They don't how, just how many.

I feel your pain. It's happened too many times over the past five or six years for it just to be bad luck.

What I don't understand is these guys have done it before. The Pens should be the guys who say, 'We are the winners, not you.' Maybe the only reason we won in the first place was Matt Murray. He certainly took control and put the team on his back when they needed it.
- Thunderbolt

I dont think luck has anything to do with it and that you also might be suffering from recency bias. They played each other 3 times last season and the Pens went 2-0-1 vs them...the loss being a shootout. Of the two wins one was a 1-0 shutout and the other a 6-3 trouncing.

...yet the Pens still had a better 3rd period than them statistically.
- MattStrat

Those stats you rely on tell one half of the story. Watch the isles play the d zone. Watch their d box out infront. Even when the pens get multiple shots from the red it’s usually banging the puck into his chest or pads and immediately boxed out.

For a two month period in this season Jarry was #1 in all stats....then he's injured. He was one of the top goalies in league two years ago when the Isles won round 1 in six games...he was injured..came back for game 2 and was the main reason the Pens lost that series. He only played game 7 last playoffs on a broken and bleeding ankle. There's a history of him not being durable but not only that, every time he's had a long layoff its taken him a few weeks to get it back. If he can stay healthy I expect to see that soon. Big if.

Everyone here wanted a goalie this trade deadline and I'm pretty sure most of everyone here werent comfortable with the exact same two goalies again this season, this past offseason. ...so Hex extended DeSmith...gave a him a raise too haha.
- MattStrat

His problem looking at it from the outside seems to be consistency and we also seem to have his number. As far as Hextall yeah I don’t know. I get him not giving up assets but after locking up your high caliber vets to contracts it’s a bit of a contradiction as far as strategy.

Those stats you rely on tell one half of the story. Watch the isles play the d zone. Watch their d box out infront. Even when the pens get multiple shots from the red it’s usually banging the puck into his chest or pads and immediately boxed out.
- Grinder47

I watched the game. The Isles weren't very good in their own end and you wouldn't be saying any of this today if the Isles lost the game, simple as that.

His problem looking at it from the outside seems to be consistency and we also seem to have his number. As far as Hextall yeah I don’t know. I get him not giving up assets but after locking up your high caliber vets to contracts it’s a bit of a contradiction as far as strategy.
- Cptmjl

Yeah the dips in quality of his play have pretty much all been around long periods of not playing.

A lot of what Hex has done has made little sense haha.

I dont think luck has anything to do with it and that you also might be suffering from recency bias. They played each other 3 times last season and the Pens went 2-0-1 vs them...the loss being a shootout. Of the two wins one was a 1-0 shutout and the other a 6-3 trouncing.
- MattStrat

Last season was the anomaly. The Isles began the season with 13 road games (give or take) and that doomed them.

Last season was the anomaly. The Isles began the season with 13 road games (give or take) and that doomed them.
- Thunderbolt

Come on man....the season before last they played 6 times and the Pens went 5-1-0 vs them.

His problem looking at it from the outside seems to be consistency and we also seem to have his number. As far as Hextall yeah I don’t know. I get him not giving up assets but after locking up your high caliber vets to contracts it’s a bit of a contradiction as far as strategy.
- Cptmjl

Hextall's situation is damned if you do, damned if you don't. He really didn't have much choice but to resign Malkin and Letang. He did a good job in signing Rust and Rakell. After that, I have no idea what his strategy was, if he even had one.

I don't put all the blame on Hextall though. Sullivan doesn't like young players, his refusal to play them and create competition is as baffling as the things Hextall does.

Last season was the anomaly. The Isles began the season with 13 road games (give or take) and that doomed them.
- Thunderbolt

Playing without half or more of their team out due to Covid doomed them. The 13 game road trip of course didn’t help but having an almost full AHL and ECHL lineup with a handful of NHL players(while most of the league was healthy)until the NHL changed their Covid policy was their undoing.

When the NHL finally changed their policies it benefitted opposing teams while we were getting healthy. Covid helped us the two prior seasons with the shortened seasons allowing our aging vets a break and injured players to heal but hurt us last season.

Come on man....the season before last they played 6 times and the Pens went 5-1-0 vs them.
- MattStrat

Who won in the playoffs?

Hextall's situation is damned if you do, damned if you don't. He really didn't have much choice but to resign Malkin and Letang. He did a good job in signing Rust and Rakell. After that, I have no idea what his strategy was, if he even had one.

I don't put all the blame on Hextall though. Sullivan doesn't like young players, his refusal to play them and create competition is as baffling as the things Hextall does.
- Thunderbolt

Technically that can also be put on Hextall a bit. He builds the roster. If he doesn't sign old ass "vets" and trades away Sully's guys, then Sully is forced to play the young guys.

Who won in the playoffs?
- Thunderbolt

Youre changing your narrative as you're shown that you're wrong. Pens dominated them in that series and Jarry, fresh back from an injury and missing game 1, let in a lot of stink. Storokin was demi-god in a few of their wins. That's why they lost, pretty much everyone here knows it. Not anything to do with the narrative you're trying to push today.

Technically that can also be put on Hextall a bit. He builds the roster. If he doesn't sign old ass "vets" and trades away Sully's guys, then Sully is forced to play the young guys.
- j.boyd919

This is true.

This is true.
- MattStrat

Not saying Sully isn’t at fault though by any means. The way he trots our Carter. Replaced POJ with Kulikov, trots out Dumo with regularity is a a problem.

Not saying Sully isn’t at fault though by any means. The way he trots our Carter. Replaced POJ with Kulikov, trots out Dumo with regularity is a a problem.
- j.boyd919

They're not a good GM/Coach combo by any means....and POJ deservers a lot better... he's been one of their better D-man this season.

Youre changing your narrative as you're shown that you're wrong. Pens dominated them in that series and Jarry, fresh back off on an injury and missing game 1, let in a lot of stink. Storokin was demi-god in a few of their wins. That's why they lost, pretty much everyone here knows it. Not anything to do with the narrative you're trying to push today.
- MattStrat

You win.

You win.
- Thunderbolt

Fvcking right. Memory of an elephant and the ability to not look at things in a vacuum will usually have me coming out on top.

Good game though, cheers.

Fvcking right. Memory of an elephant and the ability to not look at things in a vacuum will usually have me coming out on top.

Good game though, cheers.
- MattStrat

LOL! You'll be old someday, Lord willing and the creek doesn't rise.

I do agree that Hex/Sully isn't a good team. Two big egos.

LOL! You'll be old someday, Lord willing and the creek doesn't rise.

I do agree that Hex/Sully isn't a good team. Two big egos.
- Thunderbolt

hahaha I am only jabbin at ya...and I am old...kinda. Still feel young though, thats the main thing, I guess.

Not saying Sully isn’t at fault though by any means. The way he trots our Carter. Replaced POJ with Kulikov, trots out Dumo with regularity is a a problem.
- j.boyd919

This is the reason I believe both Hextall and Sullivan both need to go. Sullivan did great as a coach for us, but I think we need a big shake up. Side note Philly did their shake up at GM hopefully we do as well sometime soon

hahaha I am only jabbin at ya...and I am old...kinda. Still feel young though, thats the main thing, I guess.
- MattStrat

I certainly don't take this board serious. I make my point and debate it.

As long as you have your health, that's the key. Stay active. And keep that little guy active.