I said well before this season started that the first two months are going to be rocky until this teams finds it's groove. They literally overhauled HALF the team. Sully needs to give things time before juggling. These guys need to build chemistry, or at least time to see if they can. If you start throwing everything around because of the first game of the season this team will never find itself.

Like I mentioned in the description - I made this earlier in the week before the game. I just forgot to post it. It's not as much an overreaction or calling for everything to be switched around/juggled now based on 1 game - it's more just how I would've started the season. And how I would've liked the roster to be broken down.

I'm not going to be all doom and gloom or calling for heads after 1 loss. However, I'm not really going to give them the excuse of new players/chemistry for that specific loss - as CHI is in the same situation. And I certainly hope it doesn't take 2 months to find their grove - they might already be out of the playoff picture by then if it does haha.

I would waive Shea so they can recall Zohorna. That lazy penalty Carter took last night was a momentum killer. He deserves to be benched. I also want to see what Ludvig can do. He brings a missing physical element to our blueline.

That's fine with me - it was basically a coin toss on which D I sent down. I just want that extra forward for flexibility - e.g. so you can bench Carter if he continues to do dumb stuff like you mentioned lol.

Probably going to be tough for Ludvig to get in the lineup unless there's an injury I'd imagine. But anything can happen

My concern isn't that they lost, but more the way that they lost. Same exact story as last year. I wouldn't panic yet, need to give it time and see, but if the trend of blowing leads and awful D zone coverage continues then I think it might be time for a coaching shakeup. Nothing definite, but something to monitor

Agree with this. I think it reflects badly on coaching when we have a completely new roster, part of it specifically retooled to help defend in late game situations, and they lose the exact same way as last year. If they just lost I wouldn't be concerned, but the way they did concerns me. I don't want to panic yet, but I think it's something to keep an eye on. If it continues I'd consider a coaching change, I think Dubas would have to. It's a much easier solution than a massive roster turnover which can't be done. I just think we need to implement a defensive/trap system. Not 100% of the time, but for when we have leads or when were playing super super fast teams.

We all want Carter to sit in the press box but it just won’t happen. He’s the C on the 2nd PP. That doesn’t sound like someone near a visit to the press box.

Sully will always play this way and he doesn’t adjust. As much as it drives me nuts I think our players want to win 6-5 every game. We all know it’s just not reality but it’s how this team is wired.

Oh I fully understand this isn't realistic haha - just what I would've done to start the season

Agreed. It was some traumatic flashbacks to last season for Pens fans lol.

I go back and forth. Part of me just wants to keep playing the same way when they have a lead - because that's what got them the lead in the first place. Part of me wants to go complete shutdown. I feel like they seem to do this weird middle ground where they take their foot of the gas - but also don't(or can't) play a defensive/trap system. And that definitely reflects poorly on the coach. A coaching change should definitely be an option that's discussed if this keeps happening - maybe not quite there yet though.

Agree 100%. I don't think we are there yet with coaching either. Need to see at least like 10-15 more games. I'm hoping that defensive collapse against Chicago was more of a one off.

Agree on the middle ground thing. It might be though that they get tired and simply can't have the foot on the gas 100% of a game. Which is very understandable, considering only the most elite skating teams really can. Hopefully it just isn't a problem anymore. If it is though then I would be completely fine with 80% just nonstop offense and trying to score and then going into shutdown mode last period or half of a period. My only concern is against teams like New Jersey and Edmonton that are elite skating teams. I think changing up the strategy a little based on opponent and time in the game could be good.

Another point here. If we are going 100% all in to just scoring a ton and winning every game that way without tons of defense, then I think we fully gotta commit 100%. Meaning at tdl would not hurt at all to get some more offense in the bottom 6.

Yeah I would definitely give Sully some time to figure it out of course - and based on the past 2 games maybe he is? Whatever in game adjustments he made after the 1st in the Caps game and after the 2nd in the Flames game seemed to work. That's a positive sign.

That's a good point - maybe they don't have the skating ability to be on the gas 100% throughout the whole game. And in that case need to focus on a shutdown defensive strategy for when they have leads later in a game.

I would agree. It looks like Dubas purposefully built the team with the plan of "top 6 scores all the goals and bottom 6 doesn't give up any" though haha. And so far it looks like things are going to plan - for better or worse depending on how you see it I guess

I like Harkins so far too and have thought Nieto/Acciari have looked good. Want to see more out of O'Connor, but think he will get it going. I wish they'd play O'Connor at center as I think that is his natural position and he's a lot better there. I think Dubas will make smaller moves around the deadline to retool the bottom 6 a little and maybe the bottom D pair. I wouldn't mind trying to have the 3rd d pair just be shutdown guys, think we get enough offense with Karlsson/Letang.

Thats interesting. I kinda lean towards opposite opinion on DOC and Harkins haha. I actually think DOC has been the best/most noticeable of those 4 - to me he's been good on the forecheck getting pressure/possession and seems to always be around the puck. I think Nieto has been somewhat invisible - but not necessarily in a terrible way. He's just quietly going about his business I guess. Harkins and Acciari have been fine as well. It's hard to say any of them have looked great - but none of them have looked awful. They're going to get heavy dzone starts so none of their numbers are ever going to look good. Their job is just to not give up any goals - and so far so good.

I'm sure he will if they're in a playoff spot at the TDL. Based on the first 3 games it might be difficult to break up that 3rd pair haha - they've been fantastic. But we'll see what happens with a larger sample size