The Penguins have dismissed head coach Mike Johnston. The move was announced today by general manager Jim Rutherford at a press conference at Consol Energy Center. Assistant coach Gary Agnew was relieved of his duties as well.
“I felt with where we are right now (fifth place in the Metropolitan Division), and how we’ve played over the first part of this season, that this team has more to give,” Rutherford explained.
Mike Sullivan, 47, was promoted from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to replace Johnston. Rick Tocchet remains in place as an assistant coach. Jacques Martin moves from the press box to the bench.
Sullivan, who guided the Baby Pens to a red-hot 18-5 start, has prior NHL coaching experience. In 2003-04 the Massachusetts native led the Bruins to a 41-19-15-7 record and a Northeast Division title. He was fired following a sub-.500 season in 2005-06. More recently, he served as interim coach for six games with Vancouver in 2013-14.
Prior to his coaching career, the Boston University grad played for four teams during an NHL career that spanned 11 seasons and 709 games. A penalty killer and defensive specialist, Sullivan tallied 54 goals and 136 points before retiring as an active player in 2002.
“I believe he’s the guy who can come in and really take control and really make some guys more accountable when we’re not performing,” Rutherford said. “He really is a demanding and take-control guy. And in some ways … he reminds me of a coach that I had a lot of success with, Peter Laviolette.”
Johnston, 58, signed a three-year deal in the summer of 2014. He led the Pens to a blazing start in 2014-15 (22-6-4 through December 20). However, the team bogged down in the New Year, going 21-21-8 the rest of the way—including a dreadful 4-9-2 down the stretch. The black and gold secured a playoff berth on the final day of the season but succumbed to the Rangers in five games—their quickest postseason exit since 2007.
This season the Pens were 15-10-3 under the scholarly coach, including a six-game winning streak. But with stars (Sidney Crosby) and secondary scorers (Patric Hornqvist) alike struggling to produce the team languished offensively (27th in goals). A tepid power play (15.6 percent success rate) was a particular bone of contention. So, too, were questionable personnel decisions and the club’s perceived lack of competitive fire.
“We have some areas where we need to be a lot better,” Rutherford said. “We have to have more will to win. Our power play has to be better.”
Hey Rick
Be careful what we wish for my friend.We are going to find out real soon just what the REAL PROBLEM is in Pittsburgh, and in my opinion MJ was a very small part of it.He had to go,yes,but he is not the main problem here.
I had to laugh when JR said some of the blame had to rest on him because he was unable to secure the correct D corps, to have a proper offensive system that allowed for the Defense to take part in the offense. ( These guys can not even make tape to tape passes 25 feet from each other.) Letang is awful. He can not play defense.He is injury prone.Apparently he was not the main anchor of our D corps,the guys we let go were. How could we be so stupid?
Please,do not mention Derrick Poulott as the savior of our team.He is small and not physical enough to handle the big power forwards in the league.He was just average on defense in Junior hockey,but everyone liked his offensive numbers.He too is injury prone.Plus he has other issues as well.
So my point is,how is the defense going to get any better? It is not the systems fault ! It is the personnel.
Simply put…
We do not have the right ones ! The rest of the league got better,and we have not changed.Sure we got a few more forwards, but we lost 3 good d men that we should have kept! But we had them last year and that did not work either. So what is the real problem here? The leaders on the team are not doing their job. So if they can not do it…..get rid of them and get some new players who can.
Secondly,do really think Coach Sullivan is going to have the “authority” to discipline Crosby,Malkin, Letang or even Kessel.Mario will never let it happen.That’s part of the major problem with our team.The core players run the Team.The owners are scared to make a major trade because it may Backfire on them.I really feel for Coach Sullivan.Unless Ron Burkle,the real owner of the Team steps in and says do something major,nothing is going to change.
We are kidding ourselves that this team is an elite Team. ( Top 5 ).
It barely made the playoffs last year.The year before that,the team was not good enough to get the job done either.Today it is the same.Nothing has changed really.It has been this way for at least 3 years.
There are serious issues on this team.The owners,one in particular,who wants to sell the team,is not helping matters any. Wonder why there is friction on the team ? Not hard to figure out.
So,I say Welcome Coach Sullivan.Your crazy for taking this job right now.Why?
Because the ownership group is looking to blame someone for their past mistakes and I am afraid if this team misses the playoffs, you will be history.
You should have stayed a year in Wilkes Barrie…..A much safer career move.
In two month’s from now, when nothing really changes everybody will blame you. Just like MJ ,Dan and Michelle before you….. and it will not be your fault either.
cheers…
Hey Jim,
Maybe it’s just my perception. But Johnston didn’t seem like a good fit. I guess his system was dependent on defensemen who could help drive the offense. And I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment that—as a group—we don’t have a defense that can do that.
I think everyone can agree that MJ is a bright guy who knows the game. Others have been critical of his in-game coaching. I began to see some flaws there, too. Although, Lord knows, the man had to know he was one bad game and/or cold snap away from losing his job. I think I’d show some cracks under those circumstances, too.
My issue with Johnston was two-fold. I never really got the sense that he had the team’s ear, or that they especially wanted to play for him. I’m sure you could make that statement about a lot of coaches. But the Pens just never seemed to take to or respond to him, if that makes any sense. You have to have at least a certain amount of buy-in from your players to be a successful coach.
The other nit to pick, again, is based on perception. But I had the sense Johnston devalued guys who played with any spunk or aggression. He seemed paranoid that players like Plotnikov (or the departed Bobby Farnham) might take a penalty. Meanwhile, his stars were being whistled behind the play for tripping and hooking. The typical Pens double standard.
I’ll be anxious to see how the team responds to Sullivan. Going strictly by the numbers, he really had the Baby Pens humming. He seemed to be getting the most out of the talent he had to work with. The mark of a good coach.
It definitely will be interesting Rick moving forward in the next 20-25 games.Come Feb 29 th, and if we are still sitting outside the playoffs,and having been unable to correct the personnel problems we have now, what then? Fire the GM? Replace the President?
What will that do? Nothing.
The Cap situation is not going to change. We have very, very few trade options left. We already gave away our future in the last 3 years on failed trade deals.Now we are going to pay for it,for a long time.
Hornqvist.Perron,Letang,Bennet,Kunitz,Lovejoy ..Not worth much in an open trade market.(Bad contracts, age,injury prone,declining production). Not what other teams are looking for right now.
Matt Murray, Tristan Jarry, Daniel Spong,Oscar S, and maybe Derrick Poulott .Sad to say ,but that is about all we have left to trade of any value. Plus we have no first round pick,unless we fail to make the playoffs, next year. Great choice to make Rick.
JR got a real tough job ahead of him if he thinks he is going to get us any impact players to help Coach Sullivan.We are not in a position of strength to be making deals here,and everybody in the league knows it.
Our power play stinks.Why is Rick Tochett still here as a Coach? He was supposed to be responsible for the PP. He should have been fired as well ! But we both know why he is still here. His friendship with Mario.JR could not fire him.That is a great working relationship.
Your second point was dead on..I wonder if that “pacifist” mentality is not also held by upper management and others in the organization.
Our whole team was built on being small, soft and skilled.There are a few exceptions.But not many.Wilkes Barrie is the same thing. How many of our AHL players can really make the big jump to the NHL as a impact player whereby the players are much bigger,faster, and a lot more physical? Again I am not talking about a potential 6-7 D man or a 4th line forward.I am talking an impact player. Answer is very few.
In closing, I do wish Coach Sullivan all the best because he has a very difficult job ahead of him.For sure,he will know what we have in the minor system and that may help him to convince JR to move 1 or 2 players up from the minors if some of the current Penguins do not respond to his coaching methods.
It is going to be fun these next 2 to 3 month’s…I going to predict that they will make a move and trade one of the stars by Feb29 th if nothing changes. You can sense a change in the way the team is operating and how the fans are starting to get restless.
Hope I am wrong.
I never liked MJ from the start, he was never the right coach for this team. But with that being said, the players are still the same, small slow, overrated, overpaid, I just don’t see a real improvement with these players.
I hope G.M. Rutherford is next !!!