Penguins Post-Mortem part 1

“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”