OK, so that’s one win over the Wild, and then what happens?
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13 Comments
Early squad
I feel this emergency state of playing may be too late if the Islanders and Panthers continue to win as well
Agree with you about the team being well-coached throughout. Not sure pointing to Sid’s production under Sully as opposed to his production under other coaches as bolstering your argument given he’s two years from breaking 99’s point-a-game record. That aside I wonder what you think about Sully’s evaluation of the physicality of the defense particularly in front of their own net and Sully’s evaluation of his goaltenders.
Drunken steelers fans criticism of Tomlin? That's myopic.
Typical unhinged response to a question, insinuating between the lines that the person was stupid for asking it. Nice. This kinda retort goes back to his days at the PG doing the Pirates Q&A. That was always a brutal event. Anyway, I don't think anyone is saying Sullivan is a bad coach. He's probably just the wrong coach for this team at the moment, and going forward as well as I stated here before, so I won't go into the reasons again. I also don't put as much value into his past as DK does. Bylsma took the team to two Stanley Cup Finals as well, winning one. He won a Jack Adams award in 2010-11 mostly becuase he got the Penguins to the playoffs without Crosby and Malkin. Sullivan has no Jack Adams awards. Cassidy with the Bruins two seasons ago won COTY, and was fired this season. Yet look at the Bruins now. Do you think at the time anyone would have said Bylsma needed to go? Coach of the Year? But then what happened? Where is this great coach now? I'll tell you. He's HC of the AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds. If you can even find that team's location on a map then bravo to you. Should they give Bylsma another shot? The Firebirds are 46-15-4-2 under him. This Bylsma guy has potential, right? Not a bad NHL coach either as his history obviously proves, right? How could they let a Stanley Cup winning coach of the year go? Was it Shero's fault? Why can't we apply the same sentiment and reason to Sullivan? Too early? Do we have to wait for a few more disappointing seasons like they did Bylsma? I'll tell you what, any new GM will have to match his scouting and player preferences to Sullivan's style of hockey and coaching, and the type of players that requires, so they are already limiting their options at GM by keeping Sullivan. And this is why most new GM's come with a new head coach. Sullivan's already had two GM's, are they to give him a 3rd? How often has that happened in the NHL? The HC stays and the entire ownership and front office revolves around him. A HC who hasn't won a playoff series in 4, going on 5 seasons. Think about that.
It would be fitting if all teams won out and penguins lost out because of their numerous blown leads. If they had just held on when they were up 3-1 on the Islanders they would be up 2 points on the them.
The Panthers have won 5 straight that's a team wanting to get beat by the Bruins
Yes DK they have to win out. And I don't know if this team's got it in them.
The last time a Penguins Stanley Cup winning head coach was fired, it was after blowing a 3-1 lead to the Rangers in the playoffs. The GM (Shero) was fired, and everyone expected Bylsma to be let go too, and he was, but not until Rutherford was hired as GM. It was handled badly. This wasn't a sudden thing though. The Penguins were failing in the postseason for several seasons before that. You knew blowing that lead to the Rangers was the nail in everyone's coffin. Ironically (or not) The Penguins blew another 3-1 lead in the playoffs to the Rangers last season as well. It's a Burgh thing. That made it 4 seasons without even a postseason series win (a worse stretch than with Bylsma and Shero). Yet Hextall wasn't fired since he had just gotten the job, and Sullivan was granted a reprieve as well. This season the Penguins stand a chance of not making the playoffs for the first time in 16 years, and Hextall will deservedly get the boot regardless. It's what happens when poor decisions are made and it hurts the teams chances to succeed. It's what happens when the team doesn't perform up to expectations. What usually doesn't happen is the head coach gets a slap on the wrist (again) and continues on while everyone else loses their jobs. Have things changed with the Penguins that much? Are expectations lower now? Are we just milestone stats watching while the last couple seasons of Crosby and Co. are flushed down the toilet? A long extended fair thee well that Sullivan gets paid to oversee? Are we to include him as part of some magical core too?
The pens are actually 8-0-1 against the wild in the last 9 meetings and fleury has really struggled against us everytime he plays against us I guess playing them might just be a good matchup for us for whatever reason. We absolutely must win the next 3 games at all costs.
I love hockey and respect the game, but these generic, monotone press conferences after games by the players and coaches are just beyond cringe at this point. I wish they would actually say what they feel, and have some passion behind what they’re saying, instead of what feels like scripted off the page answers.
I'm going to that game in Detroit tomorrow. Hopefully we can get the win. My current record when attending penguins games is 1-1.
Man, your defense of Sullivan is pathetic and undermines your credibility. He can both be a good coach and one who is stale here and needs to go. Also, you seem to suggest he had no hand in bringing in the players that Hextall brought in who weren’t good. We’ve seen In the Room video as well as comments from JR and Sullivan himself(e.g. Hagelin trade) that suggest he has long had a voice in who the team brings in via trade or free agency, for good or bad. I have no doubt Hextall consults with him regularly about the roster and outside players, and he gives his opinion. FSG committed to him for a long term extension which would tell Hextall all he needs to know about his place in the organization vis-a-vis Sullivan. The Pittsburgh media going out of their way to defend Sullivan is ridiculous. Both he and the front office should be dispatched after the season