GDT: Penguins @ Sabres, Jan 17, 2025 - 7:00PM, MSG 📺, WGR550 📻 🎙

[eman]

1 minute ago, K012010 said:

It’s SO BAD. My God it’s unreal. And with all the ‘talent’ there it’s absolutely inexcusable. 

and it's the same season after season. Not sure if the coaching staff is to blame or the players simply refuse to play proper NHL defense. I'm stunned as to why this continues every season. You have to help your goaltender out.  UPL can't be expected to stand on his head game in game out just to try to get this club 2 points and then get the blame when he doesn't. The defense has been putrid for seasons and it includes the captain! Sure he can skate and shoot but he's listed on the roster as a defenseman and it is the really weak part of his game!

[K012010]

Just now, Sidc3000 said:

No one on this team is good. 

If we’re ranking positions of concern right now with this ***** show, goalie is genuinely last on my list. First time I’ve been somewhat comfortable with the position since Miller left. 

I think we’ve been spoiled as a franchise with our goaltending and it’s affecting our perception of the reality. UPL is absolutely a competent number one goaltender in the NHL. But he is not Hasek. Or Miller. And that’s okay imo. I could see him approaching Miller level at some point.

[Carmel Corn]

4 minutes ago, K012010 said:

You seriously don’t think his stats are affected by the Swiss cheese—I mean defense—in front of him?

This is our defense’s fault. We have a number one goalie on a fair contract. Our defense is the problem. It’s killing this team, and UPL’s stats. 

He is an average goalie on a fair contract, that is it.  You’re missing my point, which is that he has to be an OUTSTANDING goalie for this team to be good.  Yes the defense sucks….which is why only an outstanding goalie can keep saving their bacon to steal games on a regular basis.

[K012010]

Just now, eman said:

and it's the same season after season. Not sure if the coaching staff is to blame or the players simply refuse to play proper NHL defense. I'm stunned as to why this continues every season. You have to help your goaltender out.  UPL can't be expected to stand on his head game in game out just to try to get this club 2 points and then get the blame when he doesn't. The defense has been putrid for seasons and it includes the captain! Sure he can skate and shoot but he's listed on the roster as a defenseman and it is the really weak part of his game!

Yeah this is exactly what I’m saying. We frickin have two #1 overall picks and a #4 overall! Haha. They’re always out of position, they’re soft, they consistently take awful penalties at the worst times, and they absolutely hang UPL out to dry more often than not. 

You’re exactly right— and too many people here are expecting UPL to stand on his head every single night, which just isn’t fair or realistic. 

[bob_sauve28]

What happened to Tage? 

[Brawndo]

Samuelsson and Jokiharju combined 7.3 Million cap hit 

[Crusader1969]

5 minutes ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

You put even an average defense in front of UPL and he's probably in the top third of the league stats-wise. How many times do we see guys just allowed to unload from the slot with little resistance or a gaffe up ice lead to an odd man rush? This team is has horrible discipline and an even lower hockey IQ and the poor guy in net pays for it.

Think you are being too generous.   There are 2 goalies in this game and clearly he isn't the better of them tonight 

 

[Slack_in_MA]

Just now, Brawndo said:

Samuelsson and Jokiharju combined 7.3 Million cap hit 

Dump

[K012010]

2 minutes ago, Carmel Corn said:

He is an average goalie on a fair contract, that is it.  You’re missing my point, which is that he has to be an OUTSTANDING goalie for this team to be good.  Yes the defense sucks….which is why only an outstanding goalie can keep saving their bacon to steal games on a regular basis.

I agree in principle with what you’re saying. I think he’s better than average, but I will admit that I am slightly goalie biased. It’s my favorite position and I was obsessed with Hasek and Miller more than any other players.

In an effort to be as objective as possible, I will say that maybe I’m writing him slightly higher than others, but I do think he’s pretty damn good in the root of our issues with goaltending actually stem from defensive problems that are really significant. 

[eman]

2 minutes ago, Carmel Corn said:

He is an average goalie on a fair contract, that is it.  You’re missing my point, which is that he has to be an OUTSTANDING goalie for this team to be good.  Yes the defense sucks….which is why only an outstanding goalie can keep saving their bacon to steal games on a regular basis.

I think it' time GM Kevyn really tried to get a defensive defenseman. One with an edge or at least some grit that will take the body and not "stick check". In fact Kevyn, try to collect 2 or 3 of them if you possibly can. Because this teams D is rotten and any goalie worth his salt ain't signing here knowing the D that's in front of him.

 

[K012010]

Is it just me or was Thompson way more accurate last year with picking out corners in open spots in the net?

He’s literally hitting center mass every time other than a rare snipe slap shot

[bob_sauve28]

Cozens having another good night. Hopefully one goes in for him 

[K012010]

Just now, eman said:

I think it' time GM Kevyn really tried to get a defensive defenseman. One with an edge or at least some grit that will take the body and not "stick check". In fact Kevyn, try to collect 2 or 3 of them if you possibly can. Because this teams D is rotten and any goalie worth his salt ain't signing here knowing the D that's in front of him.

 

I couldn’t agree more with this

[bob_sauve28]

Sabretooth piling on Malkin 

[HumanSlinky39]

2 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Samuelsson and Jokiharju combined 7.3 Million cap hit 

[K012010]

2 minutes ago, eman said:

I think it' time GM Kevyn really tried to get a defensive defenseman. One with an edge or at least some grit that will take the body and not "stick check". In fact Kevyn, try to collect 2 or 3 of them if you possibly can. Because this teams D is rotten and any goalie worth his salt ain't signing here knowing the D that's in front of him.

 

Wasn’t this actually supposed to be Samuelson though?

[Carmel Corn]

What a bunch of wimps….your goalie gets hit and nobody does a damm thing….Muel, Dahlin, etc. did nothing afterwards.  No heart, no balls, nobody cares

[K012010]

This team makes me so mad sometimes

[Believer]

Every shot we’ve made from the slot has been right into the goaltender. 

Frustrating.

 

[thewookie1]

These refs are bloody idiots

[jad1]

2 minutes ago, eman said:

I think it' time GM Kevyn really tried to get a defensive defenseman. One with an edge or at least some grit that will take the body and not "stick check". In fact Kevyn, try to collect 2 or 3 of them if you possibly can. Because this teams D is rotten and any goalie worth his salt ain't signing here knowing the D that's in front of him.

 

He should have done this five years ago.  But he didn't because he is terrible at his job.

[bob_sauve28]

That's a a penalty
????

[thewookie1]

1 minute ago, Carmel Corn said:

What a bunch of wimps….your goalie gets hit and nobody does a damm thing….Muel, Dahlin, etc. did nothing afterwards.  No heart, no balls, nobody cares

Muel did go to him but the ref wouldn’t let him get even close

[Slack_in_MA]

Just now, Carmel Corn said:

What a bunch of wimps….your goalie gets hit and nobody does a damm thing….Muel, Dahlin, etc. did nothing afterwards.  No heart, no balls, nobody cares

Nah, just a collection of players wearing the same uniform. Unless they're winning.

Not a team.

[K012010]

1 minute ago, jad1 said:

He should have done this five years ago.  But he didn't because he is terrible at his job.

All three of our top five overall defensive picks are offensive defenseman who don’t really score and are super soft on the defensive end. Dahlia isn’t technically soft I don’t think but he’s out of position way more than somebody of his talent level should be and he also takes some of the worst penalties of anyone on the team.

Edited Saturday at 01:42 AM by K012010