It’s cool no worries. I’ve seen 5 cups in my lifetime. I can’t be mad hahaha
- j.boyd919

yes and that's more than every other club in the same timeframe i'd reckon...

Man am I actually rooting for CBJ? I (frank)ing hate that team, but this under dog story is too good!

Man am I actually rooting for CBJ? I (frank)ing hate that team, but this under dog story is too good!
- Victoro311

It’s crazy. I think I’m only rooting for them because it makes me feel less bad about the Pens losing to the Isles.

It’s cool no worries. I’ve seen 5 cups in my lifetime. I can’t be mad hahaha
- j.boyd919

We are pretty spoiled. It’s hard to complain, but it still sucks seeing the demise.

We are pretty spoiled. It’s hard to complain, but it still sucks seeing the demise.
- Rinosaur

Yeah I was really hoping for a Wings slow burn decline where we’re still pretty competitive for a while and only start to get really embarrassed when our stars are super old.

Yeah I was really hoping for a Wings slow burn decline where we’re still pretty competitive for a while and only start to get really embarrassed when our stars are super old.
- Victoro311

Yeah. I guess I'm having a harder time because this team CAN be more competitive.

Barry Trotz clearly knows how to beat this team and no doubt other teams will take note given this is his second team doing with, both of which are very different teams. Penguins never have a back up plan. They are too arrogant to dump the puck in and dump and chase. The problem is we have zero speed but we try to play a speed game. Malkin still thinks he is the player from a decade ago and can just skate through guys whenever he wants. He's been a problem all season.

The big problem for the Penguins is you have a lot of passengers on this roster. Moving on from some guys will be easy given their contracts are up, but you have $5M+ tied up in Horny, $3.25M in Johnson, $4M in Gudbranson. That's over $12.5M tied up in three guys who are giving you nothing and will give you nothing. We have Johnson & Horny for 4 more years after this. I mean JFC.

Rutherford has to answer for this season. Is firing him the right answer? I'm not sure, but clearly he is running from the very things that won him 2 Cups. I was listening to Yohe on 105.9 with Madden this morning and he was saying how Penguins management doesnt use advanced stats... and clearly that's the case.

Is Sullivan the guy? I'm not sure about that either both because the guy clearly commends respect and has done a good job. However a lot of his decisions this season have been questionable at best. I'm not sure who the better option is out there right now so I think you hold onto him. But there has to be a discussion about what this team is trying to do. We cannot be a speed team and deply guys like Aston-Reese, Bjugstad, Horny, Johnson, Gudbranson, etc.

Long story short, I'd rather lose now than avoid a sweep from Washington. This team isnt lacking desire to win, they are just lacking everything else imaginable. This team couldnt be easier to play against right now. I think everyone knows changes will need to be made, I'm just not sure how much room they will have to make changes. And given Rutherford the last 2 years... not sure that's a disaster.

EDIT: Thought: the best thing for our salary cap problem (I dont mean that I want him injured or hurt to cause this), but him retiring would be good. I think if he fails his yearly physical, he still gets paid but it doesnt count against the cap. We have to do something to get his cap off the books but I dont think trading him is an option.

These games have been awful. Aside from being a Pens fan the entertainment is lacking. The AVS/Flames game had more energy than any of these games. I am not sure what the answer is but the issues are quite long.

1. GM makes dumb trades/signings
2. Coach is average
3. Star Players are getting old and hurt a lot
4. Defense, 1 great dman, 2 good ones, 3 bad ones
5. Murray, is he a legit good G? Or just avg?
6. The rest of the roster is mostly a bunch of plugs that are vanilla.

I know most of this board likes the softer brand of hockey but years ago Talbot dropped the gloves vs the Flyers got his ass kicked but it fired the pens up and they won the series.

make it a series, boys.

make it a series, boys.
- Blackstrom2

It looks like the Penguins will be breaking the tradition of facing the Caps in the second round.

We are pretty spoiled. It’s hard to complain, but it still sucks seeing the demise.
- Rinosaur

Yes.

make it a series, boys.
- Blackstrom2

Nah. Just get it over with, shake hands, and lets get ready for the draft.

This team has been too arrogant and I get it. Back-to-back champs, yada yada yada. However, we are now 2 years removed from that. Time to move on.

Honestly, I hope for a sweep or five games. Would rather see the Islanders win it at home than on our ice, but maybe a sweep will get the point across. Listening to the guys on the team, I dont sense they truly get how awful they've been. A sweep would send a loud message to ownership.

Nah. Just get it over with, shake hands, and lets get ready for the draft.

This team has been too arrogant and I get it. Back-to-back champs, yada yada yada. However, we are now 2 years removed from that. Time to move on.

Honestly, I hope for a sweep or five games. Would rather see the Islanders win it at home than on our ice, but maybe a sweep will get the point across. Listening to the guys on the team, I dont sense they truly get how awful they've been. A sweep would send a loud message to ownership.
- SuperHenderson13

Ownership signed JJ to a long-term contract and traded for a $4M 3rd pairing dman. While I’m personally fine with how Gudbranson has played, ownership is fully invested in their back-end and not the type of investments they can easily walk away from, nor is it clear they think they should. In fact, they doubled down.

Why blame the coach when you have elite players not scoring. It’s not Sullivan’s fault Crosby Malkin Kessel and Letang are nonexistent
- jchst22

Letang has been terrible.
Sid’s line has been shot down by the Cizikas line.
Malkin is showing up occasionally.

We have so many problems on this team.

The main reason I didn’t want the Pens playing the Islanders is they were just going to expect to win. Islanders have a chip on their shoulder. The younger cup guys have no clue what to do when sh it doesn’t go their way. Crosby is time and time again in the corner in the offensive zone with 3 Islanders around him and Guentzel is just standing in the slot waiting for Sid to do it all and get him the puck. SIDS great but he’s not a 1 man forecheck.

Dumo and schultz besides his goal gm1 have been terrible, I feel like I'm living in 1993 til infinity I cant getr ray ferraro out of my nightmares

Good on Torts and Columbus though. I hate to see the Pens losing but I like that teams are proving you can win with less talent more heart approach. The Islanders and Columbus are just hungrier. Every loose puck is theirs. Also great seeing Evander Kane start running around down by three and get immediately squashed into place by Reaves. I think the older I get and after watching 3 cup runs I just want to watch good hockey, and it pisses me off my life long favorite team can’t even make s game if it.

I love how the best game we had (getting to overtime game 1) was when Jack Johnson did not dress. When even my 4-year-old son can see how bad he is (he flat out asked me who is #73 daddy? He sucks!" it's time to let him have a seat in the press box then execute a buyout!

Onto the fun part... I am a metal head and as such; I have hair down to my shoulders. I love the Pens through and through, but I am so confident that this version of the Penguins will not win this series that if they somehow win the series I will shave my head completely!
- MaDdMuNk87

I asked about a month ago who was the last guy the Pens bought out. I am still waiting for someone to give me an answer. The NHL has had three compliance buyouts since 2005, the Pens did not use a one.

Barry Trotz clearly knows how to beat this team and no doubt other teams will take note given this is his second team doing with, both of which are very different teams. Penguins never have a back up plan. They are too arrogant to dump the puck in and dump and chase. The problem is we have zero speed but we try to play a speed game. Malkin still thinks he is the player from a decade ago and can just skate through guys whenever he wants. He's been a problem all season.

The big problem for the Penguins is you have a lot of passengers on this roster. Moving on from some guys will be easy given their contracts are up, but you have $5M+ tied up in Horny, $3.25M in Johnson, $4M in Gudbranson. That's over $12.5M tied up in three guys who are giving you nothing and will give you nothing. We have Johnson & Horny for 4 more years after this. I mean JFC.

Rutherford has to answer for this season. Is firing him the right answer? I'm not sure, but clearly he is running from the very things that won him 2 Cups. I was listening to Yohe on 105.9 with Madden this morning and he was saying how Penguins management doesnt use advanced stats... and clearly that's the case.

Is Sullivan the guy? I'm not sure about that either both because the guy clearly commends respect and has done a good job. However a lot of his decisions this season have been questionable at best. I'm not sure who the better option is out there right now so I think you hold onto him. But there has to be a discussion about what this team is trying to do. We cannot be a speed team and deply guys like Aston-Reese, Bjugstad, Horny, Johnson, Gudbranson, etc.

Long story short, I'd rather lose now than avoid a sweep from Washington. This team isnt lacking desire to win, they are just lacking everything else imaginable. This team couldnt be easier to play against right now. I think everyone knows changes will need to be made, I'm just not sure how much room they will have to make changes. And given Rutherford the last 2 years... not sure that's a disaster.

EDIT: Thought: the best thing for our salary cap problem (I dont mean that I want him injured or hurt to cause this), but him retiring would be good. I think if he fails his yearly physical, he still gets paid but it doesnt count against the cap. We have to do something to get his cap off the books but I dont think trading him is an option.
- SuperHenderson13

A lot of good thoughts, some I agree with some I don't. The first thing I would like to note is that Rutherford was just signed to a three year extension and that hasn't even kicked in yet. So firing him won't happen. At best he will get reassigned, which of course equates to being fired.

Good on Torts and Columbus though. I hate to see the Pens losing but I like that teams are proving you can win with less talent more heart approach. The Islanders and Columbus are just hungrier. Every loose puck is theirs. Also great seeing Evander Kane start running around down by three and get immediately squashed into place by Reaves. I think the older I get and after watching 3 cup runs I just want to watch good hockey, and it pisses me off my life long favorite team can’t even make s game if it.
- Grinder47

Bruh... Columbus has a lot of big name talent..

Dumo and schultz besides his goal gm1 have been terrible, I feel like I'm living in 1993 til infinity I cant getr ray ferraro out of my nightmares
- Jordy8

haha good song.

Bruh... Columbus has a lot of big name talent..
- Guile

Yeah, they're actually pretty deep after getting D and D from the Sens. Have a pretty balanced lineup.

Nah. Just get it over with, shake hands, and lets get ready for the draft.

This team has been too arrogant and I get it. Back-to-back champs, yada yada yada. However, we are now 2 years removed from that. Time to move on.

Honestly, I hope for a sweep or five games. Would rather see the Islanders win it at home than on our ice, but maybe a sweep will get the point across. Listening to the guys on the team, I dont sense they truly get how awful they've been. A sweep would send a loud message to ownership.
- SuperHenderson13

F that.

If they're still in it, there's still hope, albeit a very small amount. A lot of fans out there would love for their team to of even made it.

Certainly not hoping it ends.

We are pretty spoiled. It’s hard to complain, but it still sucks seeing the demise.
- Rinosaur

Meh. It’s not like we (well some of us) didn’t see it at the beginning of the year. How many times did we say this team has no identity?

Meh. It’s not like we (well some of us) didn’t see it at the beginning of the year. How many times did we say this team has no identity?
- j.boyd919

To me, after the trades had settled in, it looked they were starting to build one in March.