Mike Sullivan: Entire Penguins roster is a game-time decision

[Canadienna]

My first interpretation was they all had some potentially dangerous illness, but I think it's just poor wording and he means the lineups are a gametime decision (I hope!)

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

I'm going to say the latter. Sullivan is an ok coach at best, and stopped being effective with the Pens shortly after the cup wins. He should have been replaced years ago.

After seeing Mike Johnston coach the team I'd say a rock could not have coached them to a cup. Coaching matters even for a stacked team. He's a good coach for a certain type of roster but can't adapt. Penguins were the fastest team in the league back then, now they might be the slowest. But he still wants to play the same way.

 

[Devilsfan2326]

My first interpretation was they all had some potentially dangerous illness, but I think it's just poor wording and he means the lineups are a gametime decision (I hope!)

Very probably right

 

[KingsFan7824]

is sullivan actually any good as a HC? or could a rock have coached those 16 and 17 cup teams?

What did Belichick do post-Brady? What's he going to do in the next place he goes without Brady?

Coaching matters when you don't have enough talent. The right game plan can squeeze out a few wins here and there. Ultimately, when all things are equal, it comes down to your very talented top players for a coach though. Every fan hates their coach for not playing the young guys, but every coach doesn't want to get fired. If he's going to go down, he would rather pin his fate to the vets. Unless the team isn't expected to do anything, and the coach knows he won't be fired any time soon for team performance, then the young guys get the ice time.

Few coaches last forever, for good reason. Most teams don't have enough really good players playing at their best at the same time, which is why every team doesn't win.

Pro sports aren't the military. A lot of players make money than the coach. Grown men. They might listen for a while, but they'll tune you out eventually. Then the next guy. And the next guy. And the next guy.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

is sullivan actually any good as a HC? or could a rock have coached those 16 and 17 cup teams?

Seeing how Crosby was on pace for less than 70 points under Mike Johnston, I think it's definitely more than a rock could have coached those teams to a cup...

 

[Jee]

When you're not subtle in your tank

 

[VeteranPresence]

Funny, because Sullivan’s coaching ability is on LTIR (Long Term Incompetence Reserve).

 

[Jumptheshark]

This may be the most bizarre update I've seen in a while.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1857909445751382330

reading way too much in it. It means he is just not sure who is playing with who

 

[bland]

Todd McLellan is looking at his phone every 30 seconds.

 

[12ozPapa]

Where's Paul Westerberg when you need him?

He can’t hardly wait

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Jeremy Bracco is going to be a star in this league just you wait!

 

[Extra Texture]

is sullivan actually any good as a HC? or could a rock have coached those 16 and 17 cup teams?

He was the right coach at the right time and the team caught lighting in a bottle. The team he inherited had hit a bad rut by 2015, and the GM shuffled the lineup (it helped that all of Rutherford’s moves from 2015-17 were like solid gold) and in doing so there was a youth callup wave from the AHL, all of whom Sullivan had just coached. So he came in knowing the young legs that were injecting life into a tired roster and hit pay dirt on several good trades. It helped that he was preaching an uptempo, highly attacking, professionally composed kind of style, which was a stark contrast to the “grind em” emotional toddlers the Pens had been under Bylsma. His demeanor, play style, and knowledge of the team was exactly what the Pens needed at that moment.

But that was 8 long years ago. Since then he has done very little to change his style as the roster has gotten worse (through not so good trades/GMs) and older (through time). The team still plays the same high risk style. And until 2-3 years ago the roster talent was enough to keep us as a middling bubble team, but now they don’t have the horses anymore, offensively or defensively.

I have no doubt Sullivan will probably get many other HC gigs in the years ahead, and be good at some of them. But in Pittsburgh he is now on his third set of assistant coaches, and is also serving under his third general manager. The guy has basically outlived everyone in the org who has either been fired or walked from failure over the team’s flagging fortunes. He is Teflon and it’s inexplicable how he has managed to chum up with ownership to essentially make himself un-fireable.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Finally, the Replacements will finally shine

Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory lasts forever.

 

[RedRocking]

He was the right coach at the right time and the team caught lighting in a bottle. The team he inherited had hit a bad rut by 2015, and the GM shuffled the lineup (it helped that all of Rutherford’s moves from 2015-17 were like solid gold) and in doing so there was a youth callup wave from the AHL, all of whom Sullivan had just coached. So he came in knowing the young legs that were injecting life into a tired roster and hit pay dirt on several good trades. It helped that he was preaching an uptempo, highly attacking, professionally composed kind of style, which was a stark contrast to the “grind em” emotional toddlers the Pens had been under Bylsma. His demeanor, play style, and knowledge of the team was exactly what the Pens needed at that moment.

But that was 8 long years ago. Since then he has done very little to change his style as the roster has gotten worse (through not so good trades/GMs) and older (through time). The team still plays the same high risk style. And until 2-3 years ago the roster talent was enough to keep us as a middling bubble team, but now they don’t have the horses anymore, offensively or defensively.

I have no doubt Sullivan will probably get many other HC gigs in the years ahead, and be good at some of them. But in Pittsburgh he is now on his third set of assistant coaches, and is also serving under his third general manager. The guy has basically outlived everyone in the org who has either been fired or walked from failure over the team’s flagging fortunes. He is Teflon and it’s inexplicable how he has managed to chum up with ownership to essentially make himself un-fireable.

At this point I just assume it’s Sid. He likes playing in the same system, where he’s comfortable, and gets to attack offensively. He really may have told the org that he doesn’t want to play under anyone else.

The only other factor is that FSG just loves their Boston Sully, lol.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Chronic Sullivanitis is a thing.

Symptoms include explosively shitting away any offensive lead and/or choking.

 

[PenguinSuitedUp]

is sullivan actually any good as a HC? or could a rock have coached those 16 and 17 cup teams?

Mike Johnston was coaching the team into the ground in 16 before Sullivan came in. Sullivan can clearly coach in this league, but not with this team anymore.

 

[BallardEra]

Pens showed grit last night to come back and win one for Sully.

 

[Beauner]

He’s said this before, especially in the playoffs. Not that notable

 

[kerrabria]

is sullivan actually any good as a HC? or could a rock have coached those 16 and 17 cup teams?

People forget how atrocious Mike Johnston was. I remember when he was fired, I told people “I don’t know who Sullivan is, but the Penguins just won the cup.”

 

[Armourboy]

I just assumed reading it that was something like what we call the " chicken soup game " in Nashville. I believe we played in Detroit one night and the chicken soup they had that day gave several guy food poisoning and several more just barely made it through the game. The lineup was basically a minute by minute decision.