Why does Mike Sullivan keep playing Jeff Carter and Brian Dumoulin even though they’ve been among the #Penguins worst players? Dejan Kovacevic of DK Pittsburgh Sports asked the head coach after the 6-0 loss to the Rangers on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
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47 Comments
When he said you keep calling the same names every night, I would've liked to have responded, "That's because, so do you!"
Sully is one of the best coaches in NHL history but every coach has a shelf life. This response shows that he has reached it. Maybe the best thing that could happen for next year is the Penguins to miss the playoffs as I would imagine it would lead to big changes.
i love how he answered nothing, call us wrong abt Carter and repeats this every week lol splendid!! š
The main problem is Ron Hextall and it will remain so until he is fired.
I just cannot believe that he cannot utter a single negative thing about these few players' struggles.
This emotional attachment to these players is going to hold them from their full potential.
We are looking at the final few years of Malkin, Letang, and Crosby, and THIS is how Sullivan is running the ship?
This is a really unlikable situation.
Mike is a decorated coach. But at this point, I think both he AND the GM (and Burke) have to go.
I hate saying this, but the way this team is being run is not working.
Ok. Weāll leave the usual suspects out of this. This freaking front office traded for a $5 million, multiple-year cap hit in Granlund who might be fine ā meaning replacement level ā if he were $1-2 million.
So they go right back into cap hell. They blow numerous other personnel moves that weāve all gone over as nauseum. The list is endless. But one that doesnāt come up often enough is these geniuses wanted to trade Petterson, who only ends up being a really solid player. For the love of all things Penguin, these idiots canāt be let anywhere near the draft, free agency, contract extensions (dear god), or anything else.
6th in the whole league DK!!!
This team needs a rebuild I really feel for Crosby he deserves better I swear!!!
He needs fired. I hope they clean house at the end of the season. Based on their play, that should be really soon.
This just sucks.
The igloo has melted and Sully needs to go.
I just keep seeing Carter not making efforts in certain situations at all.
Goals against where Carter is seeing what's happening and not even remotely making an effort..
I don't dislike Carter at all, I just feel like he's lost the drive to be a successful hockey player.
Details, ?
How about another first round bounce.
Or how many details does it take to lose 6-0.
I mean the rags have an all star roster now, which btw the league should look into because playing the cap is becoming a mockery.
Multiple team trades needs to be axed, patrick kane at under 3 mil?
Vladdy 3 mil?
This is egregious.
Not to mention they get away with assault everytime they play.
Shit is sickening.
Time to call up the AHL coach.
Jarry is trying to get back into game formā¦.. brutal. He was so good last year. He is costing the pens games now
Wow DK. Great work!!! Thank you for having the balls to ask this flat out.. just like you presented it.
Eye opening for sure. I think the even more frustrating thing about Sully is. His unwillingness to give young guys the leash he gives to Carter and Dumo.
He clearly isn't good at evaluating his in house talent anymore (meaning AHLers and top prospects to be called upon).
We've seen Sunquivist go on and have good success and play pretty damn well for St Louis… he ended up being a legit NHL forward for several years… even if he's out of the league after this year. That could have changed the landscape of this team a bit.
Look at Lafferty. Look at Sprong. There's so many examples.
You have Daniel Sprong almost having a 20 goal season… but he'd never play him because his "lack of defense prowess". How can guys ever get better if you don't give them a chance? Pascal Dupuis played w Sid.
You could put any young guy on sids wing and it'll be fine. You HAVE to give young guys a chance. And not yank them from the lineup when they have a bad stretch like he's doing with PoJ.
Watch. If we let PoJ and Ty Smith walk. They're going to ball the fuck out somewhere else. If we would ride these 2. For just 1m to 2.5m contracts. We could easily sign Zucker… but I bet Sully won't push for this. He needs to go if he won't give the young guys a chance.
This team sucks..Donāt defend the coach
š¶Strike up — the music — the band has begunš¶
bum bum BUM bum
š¶The Pennsylvania Polkaš¶
WHO CARES ABOUT WINNING FACEOFFS WHEN YOURE LOSING GAMES
Thank goodness for an interesting Steeler's offseason. BTW, during that 60% of the times when Carts wins a face-off, I feel I'm in control of my life. The other 40% of the time when he loses the draw and when he makes a bad play then everything goes to crap. Somehow, Sully's repeated refusal to acknowledge Carter's bad play in the hockey world has created a fissure in time and space pushing the effects of his negative play into the real world. Stop it, Sully!
If I recall correctly, there was a time when this team refused to have "one-trick-pony" type players taking a roster spot. Meaning that goons, tough guys, enforcers, whatever you like to call them, didn't get roster spots because they were specialists in one area and didn't fit the style or philosophy of the team, meaning they couldn't play the way the staff needed or wanted them to play. I guess it is okay now if that "Specialist" can win a face-off, then chop the puck into a million bits trying to stick-handle, cough up turn-overs when making plays, and look slow and out of sorts when trying to make effort plays? I am fine with not having certain archetypes of players on a roster, but by that logic keeping a player in the line-up because they can do one thing well at the expense of the overall game that they can provide, well that's baffling. What is Einstein's definition of insanity? Doing the same things over and over, expecting a different result. Figure it out, Einstein.
Ok, thatās it, Sully must go. Canāt just throw away a great season from the core just to protect Dumoās and Carterās feelings, especially at this point in their careers. Enough is enough
Nothing will destroy a great player faster than watching his coach tolerate and reward the bad ones
Ballsy question to ask. Good work.
They just canāt face the facts. This team isnāt making the playoffs. Apparently they donāt even care. These magical face off numbers donāt translate to victories. This team is gonna end up like the pirates. You will start to see a bunch more empty seats and will be headed down to the arena for the āatmosphereā , not the chance to watch a competitive game.
Repeat offenders are sent to Siberia.
Sully needs to go!!
This was asked tastefully and Sully totally evaded the question. Honestly. I would fire him right now. This team is in disarray and the playoffs are no sure thing. Hextall mismanaged the roster and Sullivan has been doing his worst coaching job this year.
IF what he's saying is TRUE…then why was CARTER & DUMO..both MINUS 4…the other night
Okay, Carter definitely has some compromising photos of Sully, or something. š
Canāt they train other players to do well in face offs ? Carter stinks in the rest of his game.
If he says that itās a team effort, then what is HIS responsibility and what does he think he is to blame for?
As bad as DuCart are, the 0-5 PP isn't doing the team any favors. Before i forget, Carter's a "pylon".
Jarry is no good he's the back up keep desmith in
Dumolin has been a – 2, – 1, – 3 in his last three games. Maybe that's why they're asking about him, lol
I think he did a great job of nicely calling you the ass wipe that you are. The people who want him fired will get what they deserve, a last place team and an empty arena. Who knows, maybe they will become the Quebec Penguins.
Silly canāt come out and say that certain players suck or that the solution is to bag skate people.
I noticed that Sully did not address Dumo's play at all. But he is right, this is a team sport, and our D is simply not any good collectively. That obviously adversely affects the quality of the goalies play. I would say Letang is the the only strong performer on D this season. As to Carter, I really think this is his last year and I think he would have more to give in the playoffs…I think you rag on him in part because he doesnt talk to reporters (you keep mentioning that). As to Dumo? WTF..he needs to sit this one out and we can only hope this will be his last year.
Seems like Sullivan is making excuses rather than putting the best guys on the ice talks about face-off percentage when Carter is The worst mine is player on the team. This team has blown leads the whole entire season Sullivan is turning into Dan Bylsma
Sullivan is delusional
JARRY STINKS PERIOD
Thanks for trying DK.
Remember the days of me begging for this guy to be fired and people mocking my ask??? good times
Nope, the Pens locked this arrogant coach up for 4 more years. Who's laughing now?
I appreciate what Mike Sullivan has done, but he's starting to become stubborn like Dan Blysma in not making changes. Blysma did that after he won a cup in 2009, he failed to change his system and ultimately was fired years later.
I am completely fine with this team missing the playoffs, because failing to make the playoffs will force change. Fenway Sports Group is probably the ones who wanted to bring back Malkin and Letang last summer, but their intention I can guarantee you was brining them back and not missing the playoffs. Missing the playoffs guarantees change and probably ends the time of both Ron Hextall and Brian Burke and if the lopsided losses continue, maybe Mike Sullivan as well.
Coach has to protect his players from the media. That said, Carter needs to be scratched
I am DONE with Sullivan and his āwe know better than you or the stats tellā BS in regards to the question asked. Kudos to you DK for having the guts to ask the 500 lbs elephant in the room obvious question. This team is doomed and Mikey is going to tell us the Titanic will be A OK for its next voyage.
I hear everyone dogging Sully, but what is he supposed to say? The GM is me making me keep him in? Or yeah I know he is playing like crap? Its a hard spot to be in. I think when he said its deeper then that. It said a lot. If Sully was GM/Coach things would be a lot different.
Maybe what he sees as picking on certain guys actually has some merit. If some players are mentioned in a negative context more often than not, maybe there's a reason why.
I believe he knows more about the ins and outs of hockey and analyzes more hockey in a week, than any of us ever have.