Penguins Bedeviled

The Mike Johnston Watch has officially restarted. Indeed, in the wake of Saturday’s dismal 4-0 drubbing at the hands of New Jersey—one of the worst inflicted on a Penguins team in years—MJ may want to dust off his resume. Or deny any association with the team.

Talk about lifeless. The Penguins could’ve saved ownership some bucks by seeking a refund for their plane tickets and forfeiting the game. Which they pretty much did upon taking the ice.

Out-hit, out-shot, outhustled. A stinko effort in every way. Worthy of a player’s only meeting afterward.

“We didn’t compete,” Sidney Crosby said in an understatement of the highest magnitude. “We didn’t deserve to win.”

Evgeni Malkin agreed.

“We’re not playing right,” Geno said. “We’re not working hard. I know it’s tough right now. We’re mad at each other. We need to stop, look in the mirror and start working. We’re not working.”

Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux can’t be pleased. They’re not shelling out top dollar for a high-profile core of Crosby, Malkin and Phil Kessel to watch them languish.

Heck, it’s as if the team’s goal is to score a goal. That just shouldn’t be. Not with the talent the Pens possess.

Nearing the quarter-pole of the season, Johnston and his staff are still groping for answers. As if the team’s paucity of production and anemic power play are part of some vast, unsolvable cosmic riddle.

They’d better find some solutions. Pronto. Even it means loosening the reins on the stars. After all, Lemieux didn’t amass 1723 career points by playing both ends of the ice. He cherry-picked, but plenty. Johnston needs to cut the erstwhile Two-Headed Monster—Crosby and Malkin—some slack instead of shackling them to a 200-foot game.

If he can’t, he needs to go.

It’s ironic that while our Penguins sputter the Devils overachieve. That’s because rookie head coach John Hynes has them playing spirited, aggressive hockey.

You remember Hynes. The fellow who squeezed the most from modestly talented Baby Pens squads for five years before being hired away by former Pens GM Ray Shero. Toiling anonymously right under our collective noses.

Just like Bobby Farnham, the spunky winger who pitchforked the Pens with the Devils’ third goal. A goal that sucked the life out of his former team and drew him even with Crosby in terms of production.

Back to our Pens. It’s true a coach can only do so much. However, responsibility for the Penguins’ shoddy play ultimately falls on Johnston and his assistants. MJ bought some time with the black and gold’s earlier turnaround. But make no mistake.

The clock is ticking.