“We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed
Were just seasons out of time”
Words by Jacques Brel / Rod Mckuen
Sung by Terry Jacks
For the 1st time in 13 years (longest run in team history) our beloved, Pittsburgh Penguins will be watching the Stanley Cup playoffs rather than participating in them. Yes, folks, that was not the Playoffs the lowly 24th seed, the lowly Montreal Canadiens easily hurdled; that was a qualifying round.
Two seasons ago, the Washington Capitals blasted our Ian Cole, Ryan Reaves less favorite flightless fowl from the Playoffs. Coach Mike Sullivan blamed Phil Kessel. When GM Jim Rutherford said Kessel had been injured, Sullivan counter basically saying that Kessel had dogged it. Last season when the New York Islanders put the broom to the Penguins in 4 games of the 1st round Mike Sullivan once again blamed Phil the thrill. Well Mr. Sullivan, Kessel was not there this year, who do you blame now? Phil is gone, and his team is still in the playoffs, you are here, and your team is not. Who do you now sight in your Teflon blame game?
During the regular season, I wrote that the Penguins were winning not because of what Sullivan was doing but despite Mr. Sullivan. I noted that at the beginning of the season, when he had HIS team still intact, they were losing but when the injury bug stripped him of his usual suspects the team went on a tear. Once the walking wounded started coming back and Sullivan could go back to HIS game the team started faltering.
During this Qualifying Round, you had all but Dominik Simon and Nick Bjugstad Mr. Sullivan, the rest of that team was of YOUR choosing and except for a 26 of 27 shot, save performance by Matt Murray, you would have been swept again Mr. Sullivan. In the 1989 movie Batman, the Jack Nicholson Joker poses the question “Who do you trust?”, to paraphrase that Mr. Sullivan “Who do you blame now?” I can’t wait to hear your evasive blame shifting this time.
Sorry Mr. Sullivan, for 3 years running you have not had the answers. You were in charge and you failed. Grading your performance, some may give you high marks for this past regular season, but when you had all the tools you wanted in the playoffs you failed. You may not be the only reason why this team will be watching the Playoffs rather than participating in it, you not only share in the culpability, you were a major, major contributor to this early exit. You, Mr. Sullivan forced the draining off of too much talent and grit.
If the team really wants to get back to Playoff Hockey any time soon, it is time to cut ties with Sullivan.
“With the flowers everywhere
I wish (our Penguins) could be there”
Hey Coach
I just read an excellent piece this morning posted by Ron Cook below concerning the poor performance by the Pen’s star players. Very well done. The numbers tell the story.
As I said in Rick’s post I do not follow any sports writers because of my eye sight. I just started back here and i discovered the article purely by chance this morning. Let me know what you think of Cook’s piece since you to are a numbers man.
Let the rebuild begin.
Cheers
Hey Jim,
Just read that article. I saw it a bit ago, but I was pretty busy afternoon thru the evening yesterday. My poisoned pen isn’t finished yet. I am being meticulous as I go through the team. Getting swept by the Islanders last year was bad but losing to Montreal exposes what you and I have been saying for quite some time now. You don’t lose to a 24th seed team by accident. This was no fluke on Montreal’s part. The only thing that can save some face for the Penguins is if Montreal somehow finds a way to go deep into the playoffs.
Hi TOR!
Just to make a quick comment on yesterday’s game, the thing that infuriated me the most was their inaction with less than 5 minutes to play in the 3rd period. I was listening to Mike Lange and Phil Bourque. I said to myself: “Well, Sully is going to send Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Guentzel and Letang to generate some offense. To make something happen!”
Nope! Not a chance! Sully rolled his four lines as if it was an exhibition game played in Florida, on a Monday night, in September. He just gave up… How on earth can players be motivated when your coach does not even try? That upsets me the most.
Now, let’s be an armchair GM for a moment!
Let’s start with Hockey operations: Rutherford and Karmanos (assistant GM). They also carried out the same jobs in Carolina for several years. They are practically glued together! I don’t know to which extend Karmanos influences Rutherford on his day-to-day decisions, but I don’t think Karmanos is the right person to confront the GM. Considering their longtime collaboration, I can see a bias right there. I don’t know how Mario and Burkle will deal with the issue. In my opinion, a change is needed, just to instill a different energy and a much needed new philosophy.
Coaching staff: Sullivan, Recchi, Martin, Gonchar and Buckley (goaltending coach). If there’s a department where major changes can be done, this is the one! Sully’s message is not heard anymore. His “game” cannot be played by the current roster (Phil Bourque, colour commentator for Pens radio broadcasts, has mentioned that fact several times). Besides that, many NHL teams play Sully’s game now and they even perfected it to a higher level! Sully’s inability to renew his hockey knowledge has cost the team precious wins. I don’t think it would be a good idea to continue with him. Thank you for the two cups, Sully, but it’s time to go.
As for Recchi, Martin, Gonchar and Buckley, their work was not as fruitful as might be hoped. When Rick Tocchet left the Pens after the 2nd cup in 2017, the dynamic changed. Tocchet was able to communicate well with Phil the Thrill. He was also able to challenge Sully on coaching decisions. I don’t think Recchi has the same kind of influence. As for Jacques Martin, to be an assistant coach is not in his DNA. He was in charge of the D-squad and we all know that the 2019-2020 season was an annus horribilis in that department. Buckley has to go too. His work with the goalies proved to be unsuccessful. Matt Murray’s goal % declined when Mike Bales left the team and it continued to decline ever since.
If there is a new coach, he will probably choose his own people. To maintain status quo is not an option, especially with the last two playoff performances.
The players: The core of the team, Crosby-Malkin-Letang, must be dismantled. Malkin is 34, Crosby and Letang 33 and the NHL is a league for young and fast players nowadays. Those three have been suffering from multiple injuries in the last few years and it is not going to decrease. I would keep Sid with the team. Malkin has to go for his own good. But injuries and age can be obstacles for other teams and it is the same for Letang. So the current or future GM must be creative, especially if the salary cap remains the same for some time.
As for Sheary, Ruhwedel, Aston-Reese, Johnson, Bjugstad, Marleau, Simon, McCann, Rodrigues, Murray and Schultz, I would not keep them on the team. Do they have a certain trade value? Schultz, Murray and McCann have some trade value. But most of them would probably be throw ins.
I would keep Pettersson (for now), Angelo, Lafferty, Blueger, Guentzel, Hornqvist (his health could be an issue though), Rust, Tanev, Zucker, Dumoulin, Marino, Riikola and Jarry.
To sum things up, this team needs an electroshock. If Mario really cares about the team, he must make decisions accordingly. Unless he wants to sell his shares and move on to other things. That would be a corporate earthquake if it ever occurs.
Hey Jorenz,
Great Minds think a like, not sure where I fit in with that statement but I will be eventually going down many of these paths with very similar thought processes. I am just taking my time and going over what went wrong before going to the where do we go from here part.
“Let’s start with Hockey operations: Rutherford and Karmanos (assistant GM). They also carried out the same jobs in Carolina for several years. They are practically glued together! ”
Incorrrect. Karmanos was a junior nobody in Carolina. Just an analytics guy. Not assistant GM.
“Sully’s game now and they even perfected it to a higher level! Sully’s inability to renew his hockey knowledge has cost the team precious wins.”
“As for Recchi, Martin, Gonchar and Buckley, their work was not as fruitful as might be hoped.
” Tocchet was able to communicate well with Phil the Thrill.”
Why then did Kessel had the best year and second best of his career last year – after Tocchet left? People just fall these unsupported stories with considering the facts.
“As for Jacques Martin, to be an assistant coach is not in his DNA. He was in charge of the D-squad and we all know that the 2019-2020 season was an annus horribilis in that department.”
They were 11th in goals allowed. Not great but far from horrible. But even more, you want to blame Martin for poor defense and at the same time blame Johnson and Schulz. If Johnson and Schulz were so bad and Sullivan is to blame for playing them, it certainly isn’t Martin’s problem.
But here is the really big point. Despite what you or any other fan thinks, you have no idea what assistant coaches do or how they affect the team. Everything they do is behind the scenes and invisible. I suspect that everyone has been on Recchi from the moment he was named assistant coach is really based at least in part on the fact that he doesn’t look the part.
“Schultz, Murray and McCann have some trade value.”
Really? Schulz has trade value? a UFA has trade value?
“Sheary, Ruhwedel, Aston-Reese, Johnson, Bjugstad, Marleau, Simon, McCann, Rodrigues, Murray and Schultz,”
And who exactly is going to replace them all? Prospects from the Pens barren cupboard? The annually overpriced free agent market? You think you can get players better than Ruhwedel, Aston-Reese and Simon for their $1 million cap hit. Good luck with that. It’s easy to say dump this guy or that, but a lot harder to say how to replace them.
Actually Stratton, in at least 2005-2006 Jason Karmanos served as VP and Asst General Manager to JR’s President and GM. Look it up. It was the year the Canes won the Cup – That might help you find Karmanos and his position. You probably should fact check.
Hey Coach,
I agree about Sullivan and the management both need to go.
We are living in a dream world if we think this team as currently configured can win another Cup.
Wake up and take the tough medicine.. Move forward..
Great article Coach..
jim
Thanks Jim,
The sad part is that there are people that still think they team is and coach/management are fine, even after the team lost to a 24th seed team and will miss the playoffs.
And since I called this part 1, I am not through calling out individuals. Just as it takes a full team to win a Cup, there is lots of blame to go around for this failure.
Amen to that brother !!
Till next time..
Cheers
I have heard most coaches get stale after 5 seasons or so, time for Mike and his staff to go.
The team as a whole didn’t play well, but he could have done a better job of getting Sid’s line on vs. the 3rd pair against Montreal.
In the coming days and weeks we will find out what Mario and management does.
(Rutherford out too).
Pens need a new ideas… not a recycled NHL coach
how about Ted Nolan? He is coaching in Latvia
Nate Leaman…Providence College
Scott Sandelin U of Minn.Duluth
Hey Pens’4ever,
Interesting thought about 5 years. I have heard it mention as well but never really thought about it. In Juniors and College I would think a coach’s life expectancy could be longer since the players cycle out but in the pros the continuity factor probably breed complacency and maybe even contempt.
I haven’t really gone past Identifying problems so I haven’t thought about replacements for Sully, but I agree, try someone new. I know there is an old saying about “sticking with the devil you know” however, ignoring an angel that just might bring in an innovative wrinkle really counterbalances.
Hey Other Rick,
Sorry to push back. But while you’re tooting Murray’s horn, don’t forget to mention that he yielded the overtime winner in Game One and gave away a 3-1 lead by allowing three straight goals in Game Three, which was arguably the turning point of the series.
One good game out three isn’t enough. Not if you’re going to win in the playoffs.
Rick
Hey Rick,
I am focusing right now on the Pathetic coaching. I know you hate Murray, but I will get to goaltending later. Furthermore this Post-Mortem is not just about the series but about the end of an era. Between chasing good players out of town and then not being able to make in game adjustments Sullivan is the major cause of failing to get a 3rd Cup. I don’t think the window is completely closed, but Crosby and Malkin era leading the way is pretty much shut.
I hear ya. Just trying to keep the record straight … 🙂
Rick