I was reading articles and comments on other sites yesterday regarding the Penguins’ potential trade-deadline needs. I also took note that we’d sent promising youngsters Drew O’Connor and Radim Zohorna to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Leading to this mish-mash ramble.
Before I begin, I want to be clear. This post sincerely isn’t intended to bash Mike Sullivan, but rather to point out as matter-of-factly as possible elements we’ll never have as long as he’s our coach.
For the record, I think Sully’s a good coach. Perhaps even an excellent one in terms of intelligence, knowledge of the game, competitive fire and his ability to communicate and motivate. Quick to credit his players for the team’s success. A quality individual through and through. The Pens could do far worse for their headmaster and maybe not a whole lot better.
Now for that list.
Number one, a physical defenseman who takes the body, keeps the crease clear and drops the gloves when the situation merits it. We’ve had a few of those during Sullivan’s reign, most notably Ian Cole, Erik Gudbranson and Jamie Oleksiak. All went the way of the Dodo under Sully. All are gainfully employed and even valued by their current teams. Gudbranson, who supposedly can’t play, skates a regular turn on a Calgary team that’s won 10 in a row, has allowed the fewest goals in the league and is a sleeper to win the Cup.
Why didn’t these guys last in the ‘Burgh? Because Sullivan prefers new age, stick-on-puck defense rather than old school body-on-body. He likes mobile guys who can skate and move the puck to the forwards at the earliest opportunity and pinch as well. No room for exceptions.
Number two, a power forward who can play and bang and…yes…fight. Frankly, I’m a little surprised that hulking Brian Boyle, no speed skater, is seeing regular duty, although Teddy Blueger’s injury has more or less forced Sullivan’s hand.
Scanning our present roster, it isn’t hard to discern our coach’s type of player. He likes forwards who are fast, skilled and gritty. Size doesn’t matter and, indeed, almost seems to be a detriment. It’s no surprise we’ve consistently iced one of the smallest, lightest teams in the league under Sullivan. Or that the first guys sent down to the Baby Pens are often the largest.
To review, Dominik Simon (5’11” 190) is a Sully guy. Zohorna (6’6” 220) isn’t, even though he skates well for a big man and possesses underrated skills. Sullivan loves Simon because he does a lot of little things well (scoring not among them) and drives possession (Corsi of 58.2).
Guess what? Zohorna does, too. Through eight games of inconsistent use and changing roles, “Big Z” has a sterling Corsi of 65.9. Yet he’s headed for Northeastern PA and Simon’s a virtual linchpin. This isn’t meant to demean Simon or his contributions, but rather to suggest that his Czech-mate might provide what he does…plus a bit more.
Which leads me to my third issue. Kids rarely seem to get a fair shake under Sullivan. When they do play, they generally receive sheltered minutes on the fourth line and aren’t really given an opportunity to display their wares.
I get it to an extent. We’re in “win-now” mode and Sully wants players he can trust. And, in fairness, he seems to be a pretty good judge of talent and potential. Black-and-gold washouts like Sam Lafferty and Daniel Sprong haven’t exactly set the league on fire since leaving town. Still, Sullivan appears to have a quick hook with the kids.
With secondary scoring an issue, might it be worth giving youngsters like Zohorna and O’Connor an extended look? Given Sully’s track record, it’s hard to imagine that happening.
I’ll close by banging my favorite gong. I still believe there’s value in having at least one guy in the lineup who’s ready, willing and able to defend his teammates. At the trade deadline last season, it was practically a done deal that the Pens had acquired forward Nicolas Deslauriers from Anaheim, one of the very toughest players in the league. Yet at the 11th hour, the trade was scuttled.
While we won’t know for sure, Sullivan, who seems to abhor fighting and fighters, may have cast a dissenting vote.
For the record, Deslauriers has scored as many as 10 goals in a season. He presently has four, one more than the aforementioned Simon and three more than Zach Aston-Reese. He also has 177 hits, fourth most in the league.
On nights when the guys are dragging and struggling to find the on-switch, wouldn’t it be great to have a player like Deslauriers spark the team with a big hit or a fight?
We’ll never know as long as Sullivan’s our coach.
the fact that this man keeps a job much like mike tomlin when losing in the first round of the playoffs so many many times is mind boggling. the allergic reaction this man sullivan has got any player with grit is sickening. i think many overlook the catastrophic failure that was losing brandon tanev and mccann is astonishing to me. both coaches anywhere else in would have lost their job years ago yet tomlin and sullivan continue to destroy everything pittsburgh is as a franchise (along with jarry). four years old my journey with these teams began to see two of the worst coaches i have seen in years dissolve the city of champions into the city of first round exit jokes is something that hurts a fan like me so deeply. i cannot even look at the screen when these two coaches are on tv because i cannot lose control in front of my children from the anger and embarrassment of these two coaches. it’s so unfortunate that sidney was groomed so respectfully by mario that he has not boycotted playing for this atrocity of a coach. because his final years have been absolutely wasted by this coach who no one else can be blamed for icing a team that can be thrown around like rag dolls by the likes of the rangers and islanders as mike sullivan watches in mock amazement as to how this is happening
I too agree 100%, Mike is a good coach.. but he would be a great coach if he could look at his lineup vs. the real contenders.
It has been mentioned numerous times here… you need speed and scoring plus size and sandpaper come playoffs.
And some youth would be good also, as we look to the future.
For the lack of real size and physical play, is the reason a early exit for the Penguins again this spring……
Hope I am wrong!!!
Hey Pens4ever,
We have a lot of great regulars here, I love it. everybody brings up great and interesting points. I ,love it!
However, just like with Rick B and Mike, I just don’t get it. if I say Sullivan’s allergy to “real size and physical play will be the reason the Pens will have an early exit again this spring, I, personally, could not say he was a good Coach. In fact, if I said he was responsible for the early exit, I would say he was a poor Coach and fire him on the spot. He may be the greatest guy in the world, but if he is the key figure in keeping me from reaching the Holy Grail, I part ways from him with relationship to the team and then invite him to the Cup Party we throw after he is gone and we go the distance again.
This team should have had at least 1 more Finals appearance with Crosby – Malkin – Letang as the core, if not for Sully’s need to dump Cole and Reaves.
Maybe the tough love of firing him would wise him up to the changing landscape of the NHL and be a teaching moment for him. It could be that is the only thing to turn him from a one trick Coach to a complete Coach.
Hey Mike,
You, Rick and I agree on many things – Sullivan isn’t one of them.
I honestly don’t understand how you and Rick point out the man’s limitations and then say he is an excellent coach.
Excellent to me means only a minor limitation that doesn’t really affect outcome.
Hey Rick,
We agree on many things. We even agree on many of Sullivan’s short comings, but……
If I told you I liked some Pizza Shops Pizza except for the fact it was too spicy, they didn’t put enough Peperoni on it, the crust was burnt and the cheese tasted a little moldy, did I really like the Pizza?
Or If I said I liked the new sweat shirts Dave was selling except for the colors he chose, the material felt weird, the cut under the arms felt a little high, the logo was getting a little hackneyed, and neck line felt a little high, did I really like the shirt?
So, if you said a Coach didn’t value size, sat players of playing with an edge (and I like players that played with an edge), played favorites among the players, continuing to play a player who can reach the score sheet but once every 15 or 20 games because he likes the way he drives CORSI numbers in blowouts, doesn’t give kids a chance to crack the line up, and holds the rookies accountable for the slightest mistakes and sits them while letting veterans continue to commit the same mistakes over and over again without the slightest repercussion; why do you consistently say he is a good coach?
Sorry typo
Continued playing a player who couldn’t reach the score sheet.
Hey Rick,
First, see my post about people who say I think Sullivan is a good coach maybe even an excellent Coach, but…..
Wow you bring up both Simon and Sprong, are you trying to get me to write my expose on how poorly Sullivan’s favorite Smurf stacks up to Sprong? I’ll say it Simon STINKS!!!!!!!!!! If he were a Shakespearean play he would be “Much ado about nothing.” Get over it. Skating the perimeter does absolutely nothing. Everyone is complaining about a lack of secondary scoring, Simon is the poster child for offensive ineffectiveness. It was only a couple of short years ago that he treated Penguins’ fans to the near impossible, he missed a wide open net from between the circles.
Not saying I would want Sprong back, but during the last Cpas game, Steve Mears made an interesting comment about our tyrant coach. If anyone was listening and has a memory span longer than fish they will remember Mears saying that Sprong told him how poorly he felt Sully treated him and that he never felt he could get a fair shot. Sprong may not be setting the league on fire but if you keep invoking either name I will draw out that comparison.
But I do agree our team will always be smurf city under Sully and I fear that.
Hey Other Rick,
You and I obviously have a differing opinion of Sullivan. I just wish he was able to embrace players with some size and a more physical bent. And i wish he’d adjust his scheme to fit the personnel on hand, instead of the other way around. I think it limits us…especially come playoff time.
Rick
Rick
I have to side with you on this one. Without a doubt Sullivan is an excellent coach and I’ve mentioned this
before if he becomes available he’ll have another NHL job in a NY minute. That pretty much tells you how
Hockey people see his talents.
Saying that I do believe Sullivan is extremely strong willed and his ego won’t let him adjust as the league
on a whole is adding size, toughness and bigger players that can contribute on the stat sheet.
Tampa is a perfect example of a team that has every dimension covered and a team that can win in
many different ways. Good teams will play anyway you want to play and are capable of win a low or high
scoring game or a physical game. The Pen’s aren’t built for the playoffs “period” – they can’t consistently win
a steady diet of physical contests and again will be their downfall come April.
Watching the game vs the Hurricanes was telling – they really dominated us in one on one battles along the
boards – bottom line is this team is good and could be very good with a couple of tweaks prior to the
playoffs. If Sully gets his way it will be another early playoff exit.
Excuse any grammar or spelling mistakes – I was dictating while driving and I’m never really sure how it’s
going turn out.
GO PEN’S