It's the old thing, there isn't one player in the league that plays at 100% for all 82 games. Just can't happen. So, when 87 or 58 in particular have a bad night - that's it, we're hooped. Without 87 cookin', that's two really good players next to him that can't really do much themselves. Yeah, Guentzel can shoot it past the goalie (see: game 1 2017 Final), yes Rakell (when he was there) can do some stuff on his own...but generally, 87 drives the bus.
Similarly, 58 is bringing his partner along...and if he's not playing well, that means 28 minutes becomes 22, and that means there's shifts going to...whoever...Ruhwedel or something...
The Penguins are like a junior team or a college team...they have two lines and then the rest of the team just tries to hang on and not take a minus. The only difference is - this isn't college, the teams we're playing against have a plus third line...when you're out-gunned three lines to two, you lose more often than not...
Yup exactly. Which is why I blame Hextall so much. Even the goalie situation, not sure much else he could have done other than swapping out Desmith for another below average goalie albeit maybe a bit better
But what he’s done with the third and fourth lines has been just putrid on so many levels including not even having enough cap to bring up someone from the minors. And then, he gets bailed out with Kapanen and immediately brings in someone that fills almost zero need with a worse cap hit
