RW stealing my coach idea. Get Gallant!

Josh Yohe
@JoshYohe_PGH
·
43m
I’m not often critical of Mike Sullivan, but Schultz/Johnson (31:48 combined) having more even strength minutes today than Marino/Pettersson (30:44 combined) is startling.

Sullivan clearly went full retard. You never go full retard. I swear, it's almost like he wanted to get fired.

@Hesh...Flyers fan (originally from S. Jersey) living in northern VA. Sure is nice to once again have a Flyers team that has skill and grit. Here’s hoping we keep rolling.
- BroadSTmayhem

I haven’t seen this team click as well as they are since Richards and Carter were there. They look like they’re actually having fun, and I know I sure am. And get this! There’s actually a guy worth his salt in net now!

I haven’t seen this team click as well as they are since Richards and Carter were there. They look like they’re actually having fun, and I know I sure am. And get this! There’s actually a guy worth his salt in net now!
- Hesh_

You guys are looking very fn strong, no doubt.

The real decision that needs to be made is what direction this team needs to go.

Sullivan likes a fast disciplined team. They are neither.

JR likes a team that is more hard nosed. They are not this either.

Malkin, Crosby and Letang are mid thirties. They are not as fast as they used to be. Especially Letang, I can remember him flying by guys. I haven't seen him do that in a long time.

The defense is slow, with the exception of Marino. They are not physical. They are disciplined and do work at boxing out. I consider them average, at best, in this department.

Schultz is gone, Petterson and Johnson are third pairing guys and are expendable. You can keep one, and only one. This is where the direction of the team needs addressed.

So much has happened the past year that Im only just thinking of this.... Didnt Rutherford hire a really fn good coach for the Baby Pens and we all thought that it spelt the end for Sully ... Then Rutherford signed Sully to a 4 year extension? Hahah

Sullivan clearly went full retard. You never go full retard. I swear, it's almost like he wanted to get fired.
- Rinosaur

That's insane.

I haven’t seen this team click as well as they are since Richards and Carter were there. They look like they’re actually having fun, and I know I sure am. And get this! There’s actually a guy worth his salt in net now!
- Hesh_

Carter/Richards era is a perfect analogy. From day 1 this team bought into Vigneault...and enough praise can’t be heaped on what Hayes brings to the team (holy smokes, he’s been phenomenal). Let’s hope for a long run in the coming weeks, neighbor!

You guys are looking very fn strong, no doubt.
- MattStrat

Just hoping like heck we stay healthy. It’s a great team as assembled right now, but long way to go.

Pens need a bonafide Chris Kunitz type to play with Sid and Jake - No more of this Sheary nonsense, I want a guy who'll win the board battle, get the puck to Sid, who will feed it to Jake

I also kind of want Jake to play with Malkin and Rust in an actual "Scoring line"

Sid can play with Zucker and (Insert player) in a line that can shut down another teams top line, score, and grind

A 3C who can play and put up points. Legit points with decent speedy wingers

A 3rd pair D who can simply keep the puck out of their own net

Murray gone and Jarry between the pipes on a bridge style contract
- TheGame316

This can reasonably happen if guys like Poulin and POJ step in and McCann finds his 1st half form. They really can't go into next season counting on Poulin, but he could make the team and is that Kunitz type of player.

Maybe not 2 speedy wings in the 3rd line since I expect Hornqvist back.

I said before this season started, in September, that I couldn't and wouldn't watch the Pens if JJ - Schu was a pairing all year... And here I was like a fn sucker watching them getting outted from this tourney with that pair getting more mins than their 2nd pair hahaha wtf 🤷‍♂️

There's literally nothing wrong with the top six forwards or the 4th line. Sorry you Sheary Schmucks. He's fine. The third line could definitely benefit from McCann switching back to LW and getting a better C, but overall Sid and Geno needed to elevate their games and they didn't. JJ was a dumpster fire and some other key players just didn't really show up.

There is more addition by subtraction with this group in terms of players, but the main culprit is the coaching staff.

Just hoping like heck we stay healthy. It’s a great team as assembled right now, but long way to go.
- BroadSTmayhem

Well it must be encouraging (as a Flyers fan) to see that they basically picked up where they left off... Which was arguably the best team in the league the 3 to 4 weeks before covid bent us all over.

It'd be rough to see you guys win it hahah no question.. But 3 cups in 11 years including a B2B 3 years ago really takes the edge off alotta stuff haha.

Ryan Wilson: Time for a new coach
Time for a new coach
- Ryan_Wilson

ralph krueger for a 7th?

There's literally nothing wrong with the top six forwards or the 4th line. Sorry you Sheary Schmucks. He's fine. The third line could definitely benefit from McCann switching back to LW and getting a better C, but overall Sid and Geno needed to elevate their games and they didn't. JJ was a dumpster fire and some other key players just didn't really show up.

There is more addition by subtraction with this group in terms of players, but the main culprit is the coaching staff.
- Rinosaur

Absolutely more addition by subtraction. Rid of JJ, Schultz, Marleau, Bjugstad and keep everyone else they have now and sign some lower cost more effective 3rd pair guys ... It doesn't take much to improve that poop. It was so bad. Absolute horrid pairing that costs 8.75 mill hahah insane.. That's on GMJR.

Sabres need a head coach like Sullivan, Cinderella has more balls then Krueger.

Absolutely more addition by subtraction. Rid of JJ, Schultz, Marleau, Bjugstad and keep everyone else they have now and sign some lower cost more effective 3rd pair guys ... It doesn't take much to improve that poop. It was so bad. Absolute horrid pairing that costs 8.75 mill hahah insane.. That's on GMJR.
- MattStrat

Schultz is as good as gone (not that he did himself any favours for a payday) but how much of his terrible play had to do with JJ? I remember he hasn't been great lately, but he has been injured a lot

In a flat cap world, what is it going to take to move a guy like Bjug at 4.1 coming off injury AND lackluster play? Nevermind trying to find a taker for JJ

You guys are getting Lafrenière. I’m a Flyers fan living in DC, and everyone I know just has the sinking suspicion that it’ll happen. I’m not saying it’s rigged. I don’t believe that. It’s just more of a feeling of dread.

Rest up for the off-season. Looking forward to doing battle again next year!

Hey, at least it looks like you guys got a real deal defenseman in Marino. Nice pick up.
- Hesh_

I have a feeling of dread that the Rags are going to get him and be a powerhouse in the division for the next 10 years or so.

Yeah, our D would be pretty trashy without Marino. JR lucked out that a scout pounded the table to get him.

Hey, do you know anyone in Philly who could do a welfare check on bruceflyers after he be $2K on the Pens, and then felt so good about it, he bet another $2K on them? I'm worried about him.

Just a quick, outside view--the Pens are old and they don't have cheap, high-quality players to surround a trio whose average age is over 33 yrs. old and who combine for a cap-hit of over $25M...

sid, geno and letang are still hall of famers, guentzel is a gem, zucker, hornqvist and the like are still excellent role players, but you guys had conor sheary on the top line...no lightning in a bottle this time as he proved that he's really nothing more than a thrid-liner anymore...and that d outside of letang and the very surprising marino...oy vey!!!

three cups in a nine-year span is fantastic but in a cap-world there comes a time when a serious influx of fresh talent is needed...problem is, those three cups took it's toll on the prospect pool and it could be a painful transition...

just my 2 cents
- Michael Pachla

Good analysis!

You must not really watch the Penguins. Sully had a great team and pulled some minor strings to win back to back cups. 3 years in a row they have been embarrassingly outcoached. 1-9 in the last 10 playoff games. He didn’t touch a thing and ignored obvious flaws in his lineup. Sully did not give this team a chance to compete, plain and simple.

I thank Sully for his tenure, it is time to move on. I love this team, but this is the NHL, coaches come and go. Also, GMJR needs to kick rocks as well.

I was done after the islanders killed them, now they didn’t even make the regular playoffs? This is 100% on Sullivan and Rutherford.
- Sell My Monkey

Yyyyyyup.

Schultz is as good as gone (not that he did himself any favours for a payday) but how much of his terrible play had to do with JJ? I remember he hasn't been great lately, but he has been injured a lot

In a flat cap world, what is it going to take to move a guy like Bjug at 4.1 coming off injury AND lackluster play? Nevermind trying to find a taker for JJ
- TheGame316

Schultz is not supposed to be the defensive-minded defenseman on a pairing, so when you pair him with someone who's a disaster in his own end you're going to have a bad time. Riikola would have been a much better pairing for him.

Sabres need a head coach like Sullivan, Cinderella has more balls then Krueger.
- SABRES 89

i think the next coach will be paul maurice...yeah, i know he just signed an extension...the only thing we need to happen next will be a vote of confidence from chevyldayoff

Absolutely more addition by subtraction. Rid of JJ, Schultz, Marleau, Bjugstad and keep everyone else they have now and sign some lower cost more effective 3rd pair guys ... It doesn't take much to improve that poop. It was so bad. Absolute horrid pairing that costs 8.75 mill hahah insane.. That's on GMJR.
- MattStrat

I would actually hold on to Bjugstad as of right now. McCaan-Bjug-Horn could be a formidable line if Bjug can stay healthy, but if they have a chance to upgrade the 3C position and move Bjug out then you take it.

Pens need a bonafide Chris Kunitz type to play with Sid and Jake - No more of this Sheary nonsense, I want a guy who'll win the board battle, get the puck to Sid, who will feed it to Jake

I also kind of want Jake to play with Malkin and Rust in an actual "Scoring line"

Sid can play with Zucker and (Insert player) in a line that can shut down another teams top line, score, and grind

A 3C who can play and put up points. Legit points with decent speedy wingers

A 3rd pair D who can simply keep the puck out of their own net

Murray gone and Jarry between the pipes on a bridge style contract
- TheGame316

They sort of already do in Rust. I mean, how hard is it to just go with:

Guentzel - Crosby - Rust (3 best scorers on the top line, makes sense, good balance, Rust is a pretty fast north-south player so he would fit right in)

Zucker - Malkin - Horny (a sniper with a grinder, good balance, all proven commodities, Horny fits Malkin's style of more east-west in the zone)

The only real debate should have been whether to switch Guentzel and Zucker to see which lines worked better.

I have a feeling of dread that the Rags are going to get him and be a powerhouse in the division for the next 10 years or so.

Yeah, our D would be pretty trashy without Marino. JR lucked out that a scout pounded the table to get him.

Hey, do you know anyone in Philly who could do a welfare check on bruceflyers after he be $2K on the Pens, and then felt so good about it, he bet another $2K on them? I'm worried about him.
- Hockey66

Neither one is getting the first overall pick. Who is? The team from Alberta, Canada that just got eliminated. Why? Because they always do!