- MattStrat

Just like Friday, the Islanders own us.

When was Rodrigues in a bottom six role?
- Thunderbolt

He played a decent amount with Carter, McGinn, & Heinen when everyone was healthy, but he was on with Sid, Jake and Kap the most (~300 minutes) everyone else was around ~200 minutes.

He was basically the Pens swiss army knife last year, playing up and down the lineup.

You guys do realize the Pens already "retooled," right?

Carter, Heinen, McGinn, POJ, Petry, Smith, Ruutta, Rakell, Archi, DOC, Poehling, Friedman

That's nearly half the lineup that was turned over since Hextall came in. He "retooled" and did it poorly.
- j.boyd919

Why wouldnt we recognize that? Its why we dont trust any more retool efforts from Hex hahaha

He played a decent amount with Carter, McGinn, & Heinen when everyone was healthy, but he was on with Sid, Jake and Kap the most (~300 minutes) everyone else was around ~200 minutes.

He was basically the Pens swiss army knife last year, playing up and down the lineup.
- j.boyd919

He was Jekyll/Hyde top 6/bottom 6

The “Deserve to win o’meter” comes up short again.
- Cptmjl

Hahaha It usually is right, though.

hahhaa nah, no googles....how many f'n times do have to say I don't have any grand delusions of this teams fate this year? I do not think they are contenders. My hopes, as stated many times, are just to make the playoffs and maybe make some of the games entertaining.

Did you even watch last night? how did they suck last night?

They've statistically been the better team in a lot of L's this season. Thats factual. Goaltending has been a major negative factor and Jarry let in sh!t he normally wouldnt last night while Sorokin once again stood on his f'n head.
- MattStrat

Yeah I watched last night, just continuous mental errors. Letang has made some really bad decisions since coming back.

Rust couldn't buy a goal.

Pens goaltending sank them.

Right after scoring, they give up a breakaway? Been doing that all season.

Only forward line that had a positive shot attempt situation was the Blueger line, and those guys are allergic to goals.

Same issue that's plagued them the last 3-4 years, they are lacking finishin talent.

Edit: and the PP is trash. Absolute trash.

He was Jekyll/Hyde top 6/bottom 6
- MattStrat

Oh for sure, sucks playing with poopty hockey players lol

Hahaha It usually is right, though.
- MattStrat

Not an advanced stats guy. I guess that’s a good thing being an islanders fan.

Not an advanced stats guy. I guess that’s a good thing being an islanders fan.
- Cptmjl

hahaha You guys have a goalie that if you could just make it in ya never know. He could Jean-Sébastien Giguère it up, not far fetched at all. He's nuts. I think he might currently be best in the league, top 3 for sure.

Yeah I watched last night, just continuous mental errors. Letang has made some really bad decisions since coming back.

Rust couldn't buy a goal.

Pens goaltending sank them.

Right after scoring, they give up a breakaway? Been doing that all season.

Only forward line that had a positive shot attempt situation was the Blueger line, and those guys are allergic to goals.

Same issue that's plagued them the last 3-4 years, they are lacking finishin talent.

Edit: and the PP is trash. Absolute trash.
- j.boyd919

Yeah I agree with all of that....and a lot of that falls under tightening up....and them tightening up is the narrative Ive been running with so I just have to pot commit to it hahaha. It all just looks a lot like October and they snapped out of it and tightened up very well after October for a few months.

ERod f'n sucked in the bottom 6....like two completely different players for us, night and day difference top 6/bottom 6. Dude was given top PP time as well.
- MattStrat

ERod played something like the last fifteen games in the bottom six. He had a horrible second half of the season despite Sullivan forcing him with Crosby or Malkin as much as he could.

Jarry carried this team last season until his injury. He's been unable to do so this year. That has been the biggest difference. The problems have been here for a couple years. Jarry has masked them.

I'm starting to think Dumoulin was one of the best defensive players in the game. He has slowed down quite a bit. Now that he isn't at the top of his game, we can clearly see just how important he is to this team. Or should I say was.

Yeah I agree with all of that....and a lot of that falls under tightening up....and them tightening up is the narrative Ive been running with so I just have to pot commit to it hahaha. It all just looks a lot like October and they snapped out of it and tightened up very well after October for a few months.
- MattStrat

I think at some point “tightening up” isn’t really a thing.

At some point the roster just isn’t good enough and expecting them to tighten up just seems like a pipe dream.

I think at some point “tightening up” isn’t really a thing.

At some point the roster just isn’t good enough and expecting them to tighten up just seems like a pipe dream.
- j.boyd919

I guess time will tell....and fairly soon...

hahaha You guys have a goalie that if you could just make it in ya never know. He could Jean-Sébastien Giguère it up, not far fetched at all. He's nuts. I think he might currently be best in the league, top 3 for sure.
- MattStrat

Sorokin is the best tender this team has ever had imo. That’s exactly why Lameriello won’t give up. Sorokin is in his prime and he doesn’t want to waste his prime years. I don’t agree with it. I would’ve preferred they just bagged this season and did a retool for next but Lameriello isn’t going to take his foot off the gas for better or worse. Even with Barzal out for most likely the rest of the season. Wouldn’t surprise me if he adds at the deadline.

ERod played something like the last fifteen games in the bottom six. He had a horrible second half of the season despite Sullivan forcing him with Crosby or Malkin as much as he could.

Jarry carried this team last season until his injury. He's been unable to do so this year. That has been the biggest difference. The problems have been here for a couple years. Jarry has masked them.

I'm starting to think Dumoulin was one of the best defensive players in the game. He has slowed down quite a bit. Now that he isn't at the top of his game, we can clearly see just how important he is to this team. Or should I say was.
- Thunderbolt

They were statistically one of the best 5 on 5 defensive teams last season. At 5 on 5 top 8 in xGF%, HDSC% and CF%. Jarry was also a stud, no doubt.

I agree about the importance of Dumo but as Boyd has mentioned Tanger isnt himself this season, either...coming off close to a career season, last season, the dude has had strokes and losses of parents to do deal with this season. He's the kind of player I could see being better next season than this one.

Sorokin is the best tender this team has ever had imo. That’s exactly why Lameriello won’t give up. Sorokin is in his prime and he doesn’t want to waste his prime years. I don’t agree with it. I would’ve preferred they just bagged this season and did a retool for next but Lameriello isn’t going to take his foot off the gas for better or worse. Even with Barzal out for most likely the rest of the season. Wouldn’t surprise me if he adds at the deadline.
- Cptmjl

hahaha we kinda miss having an aggressive GM around here!

- MattStrat

How many "deserved wins" are equal to an actual win?

I guess time will tell....and fairly soon...
- MattStrat

We've been telling my beer league team to tighten up for 6 years now, and we still blow 3 goal leads in the 3rd period with regularity.

How many "deserved wins" are equal to an actual win?
- jmatchett383

I'll leave that to you hahaha....you did a great job looking into expected goals for/against vs actual.

We've been telling my beer league team to tighten up for 6 years now, and we still blow 3 goal leads in the 3rd period with regularity.
- j.boyd919

hahaha

I'll leave that to you hahaha....you did a great job looking into expected goals for/against vs actual.
- MattStrat

Well the expected goals, league wide, should almost exactly equal goals since the model, as I understand it, is based on goals league wide...in other words, the amount of goals scored is tie to expected goals, so xG in 1983 would be different from 2004 based on league-wide scoring.

Expected wins, on the other hand, does not account for things like deflections, lucky bounces, bad goaltending, etc. It's closer to raw Corsi than anything, which is a bunch of nonsense.

We've been telling my beer league team to tighten up for 6 years now, and we still blow 3 goal leads in the 3rd period with regularity.
- j.boyd919

You're clearly not drinking enough after the game.

Well the expected goals, league wide, should almost exactly equal goals since the model, as I understand it, is based on goals league wide...in other words, the amount of goals scored is tie to expected goals, so xG in 1983 would be different from 2004 based on league-wide scoring.

Expected wins, on the other hand, does not account for things like deflections, lucky bounces, bad goaltending, etc. It's closer to raw Corsi than anything, which is a bunch of nonsense.
- jmatchett383

If you didn't find it yet, here's a read on the meter: https://moneypuck.com/about.htm#meter

You're clearly not drinking enough after the game.
- jmatchett383

Haha, yeah I don't really dabble in the after game beers that often. Maybe once or twice a season.

They were statistically one of the best 5 on 5 defensive teams last season. At 5 on 5 top 8 in xGF%, HDSC% and CF%. Jarry was also a stud, no doubt.

I agree about the importance of Dumo but as Boyd has mentioned Tanger isnt himself this season, either...coming off close to a career season, last season, the dude has had strokes and losses of parents to do deal with this season. He's the kind of player I could see being better next season than this one.
- MattStrat

Letang has been one of the best, if not the best defenseman during his career. Norris Trophy or not. Dumoulin and Letang have been a great pairing and they complement each other.

Just doing a quick look, the Pens are on pace to score about the same number of goals they scored last year.