Ok I am going to retract the statement that we played the pens good this season and start fresh. It will be like we never played each other before.
- kasperrko

Played well, I believe is the correct grammar, if you want to sound smart that is.

Played well, I believe is the correct grammar, if you want to sound smart that is.
- j.boyd919

"It's like if a team of scientists was building a sea-doo for an ant, they could likely just as easily build the ant a bionic thumb to operate the gas with."

Let’s face if the pens made some trades to of course try to win the cup. Islanders were a team that was supposed be the worst in the league
- kasperrko

But they were atop, or close to, of the Metro a large portion of the season. Its not a shock they made the playoffs at all. When they reached 1st in the division it was surprising...but that was months ago.

Pens have had their own expectations of winning the cup every year now for over a decade. Those trades were made so that A: they'd hopefully get better as a team and B: they'd get younger with guys on term/non expiring contracts. The trade was successful on both fronts.

I think from a pressure standpoint a trade like the Brassard one would create more...if any at all.

A lot of the Isles are playoff virgins and even some of the older guys have little playoff experience. I think their players are gonna have more of the pressure nerves than the Pens. How many times can players hear the cliche in their life that you dont get these opportunities often and that playoffs and this special chance in their life every year are never a guarantee before it effects them in their first playoff appearance? ...a lot of the Pens have multiple rings.

I don't think they're a bad team because the goalie makes up part of the team. However, I think the matchup favors the Penguins.
- jmatchett383

Wait I thought goalies were nothing more than beacons of luck?

Regressing PDO.

This is totally a product of Trotz's system, before this the best season either of them had was Greiss in 15/16 with 2.36 and .925
- Murphy_Dump

But I thought we were defensively bad the numbers prove it and our goaltenders were propping is up?

They just said on the radio Jarry has been recalled. Hmm. Did WB miss the playoffs?

Played well, I believe is the correct grammar, if you want to sound smart that is.
- j.boyd919

Stop trying to make people more smarter.

They just said on the radio Jarry has been recalled. Hmm. Did WB miss the playoffs?
- madmike71

yes.

Listen pittsburgh has always been my second favorite team but let’s be real here. The islanders played the penguins pretty good this year. Everybody has said the islanders are not a team with talent but besides that they fell one point shy of Washington for first place. Do the islanders have issues?? Yes. Do the pens have holes in their team? Yes. Are both teams going to go out there and fight their hardest? Yes. This can go either way no matter what people say
- kasperrko

I'm of the opinion that the Isles played hard all season and teams like the Pens and Caps just don't.

I'm of the opinion that the Isles played hard all season and teams like the Pens and Caps just don't.
- Tojo.

I think there’s some truth to this.

yes.
- MattStrat

Ahh... Makes sense then. Didn't sound like any problems with Murray or DeSmith.

Rutherford made an interesting comment yesterday. He said Jarry played the best he's ever played the last couple of months. Not sure if that's true or not.

But they were atop, or close to, of the Metro a large portion of the season. Its not a shock they made the playoffs at all. When they reached 1st in the division it was surprising...but that was months ago.

Pens have had their own expectations of winning the cup every year now for over a decade. Those trades were made so that A: they'd hopefully get better as a team and B: they'd get younger with guys on term/non expiring contracts. The trade was successful on both fronts.

I think from a pressure standpoint a trade like the Brassard one would create more...if any at all.

A lot of the Isles are playoff virgins and even some of the older guys have little playoff experience. I think their players are gonna have more of the pressure nerves than the Pens. How many times can players hear the cliche in their life that you dont get these opportunities often and that playoffs and this special chance in their life every year are never a guarantee before it effects them in their first playoff appearance? ...a lot of the Pens have multiple rings.
- MattStrat

Great post and you are right with a lot of points. One thing the islanders do have is a great coach who seems to get through to these guys. So to me even though the pressure will be there I don’t think from the islander stand point it will be a factor

Obviously those sv% are not likely replicated but I don't see why you can't see at least Lehner as being a solid #1
- Feds91Stammer

I'll be curious to see if Lehner has turned the corner or not. Guy has serious talent, just hasn't been able to beat his demons. On the other hand, how many goalies have followed up a great year with a terrible one? Happens every year.

The Penguins did the same thing against the Caps when Ron Hainsey was on the top pair. We've all agreed that relying on Vezina-caliber goaltending is not a recipe for long-term success, but in a best-of-7, it's a realistic possibility.

That said, Pens in 6, I just don't see the Isles winning 4 out of 7.
- jmatchett383

solid prediction

They just said on the radio Jarry has been recalled. Hmm. Did WB miss the playoffs?
- madmike71

I'm worried about this. Usually it's a big group of guys called up together.

I'll be curious to see if Lehner has turned the corner or not. Guy has serious talent, just hasn't been able to beat his demons. On the other hand, how many goalies have followed up a great year with a terrible one? Happens every year.
- Tojo.

agree with you there but he does have a career .918

Great post and you are right with a lot of points. One thing the islanders do have is a great coach who seems to get through to these guys. So to me even though the pressure will be there I don’t think from the islander stand point it will be a factor
- kasperrko

Trotz should win the Jack Adams, did an amazing job.

I'm of the opinion that the Isles played hard all season and teams like the Pens and Caps just don't.
- Tojo.

I can get behind that theory....kinda was all season, saying the Pens play better when there's more on the line ie: after they hit rock bottom in the east in December or after they slipped back out of playoff picture in February.

Great post and you are right with a lot of points. One thing the islanders do have is a great coach who seems to get through to these guys. So to me even though the pressure will be there I don’t think from the islander stand point it will be a factor
- kasperrko

Thanks and I honestly think Trotz is the Isles x-factor.

Trotz should win the Jack Adams, did an amazing job.
- Tojo.

He should but there is plenty of competition this year

yes.
- MattStrat

Still a week left in the season.

agree with you there but he does have a career .918
- Feds91Stammer

Which would be good but a big step back. I really don't know with him, but I'm always skeptical of goalies when they break out until they string together a few years.

This has to kill Buffalo: saw the talent, traded a first for him, then sees him have a monster year as soon as he leaves.

Still a week left in the season.
- Feds91Stammer

oh hahah...honestly, I havent been following it at all. When I saw that question by Gulie I went to the AHL site, clicked on "playoff primer" scanned the teams and saw no Pens...thought that was the bracket hahah

Penguins lines/pairs:
Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
McCann-Malkin-Hornqvist
Simon-Bjugstad-Kessel
Blueger-Cullen-Wilson/ZAR

Maatta-Letang
Johnson-Schultz
Pettersson-Gudbranson
Dumoulin-Trotman

Maatta and JJ flipped, everything else the same. So between them for last spot if Dumoulin plays?

oh hahah...honestly, I havent been following it at all. When I saw that question by Gulie I went to the AHL site, clicked on "playoff primer" scanned the teams and saw no Pens...thought that was the bracket hahah
- MattStrat

I mean WBS has to win out and Providence has to lose out but they aren't out of it yet.