Agreed on the sample size, but the playoffs just don't offer any wiggle room. The Pens just seemed so out of sorts, except for parts of game 1 and a couple minutes last night. They also seem snake-bit... a bit... too.
- Cousinskrid

They had multiple losing streaks of 4 or more games throughout the season.

It would be interesting to know if Sullivan and GMJR are even on the same page, or if they have been quietly butting heads behind the scenes... player usage/non stands out a lot, and not just this series.

I continue to find it comical how little callout Letang gets in this blog. I keep reading how JMFJ continues to drag not only Malkin, but the WHOLE team down, and so what is Sid's excuse? If Letang is so perfect in the same regard, then why did Sid only have one assist the entire series?

When you continually base a team's demise on the lesser players... JJ, Guds, etc, I just don't think you're seeing the whole picture. 6 goals in 4 playoff games is not all their fault.

As much as I can't stand RW's writing style (he comes off as an angry former player who never quite lived up to expectations) I do enjoy reading all the comments.

Kudos BIGTIME to the Isles... they played 4 almost-perfect games against a supposedly MUCH better team, and BEAT THEM quite handily from what I saw... goaltending, passing, skating, team defense (the list is endless). Hope they beat the snot out of WSH.
- Cousinskrid

This was a team loss, from top to bottom. Rutherford, Sullivan all the way to the fourth line.

The Pens were not a much better team in many eyes. Most people know this was going to be a close series. And I would say most people thought the two teams were very close to even. No one expected it to last just four games.

They had multiple losing streaks of 4 or more games throughout the season.
- BINGO!

The Pens had a bi-polar season with two stretches that bought them a playoff spot. The lows of this season's team are the lowest I've seen in some time.

The Pens had a bi-polar season with two stretches that bought them a playoff spot. The lows of this season's team are the lowest I've seen in some time.
- Rinosaur

TBH I didn't expect DET to finish with the same amount of playoff wins as PIT and TBL this season. What a huge year.

This off-season is basically going to tell us what direction of this team for the next four or so years. The biggest question we will get answered is what will they do with Johnson.

Can the Pens move Johnson? Yes, but not easily. Not only would it probably take around 50% salary retention, but some serious extra incentives or taking back another unwanted salary that could possibly find life with the Pens.

Can they buy him out? Of course, but that would be a tough pill to swallow

Do they even think he's an issue? This is the burning question.

I believe Maatta and Kessel played their last games in a Pens uniform. While that doesn't make me happy, I don't mind the Pens re-tooling if it's with purpose and direction. If Maatta and Kessel are gone, but JJ remains? This team basically is what is for the remainder for Geno's contract.

TBH I didn't expect DET to finish with the same amount of playoff wins as PIT and TBL this season. What a huge year.
- Feds91Stammer

LOL. My buddy is a Ranger fan and he texted me after basically saying the same thing. The Pens won as many playoff games as the Rangers.

I really believed the Pens were going to miss the playoffs this year and part of me wonders if they maybe the should have. I'm not sure what will/would have caused the Pens to take the deepest look at this team; missing the playoffs altogether or getting swept in the first round.

This off-season is basically going to tell us what direction of this team for the next four or so years. The biggest question we will get answered is what will they do with Johnson.

Can the Pens move Johnson? Yes, but not easily. Not only would it probably take around 50% salary retention, but some serious extra incentives or taking back another unwanted salary that could possibly find life with the Pens.

Can they buy him out? Of course, but that would be a tough pill to swallow

Do they even think he's an issue? This is the burning question.

I believe Maatta and Kessel played their last games in a Pens uniform. While that doesn't make me happy, I don't mind the Pens re-tooling if it's with purpose and direction. If Maatta and Kessel are gone, but JJ remains? This team basically is what is for the remainder for Geno's contract.
- Rinosaur

The window is closed. Time to seriously consider entering the rebuild now. Otherwise you are looking at a DET scenario where you are a bubble team for 5 years which is then followed by 5 years of complete sucking.

LOL. My buddy is a Ranger fan and he texted me after basically saying the same thing. The Pens won as many playoff games as the Rangers.

I really believed the Pens were going to miss the playoffs this year and part of me wonders if they maybe the should have. I'm not sure what will/would have caused the Pens to take the deepest look at this team; missing the playoffs altogether or getting swept in the first round.
- Rinosaur

Haha just ask Boyd. I had been rooting for DET to miss the playoffs for a few years because it was the only thing to wake up management even a little bit.

The window is closed. Time to seriously consider entering the rebuild now. Otherwise you are looking at a DET scenario where you are a bubble team for 5 years which is then followed by 5 years of complete sucking.
- Feds91Stammer

Nah. They still have multiple 80+ point producers, a great young goalie and a stud D-man. They have good younger pieces too. The D needs an overhaul but I'm not so sure that's easy to achieve.

The window is closed. Time to seriously consider entering the rebuild now. Otherwise you are looking at a DET scenario where you are a bubble team for 5 years which is then followed by 5 years of complete sucking.
- Feds91Stammer

Maybe I've got my black-and-goldies on, but I don't think the window is closed just yet. I think the Pens have enough solid players surrounding the core guys that if they made some drastic changes THAT MADE SENSE they can be right back up there. Now, it's totally time to enter the rebuild if they can't make those hard decisions.

Maybe I've got my black-and-goldies on, but I don't think the window is closed just yet. I think the Pens have enough solid players surrounding the core guys that if they made some drastic changes THAT MADE SENSE they can be right back up there. Now, it's totally time to enter the rebuild if they can't make those hard decisions.
- Rinosaur

It's not but some changes are required and some of them wont be easy to achieve.

What’s the point of typing the exact same answer to you if I can direct you to the exact same thing I was going to say? Then you can reply to that and we can continue the conversation. If you want I can copy and paste my reply because it’s legitimately the same argument.
- j.boyd919

Easy dude, I was just being sarcastic...

I do get the concept of maximizing the roster, as I too wondered about quite a few of Sully's decisions this season, and this series in particular. I suppose what has me hung up is the stretch in March when Letang was out and the Pens seemed to play a pretty solid, sound stretch there. And I'm not saying this was JJ's doing in any sort of way, but the TEAM played a much better game as a team... I thought...

Maybe chemistry has run its course with this group is all, and I just don't think in the ultimate team sport that the lesser players are always the derserved whipping boys. If JJ is the root cause of Malkin's demise, as I have seen written here many times, then Letang was no better in this regard for Sid's line.

This, and I've always tended to stick up for the underdogs... flashy palyers always seem to get a bye, no matter how sh!tty they play.

It's not but some changes are required and some of them wont be easy to achieve.
- MattStrat

There's a lot of what-ifs. Just because you CAN move players, doesn't mean the proper return is there to be had. If the Pens intend on moving Maatta and possibly Kessel, again, I'm not for it, but if the return is right I'm open. There are a lot of questions...

1) Do they move them for future and spend in FA?
2) Are there the right players in FA?
3) What players are available in return for either of those guys?

If you're going to move Maatta and Kessel then IMO you need to move Hornqvist and Johnson which are the harder contracts to move.

Maybe I've got my black-and-goldies on, but I don't think the window is closed just yet. I think the Pens have enough solid players surrounding the core guys that if they made some drastic changes THAT MADE SENSE they can be right back up there. Now, it's totally time to enter the rebuild if they can't make those hard decisions.
- Rinosaur

I am really just seeing the ages of Kessel, Letang, Malkin, and Crosby. Couple that with the overall supporting cast/cap situation and it reminds me a lot of the DET 5 year run as bubble teams.

Easy dude, I was just being sarcastic...

I do get the concept of maximizing the roster, as I too wondered about quite a few of Sully's decisions this season, and this series in particular. I suppose what has me hung up is the stretch in March when Letang was out and the Pens seemed to play a pretty solid, sound stretch there. And I'm not saying this was JJ's doing in any sort of way, but the TEAM played a much better game as a team... I thought...

Maybe chemistry has run its course with this group is all, and I just don't think in the ultimate team sport that the lesser players are always the derserved whipping boys. If JJ is the root cause of Malkin's demise, as I have seen written here many times, then Letang was no better in this regard for Sid's line.

This, and I've always tended to stick up for the underdogs... flashy palyers always seem to get a bye, no matter how sh!tty they play.
- Cousinskrid

Letang just returned from injury, so did Dumo, they both were pretty bad when normally together one of the better pairings in the league. JJ is ALWAYS bad. That's 3 of the D core there not good this series, 2 of which usually munch major minutes.

They sucked all year.
- Feds91Stammer

The stretch in March (without Letang) was encouraging.

I am really just seeing the ages of Kessel, Letang, Malkin, and Crosby. Couple that with the overall supporting cast/cap situation and it reminds me a lot of the DET 5 year run as bubble teams.
- Feds91Stammer

This is why if they do re-tool it needs to be properly calculated. Sid, Geno and Letang can still play with the best of them, but they need more support now. They need faster more tenacious players around them who can take some of the workload off their plate.

Now, are those players even available? Who knows.

If they're going to blow it up, the players that stay are Sid, Geno, Kessel, Letang, Dumo, Jake, Bjug, McCann, Bloog, Schultz and Murray.

If you properly build around that group with the right mix of speed and tenacity, then you're right back up there IMO.

The stretch in March (without Letang) was encouraging.
- Cousinskrid

Also when they hit dead last in the conference in November or December they won 8 or 9 in a row.


I think a huge factor here was all the players returning from injury so close to playoffs. The team as a whole looked out of sync.

Easy dude, I was just being sarcastic...

I do get the concept of maximizing the roster, as I too wondered about quite a few of Sully's decisions this season, and this series in particular. I suppose what has me hung up is the stretch in March when Letang was out and the Pens seemed to play a pretty solid, sound stretch there. And I'm not saying this was JJ's doing in any sort of way, but the TEAM played a much better game as a team... I thought...

Maybe chemistry has run its course with this group is all, and I just don't think in the ultimate team sport that the lesser players are always the derserved whipping boys. If JJ is the root cause of Malkin's demise, as I have seen written here many times, then Letang was no better in this regard for Sid's line.

This, and I've always tended to stick up for the underdogs... flashy palyers always seem to get a bye, no matter how sh!tty they play.
- Cousinskrid

I didn’t mean it like that lol I was just being honest. And don’t get me wrong, all the players and coaches deserve blame as well as the Islanders and Trotz deserve credit.