 2+. I am sure this is an unfair assessment because there has to be examples of jettisoned players who perform poorly after leaving the Penguins. It always comes down to placing players on lines to find the best chemistry experiments. When the Penguins have been successful recently, it was because the third line was effective.

[Pitts]

Officially at the bottom of the toilet by ourselves in the Metro after WSH beat NJD tonight.

Watched the back half of that game, Washington was looking very much like the Pens at the end of the 2nd. They found some fire in the 3rd which allowed them to take that game from New Jersey. Again, looking very much like the Pens. It's kind of eerie how close the teams match up. And Ovy looks old and slow all of the sudden. He had a breakaway for the empty net. Took him about 10 minutes to get down the ice, and I swear he looked winded after that sprint.