The ax fell swift and sure yesterday. Less than 24 hours after the Penguins immensely dissatisfying season came to an abrupt and untimely end, GM Ron Hextall and president of hockey ops Brian Burke were relieved of their duties.
Did the ax head cut deep enough?
There’s another significant figure in the Pens’ demise who seems to have almost entirely escaped scrutiny.
The “Teflon Don” has nothing on coach Mike Sullivan.
Although he stopped short of giving the 55-year-old skipper a vote of confidence, FSG exec David Beeston made it clear that ownership holds Sullivan in high regard.
“…we think Mike Sullivan is one of the best coaches in the NHL,” Beeston said. “He was extended last season, and then once we bring in a new hockey operations leader, he or she will be responsible for evaluating the coaching staff. And we think Mike is terrific.”
Beeston went on to say that Sullivan will serve as part of the transition team in the short-run.
Is this a mistake? More to the point, is it time for the Pens to part ways with their long-time coach?
There’s a compelling argument to say that it is.
Before I expand, I need to express that this is not intended to be a character assassination. Sullivan has many fine qualities both as a man and coach. Intelligence, thoughtfulness, forthrightness and passion among them. But I feel like he’s deified in these parts, as if he can do no wrong. That just isn’t so.
To my eye, this season’s black-and-gold squad was one of the most poorly coached teams I’ve ever seen. Indeed, our issues were both myriad and endemic.
Metronomic breakdowns aside, the only consistent thing about this team was inconsistency. Resembling a sine way on an oscilloscope, the Pens alternated in Jekyll-and-Hyde fashion between hot streaks and cold snaps, including three extended losing streaks of four games or more.
Every team experiences ups and downs over the course of an 82-game grind. But ours were extreme.
Our horribly erratic play manifested not only from game to game, but often period to period. During an early season loss to the Oilers on October 24, we piled up a 19-9 advantage in first-period shots on goal and grabbed a 3-1 lead. Then we literally stopped skating. The Oilers outshot us 26-4 in the second period and pounded five-straight goals past Tristan Jarry to win 6-3.
That’s far from the only example.
Ten times we blew third-period leads and went on to lose the game. Win even one or two of those games and we’d be prepping for our first-round opponent instead of scheduling tee times.
Indeed, we displayed an abject inability to play with a lead. We either fell back into a defensive shell or tried to outscore our foes, rather than play sound, structured hockey. It’s the coaches’ job to correct those issues. Sully never did.
We gave up goals early in periods. We gave up goals late in periods. In all my years of watching hockey, I’ve never seen a team yield so many breakaways and odd-man breaks. Due at least part to Sullivan’s instance that the defensemen pinch and help drive the attack. While sound in theory, a practice that often rendered our d-man out of position and vulnerable, especially given our forwards propensity to cheat on the offensive side.
The appalling lack of attention to detail. The sloppiness…the careless penalties. Our special teams play, spotty at best.
If Sullivan and his staff were preaching the right words, the message didn’t seem to be getting through. And if a team tunes out its coach…
Did I mention his stubbornness and ram-rod refusal to adjust? Believing in your system is fine to an extent, but not if it means cutting off your nose to spite your face. It was clear Sully didn’t have the horses to play his beloved speed game, especially on defense. However, rather than adapting his system to fit the talent on hand, he tried to force the players to fit his system (see above reference to odd-man breaks). Trying to pound the proverbial square peg into a round hole, if you will.
His personnel choices left much to be desired as well, particularly in the case of Jeff Carter. It was evident Carter was in serious decline as early as Thanksgiving. Yet Sully continued to deploy him as the third-line center, often in crucial situations, until late in the season. In the process sinking both the team and the third line.
He was slow to react to Brian Dumoulin’s mid-season struggles as well.
Last but certainly not least, his rigid personnel preferences. Sully’s both kid and tough guy averse. In terms of the former, younger players often bring an enthusiasm and spark that can liven up the mix. We sure could’ve used a double-shot of that this season. All too often we looked languid and stale, if not downright dispirited.
As for the latter? I’m not talking about a knuckle-dragging heavyweight, but guys who play a straightforward physical game like Boston’s Trent Frederic, Nick Foligno and Garnet Hathaway. They’re good enough to play for the 65-win Bruins, but not us.
We’ll never have that type of player as long as Sullivan’s behind the bench. In the meantime, opponents will continue to take liberties with our stars.
Just play.
Yes, Sullivan led us to those back-to-back Cups, an achievement that shouldn’t and won’t be forgotten. But it isn’t 2017 anymore. The league has adjusted. Sully hasn’t.
I, for one, don’t want his fingerprints on the retool process.
It’s time for a new voice and a new philosophy. It’s time to move on.
Your story was right on the money..no tuffness..doesn’t adjust..gets out coached in playoffs.. thanks for the memories sully don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out!
Hey Rick!
Loved the article! Agreed with almost all of it.
Gonna quote you here, “this is not intended to be a character assassination. Sullivan has many fine qualities both as a man and coach. Intelligence, thoughtfulness, forthrightness, and passion among them.” Couldn’t agree more with that! More people need to hear that, as they’re ready to throw him under the bus all over social media as if he didn’t help win them two Stanley Cups!
All these hateful comments being thrown at him, like goodness calm down he’s a hockey coach not the second coming of Hitler. I think people need to show more respect to someone who’s done so much for them, and who’s genuinely a good guy, and in my eyes one of the best coaches ever, despite the fact that he’s heading toward staleness if not already there. Second note on that, I don’t hate Ron Hextall as a person either, he’s a good guy as well, he just stinks as a GM and I wish him all the best, hope he GM’s a rival!
Now that being said to your point, this was without a doubt a terrible season for Sullivan, a couple of points I strongly agree with that I think were the main problems, that I’m going to quote here.
#1 ” I’ve never seen a team yield so many breakaways and odd-man breaks. Due at least part to Sullivan’s instance that the defensemen pinch and help drive the attack.”
ABSOLUTELY, you can’t have guys who don’t play that game play that style, what is clumsy 35 year old Petry going to do with the puck? what is Rutta going to do with the puck? What play is he driving? He isn’t, either of them, they’re both old and slow and not Kris Letang. Ty Smith could have though, but who knows if Sully would have even played him if he could. He didn’t have the right pieces for his style yet played it anyway.
#2 “His personnel choices left much to be desired as well, particularly in the case of Jeff Carter. It was evident Carter was in serious decline as early as Thanksgiving. Yet Sully continued to deploy him as the third-line center, often in crucial situations, until late in the season. In the process sinking both the team and the third line.”
You know my thoughts on Carter and his inept line so I won’t repeat all that and upset myself haha, but you know I 100% agree, and as I said Sully has a big weakness with veteran respect which is useless to a team’s success, in this case just down right negative to the team in a big way.
#3 “Did I mention his stubbornness and ram-rod refusal to adjust? Believing in your system is fine to an extent, but not if it means cutting off your nose to spite your face. It was clear Sully didn’t have the horses to play his beloved speed game, especially on defense. However, rather than adapting his system to fit the talent on hand, he tried to force the players to fit his system”
This in my opinion Rick is the BIGGEST problem of all, his stubbornness to say “This is how we play” and stick with it even though this roster cannot play it. Even after the Devils ran circles around us, we saw no adjustment, that’s a massive red flag to me. Does anyone else smell Bylsma territory?
As for him being replaced, I got some bad news for the TOR and all the fans calling for his head “IT AIN’T HAPPENING!”
FSG still likes him, and he’s signed to an extension. It will be whoever the new GM is that will be in charge of firing him if a couple of months into the season he isn’t adjusting or using whatever players have been added properly. Now the new GM isn’t just going to barge in and kick considerably one of the best coaches in the NHL to the curb for one of our competitors to scoop up, that just AIN’T good business.
I agree with the call to keep him, he deserves to prove his ability to adjust, I don’t think a lot of people realize how hard it is to not only replace a head coach but replace one of the best in the NHL, and he is one of the best despite “The Other Ricks” protestations to the contrary.
Hey mike,
Andrew Brunette would be my pick of the bunch. I can get past his golf cart DUI. I also like to see Botterill get his due in Pittsburgh.
Rick
Good article in the Athletic about Hextalls lack of “Backbone”.
https://theathletic.com/4412478/2023/04/14/pittsburgh-penguins-ron-hextall-fired/?source=weeklyemail&campaign=602288
Firing Sullivan is the right thing to do but will the new GM have what it takes to make
the move?? I guess time will tell.
Mike, Yeah, Hextall and Burke were going to bring toughness to the team. Crickets.
Sure the GM needs to work with the coach, but also needs to tell the coach I’m bringing in this guy and your playing him or you’re gone. Maybe Hextall did that, who knows, but he brought in crap.
Hey Rick,
Grreat Piece! Only a short reply, as you will read elsewhere, I am somewhat in agreement with you. Okay, 100% with the only exception that I am a bit more over the top in my expression of my desire to move on.
Hey guys, who are your coach candidates that can come in and fix the Pens up?
Not worried about Sullivan, he will have his pick of 15 or more teams if he is let go, teams will be willing to fire their current coach to get him.
Many years ago, I heard that same question asked, who do you get to fill Dan Bylsma’s shoes? who do you get to fill Mike Johnston’s shoes? Both were replaced. Johnston was a step down from Bylsma, but Bylsma was replaced.
My push back is this, how many more years must be wasted before you would be willing to move on? For 6 years I have championed Sullivan’s removal. For 6 years I have heard the same response, who do we get to replace him? For 6 years the team has fallen another step from grace. For 6 years Crosby and Malkin have wasted their years toiling on a downward trajectory team. Now that team is out of playoff contention. Now that team is below the top half of the league.
So I ask you again Phil, how many more years would you be willing to suffer embarrassment after embarrassment? How many more of the remaining years of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang would you be willing to waste on a failing Coach? Does this team have to fall to 33 of 32 teams before you would be willing to make a change and start to try and win again. Does this team have to fall to the point that it loses to an AHL level team before you would want to move on from Sullivan?
TOR,
WOW, you are very defensive. At no point did I say keep Sullivan. I actually suggested when Trotts was available that the Pens should do a swap. I realize you have a personal vendetta against Sullivan. For 6 years you have blamed Sullivan over and over for every tiny little thing that has gone wrong with the Penguins. You’ve non stop taken dig after dig at him in almost every post you have made ever since he stopped playing Murray and Sprong. That’s fine, that’s your business.
I was just asking… “Hey guys, who are your coach candidates that can come in and fix the Pens up?”
I was kind of hoping to not go down the Mike Johnston rabbit hole again.
I wasn’t being defensive about anything. I simply answered your question with several questions of which you didn’t answer.
And if you weren’t defending Sullivan or championing his retention, let me ask another question, why did you state that Sullivan would have 15 teams looking to sign him if we let him go? There is no reason to state that if a person was ready to move on from Sullivan.
As for Murray and Sprong
Matt Murray was still among the brightest stars in the Penguins constellation and Daniel Sprong was just a prospect when I started championing Sullivan’s dismissal. I started questioning Sullivan’s competence when he was not in the talks for the Jack Adams when he was chasing a threepeat. My concerns deepened when I read a NY writer’s report that it was Sullivan that the New York Rangers mutinied against not Totorella. I began to believe that report when Sullivan kept taking Kessel to task during that failed threepeat. I first sounded the knell for firing Sullivan when he contradicted his coach and said Kessel was not injured.
At that time Murray was still pretty much sparkling. He set the Penguins playoff record of 225:45 shutout time in the playoffs, which still stands and is longer than Jarry’s regular season Shutout time (177:15).
Daniel Sprong only played 8 Games that regular season and was nothing more than a curiosity that I wanted to see how he would turn out.
TOR,
The Sullivan thing I posted was for Rick who commented “It’s really easy to forget there’s a human side to all this.” about Hextall. I just feel your deep hatred for Sullivan really has you on defense.
I didn’t answer your question “So I ask you again Phil, how many more years would you be willing to suffer embarrassment after embarrassment?” because I guess I haven’t experienced the deep traumatic embarrassment like you have. That game two games ago was an embarrassment sure. This is the first year in how many Sulli missed the playoffs. Sure things haven’t been great, but i’m not even close to embarrassed.
Jon Cooper missed the playoffs then two years later got “embarrassingly” swept in the playoffs. 2019 everyone in Tampa was calling for his head. https://puckprose.com/2019/04/18/tampa-bay-lightning-fire-head-coach-jon-cooper/
I’m fine with a new coach, definitely might work better with a new GM.
Phil,
Rick Bs comment about the human side was in reference to Hextall not Sullivan, so how does saying Sullivan would have about 15 teams courting him if he were released relate?
AS for my “Hatred of Sullivan”, I don’t. I don’t know the man, so I don’t hate him. I don’t hate anybody. And I don’t make decisions based on hate or love. Emotions play no part in any of my decisions outside of those with whom I spend time. As you noted earlier, I did like Murray when he first came up and I still want him to do well. However, long before the Penguins hinted at his trade, in what was the only time the team has done something I suggested over these last 6 seasons, I proposed the very trade they made. I suggested that they trade Murray to Ottawa for that 2nd round pick that became Blomqvist.
Again, as I said, I don’t hate Sullivan. You can’t hate a person you don’t know. All I know about Sullivan is what he has done to the Bruins, Rangers, and now the Penguins. He struggled in Boston and New York and then was gifted a team replete with a host of Generational Players, Future Hall of Famers, Stars, and grit players. To suggest that he had anything but a minor role in the success of that team is to say that Mozart’s piano instructor deserves the credit for Wolfgang Amadeus’ success.
And getting back to my Armchair Gming, If the team had been listening to me these last 6 seasons, you would have seen a completely different roster as well as Coach.
At Center my Coach would have had his choice of Crosby, Malkin, Anton Lundl, Sundqvist, and possibly even Bonino (playing out his contract – not trading for him).
At LW he could have chosen from Guentzel, Ilya Mikheyev, Tanev, O’Connor, and Zohorna
At RW his Choices would have been Rust, Rakell (liked that trade), Kapanen, Angello, Puustenin, and Nylander and possibly even Daniel Sprong (I know he is a head case but I would not have Sullivan, I just might have a guy like Hakstol who could manage Sprong’s ego better.
At LHD Oleksiak, Pedan, Hague, and K’Andre Miller
At RHD Letang, Addison, Oliver Kaski,
In Goal he may still have MAF so that the 4 Amigos could have gone out together. I screamed for JR to sign a throw away veteran to expose to the draft so I could protect both MAF and Murray. So my Coach could choose from MAF (Possibly) but at least Gustavsson, Adam Reideborn, Jarry, Lindberg, Gauthier, and Blomqvist
Whoever I chose to Coach that team would probably still be in the playoffs, the streak would still be alive and that team could possibly even give the Bruins a run for their money, particularly should my Goalies get hot, which they have shown.
Hey TOR,
Yes, Ricks comment was directed at Hextal, but goes towards Sullivan, Burke and anyone else people on here are trash talking. I specifically said “Not worried about Sullivan, he will have his pick of 15 or more teams if he is let go, teams will be willing to fire their current coach to get him.”
The “not worried” part is about Sulli landing on his feet. I did not say something that is untrue, the problem is you and the fact that you hate that he’s going to have that many offers. Therefore you think I was saying something different. I can’t help you with that. You are ridiculously jaded to the point I couldn’t finish reading your comment, I had tears in my eyes laughing so hard at the you don’t hate Sullivan part. You’ve literally spent six years tearing the guy apart.
As I said, I’m fine with that. The blog was originally created for a few of us to spout our disdain of Therrien.
Phil,
Correction, I have been trying to get some people to see that Sullivan isn’t the god they think he is. He is, at best and average Coach, perhaps slightly below average and that is exactly where the team finished this season, slightly below average 19 out of 32 – even with Crosby and Malkin have strong seasons and playing 82 games.
As for the Human side of Hextall, it is still non sequitur but I will pass that and just say, Sully can go to any of those other 15 teams. The same thing was said about Dan Bylsma and yes Bylsma got a new HC position almost immediately and then lost it almost as fast, stripped of Crosby and Malkin. And remember Bylsma has a better regular season Pts% and post season W% than Sullivan. I would think the probabilities of him keeping that quick turn around job a bout the same as Bylsma, unless he falls into another stacked team. The Human side of Sullivan is that he has feet of clay like everyone else.
Hey Phil
Here’s a few early names if FSG decided to terminate Sullivan. I only wish we could
of gotten Tocchet.
1) Andrew Brunette Asst Coach New Jersey
2) Jay Leach Asst Coach Seattle
3) Chris Kelly Asst Coach Boston
As for the GM position, could the Penguins hire a “Women”??
Cammi Granato, Meghan Duggan, Kate Madigan or a sleeper Amanda Kessel
Also other Candidates
1) Jason Botterill Asst. GM Seattle
2) Ryan Bowness Asst GM Ottawa (With JR in Pitt)
3) Ryan Martin Asst GM NY Rangers
4) Shawn Horcoff Asst GM Detroit
Should be enough to get the conversation started.