The following salty rant is from a Pittsburgh Penguins fan, yes, I know, Crosby is a crybaby, I know I have heard all the jokes and memes.
So that being said, we would like to thank the Pittsburgh Penguins for participating this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, please pick up your "Choking Dogs" T-shirts on your way out.
Are choking dogs a bit much with this team?
Honestly, no I don't think so, last year we lost to a modern-day trap in the New York Islanders, that I can respect and live with, they were sneaky good. But to lose to the 24th overall team in the NHL, with all that so-called talent is just embarrassing!
When I went on the tip of the iceberg podcast (great set of Pens fans,) I talked about being cautiously optimistic about this series because in the back of my mind, I was afraid this would happen. The team would get complacent and sloppy, the Penguins thought they could get by on Crosby, Malkin and a returning Jake Guentzel and the rest would "figure itself out." Now don't get me wrong, the Canadiens played a hell of a series, Carey Price was god mode and the Habs did just enough in each game to win or not to lose, Jeff Perry had 2 clutch goals, a Game 1 OT winner and the late 3rd-period goal in Game 3, which ended up being the dagger for the series.
I can tell the exact time the series shifted, I knew this Wed night if you followed me on Twitter: The Pens were up 3-1 on Habs, Jake and Sid come down for a 2x1 breakaway if the boys bury the puck, it's 4-1 and all doubt is erased. They solved Carey Price and asserted their dominance; THIS was the Penguins we expected to show up! Instead, they don't convert and a minute(Game time) later, Habs score, then a Habs PPG, then Jeff Petry in the 3rd period..DAGGER!
Many in the Pens community said, the Game 3 loss was a gut punch and the Pens needed to look in the mirror for answers, maybe it's time for some tough changes, Sullivan got defiant at the media when they asked about changes for Game 4. When I heard that, it seemed odd but if you read between the lines, maybe the wheels were falling off and the captain was going to go down with this ship.
Jarry started in game 4 (That's Good), Jack Johnson stayed (That's Bad) Marleau still started on the 3rd line (That's still not good)
The Pens were flat in Game 4, Jarry kept them in it, but one turnover late in the 3rd period doomed this team, Shea Weber empty net sealed their fate.
I don't know how this team goes 3- for whatever on the PP when 2 years ago, they were so lethal, that 3rd line of Marealu-McCann and Hornquivst was an iffy set from the start and dint change. Jack Johnson gets a lot of shit but when you are out there for 74% of the Habs goals, it's not the haters, ITS YOU!! Malkin (my guy) all but disappears for this series when he isn't shanking shots on the PP, Guentzel has 1 goal back from injury, Schultz is a shell of his former self and probably played his last as a Penguin. Patrick Marleau should get shipped off to parts unknown, Bjastead should be done, Riikola could go, hell this could be the summer of Murray moving on with 3 goalies in the pipeline in WBS and Wheeling. And I will personally pack Jared McCann's bags on the way out (NO I DON'T CARE, HE WAS THE 5TH BEST SCORING FORWARD ON THE TEAM, YOU SHUT UP!!!!)
Am I yelling.....I'm yelling, aren't I...Sorry.
Now is the fall of our discontent, I hate to jump on this bandwagon, but I think Mike Sullivan is toast. He is running on the fumes of his Back to back Cup run, people are comparing this to the final days of Dan Balsma, and that's not good. I think Gm JR needs to go too, everyone I mentioned in the above rants are from moves he made. The farm system is gutted from these transactions, draft picks are traded away for short term playoff window opening, and all for what, on last ring for this core.
Some have said trade the core, get rid of Letang, or trade Malkin, no sir, that is nonsense.
Good Bye Pittsburgh Penguins, I waited 4 months for you to return and all I got was 5 days of stressful, disappointing playoff hockey. See you next season, whenever that is, old friend.
That's my opinion
More Game Over coming soon, with less saltiness, and predictions for 1st round, follow me on Twitter @RBloss64 orbal played his last as a Penguin.