Ryan Wilson: Penguins trying their best to throw this season away Penguins trying their best to throw this season away

the end of that game infuriated me more than the penguins have pissed me off in quite a while...

Some might say their struggles were to be expected

Yeah, you need to take the expected goals against and then add in the expected Jarry performance to get the expected outcome.

It's still early but the longer this goes the harder it's going to be to catch people.

They didn't stop feeding EK and Geno on the 5-3, the problem was EK and Geno couldn't stop feeding each other.

Our 2 best D men mad horrific choices with the puck that lead directly to goals scored.

Our forwards actively move away to the side of the net on point shots. Opposing D are confused but happy to oblige.

The whole team forgot there is a top portion of the net they can shoot at. Every grade A chance is fired chest height at the goalie.

It's still early but the longer this goes the harder it's going to be to catch people.
- BINGO!

Got that right.

Some might say their struggles were to be expected
- Feds91Stammer

Hahaha

the end of that game infuriated me more than the penguins have pissed me off in quite a while...
- JLT168

Yea same, I thought we were gonna be ok, thought wrong lol

There was a lot wrong with last night but on a positive note I thought Graves quietly had one of his best games as a Pen. Low bar so far but he made some good plays.

Was posting on the old comment section, but it's time to pull Nieto out and put someone on that 4th line and hope it makes a difference. Just adding Zoho to the third line completely changed it. Try it again. Also swap Rust and Rakell. Rust is gonna do his thing regardless, I think he'll fit right in with Geno and Smith and hopefully Sid, Jake and Rak can be like they were last year.

Game 9....I said I'd give 10 - 15...to my eyes there's been a lot to like. Jarry needs to be better...the PP needs to be better....if Jarry saves an extra goal a game or the PP converts an extra goal a game, they're probably at least .500 right now

@Grinder....what are you talking about regarding the 4th line??....you have to be trolling saying they were the only good line last night....at 5 on 5 they had zero shots on the Ducks net...

Shots for/shots against

Carter 0/6
Nieto 0/6
Acciari 0/9

Was posting on the old comment section, but it's time to pull Nieto out and put someone on that 4th line and hope it makes a difference. Just adding Zoho to the third line completely changed it. Try it again. Also swap Rust and Rakell. Rust is gonna do his thing regardless, I think he'll fit right in with Geno and Smith and hopefully Sid, Jake and Rak can be like they were last year.
- 668710

It seems like such an easy thing to figure out but Sully gonna Sully

There was a lot wrong with last night but on a positive note I thought Graves quietly had one of his best games as a Pen. Low bar so far but he made some good plays.
- Thorny87

Remember sometimes it takes players, especially here it seems like defense to start fitting in. Happened to Martin, Gonchar etc. Sometimes the first season isnt the best then they catch on next year. Hopefully doesn't take Graves the whole year haha.

It seems like such an easy thing to figure out but Sully gonna Sully
- Thorny87

I agree, this has the Bylsma super team bad taste to me.

Game 9....I said I'd give 10 - 15...to my eyes there's been a lot to like. Jarry needs to be better...the PP needs to be better if....he saves an extra goal a game or the PP converts an extra goal a game, they're probably at least .500 right now

@Grinder....what are you talking about regarding the 4th line??....you have to be trolling saying they were the only good line last night....at 5 on 5 they had zero shots on the Ducks net...

Shots for/shots against

Carter 0/6
Nieto 0/6
Acciari 0/9
- MattStrat

Add Ruh to that list of underperformers and you have 4 guys who could easily be switched out to at least try something different

Remember sometimes it takes players, especially here it seems like defense to start fitting in. Happened to Martin, Gonchar etc. Sometimes the first season isnt the best then they catch on next year. Hopefully doesn't take Graves the whole year haha.
- 668710

I mean this is basically what I was saying all summer....way too many new pieces to hit the ground running to start the season. Still though, they're not playing THAT bad at all, overall.

Remember sometimes it takes players, especially here it seems like defense to start fitting in. Happened to Martin, Gonchar etc. Sometimes the first season isnt the best then they catch on next year. Hopefully doesn't take Graves the whole year haha.
- 668710

Letang is not easy to read and makes a lot of weird decisions. That being said I thought most of Graves problems were self inflicted. Hopefully he's figured it out

I mean this is basically what I was saying all summer....way too many new pieces to hit the ground running to start the season. Still though, they're not playing THAT bad at all, overall.
- MattStrat

while I agree they aren't playing that bad, they also are not even squeaking out a point against these low level teams. That could come back to haunt us end of season again. We've lost outright to Chicago, Ottawa, St Louis, and now Anaheim.

I have to imagine the schedule is going to get harder at some point, but then again, we can hang with the top teams, it's just that we can also hang with the bottom tier teams.

It's still early but the longer this goes the harder it's going to be to catch people.
- BINGO!

Especially because as an older team, the performances will likely dip as we move into 2024.

The most annoying part for me is that once again, Crosby and Malkin are performing, and this team is being let down by the most predictable reasons. I think some of us overestimated how much Dubas would be able to do in one offseason. I think he handed out some bad contracts to bottom 6 guys and Jarry. Next year, we free up Carter's money (until we resign him to another 2 year deal) and should get another $4-5million in salary cap money. That money has to be spent wisely on the bottom 6.

I mean this is basically what I was saying all summer....way too many new pieces to hit the ground running to start the season. Still though, they're not playing THAT bad at all, overall.
- MattStrat

Yea I agree with you. Jarry hasn't been good enough as well

Letang is not easy to read and makes a lot of weird decisions. That being said I thought most of Graves problems were self inflicted. Hopefully he's figured it out
- Thorny87

Very true haha.

Eller and Zohorna were flying last night. Great to see the 3rd line provide some energy.

a coaching change is pretty imminent. Dubas can’t do anything of significance with their cap structure. It’s up to the coaches right now to find some type of rhythm.

Can they even call up anyone right now? Carter and Nieto are just not doing anything.

Eller and Zohorna were flying last night. Great to see the 3rd line provide some energy.

a coaching change is pretty imminent. Dubas can’t do anything of significance with their cap structure. It’s up to the coaches right now to find some type of rhythm.

Can they even call up anyone right now? Carter and Nieto are just not doing anything.
- drummer829

I think the guy next out is Nieto and call someone up.

Especially because as an older team, the performances will likely dip as we move into 2024.

The most annoying part for me is that once again, Crosby and Malkin are performing, and this team is being let down by the most predictable reasons. I think some of us overestimated how much Dubas would be able to do in one offseason. I think he handed out some bad contracts to bottom 6 guys and Jarry. Next year, we free up Carter's money (until we resign him to another 2 year deal) and should get another $4-5million in salary cap money. That money has to be spent wisely on the bottom 6.
- SuperHenderson13

He literally turned over half the team lol

Smith, Karlsson, Shea look to be good pickups
Eller and Zohorna have picked it up lately, first few games I thought Eller was cooked but he's looked really good as of late.
Neito and Acciari are useless.
Graves has not been very good, but Letang isn't exactly easy to play with.
That Jarry contract was awful the day it was signed lol

The bottom 6 being useless was avoidable had he brought in guys with an offensive pulse.

I think people has a misconception of Graves. Heavy shot, but not exactly a defensive stalwart.

PP struggles should have been expected too. Reirden has been dogpoop for quite some time. Doesn't he run the defense too?