Mike Sullivan is the worst Head Coach in the league now and the Penguins don’t care.

[Extra Texture]

The team is old and not that good.

This logic is routinely trotted out to justify keeping a bad coach.

They might be old and not good now, in 2024, but the last few years they were better on paper than what they showed, and their veteran core guys put up some vintage years.

The coach essentially looked out of ideas, and the team looked like they had quit, as early as 2019 and 2020, when they were 2-3 years removed from a cup. Here we are 4 years later and, lo and behold, they have gotten pretty damn old. Instead different ownerships just doubled and tripled down on him.

The guy has lived a charmed existence bc of those two cups. Edit: to echo the above, is he a bad coach? Probably not? Is he well past his sell-by date with this team? Without a doubt.

 

[pi314]

+10 goal differential with a terrible power play.

They’re not as old and washed up as everyone thinks.

They’re a decent power play away from being right in the thick of things.

 

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I don't think many people realize how Kyle Dubas operates.

Kyle Dubas isn't the type of guy who likes to take responsibility or accountability.

He doesn't like having a microscope on him and he doesn't like having his performance as a General Manager scrutinized.

The moment he fires Sullivan and brings in his own guy is the same moment that he will no longer have "poor coaching" to use as an excuse for why Pittsburgh is a bad team.

Once he fires Sullivan and brings in his own guy, then Dubas decision-making will be put under the miscroscope, and this is the same microscope he likes to avoid.

Because if his own brought-in coach can't turn the Penguins into a good team, then Dubas will be questioned as to why he decided on this coach.

Dubas will also be questioned about his roster construction and personnel transactions if his hand-picked coach can't solve the Penguins problems, because then the criticism will divert to the roster.

The longer Dubas keeps Sullivan around, the longer he extends his own "grace period" or "honeymoon phase" as it relates to his employment as the Penguins GM.

People complaining about Sullivan being a very bad coach is exactly what Dubas wants, because it keeps the attention away from him.

Sullivan being criticized as a very bad coach distracts people from seeing the awful job Dubas has done in his 1st season as Penguins GM, such as acquiring Erik Karlsson at his terrible contract and thinking that the Penguins were an Erik Karlsson away from contending.

Keeping Sullivan extends Dubas job security.

So Dubas went back in time, and forced Burkle/FSG to hand out extensions to Sullivan?

Honestly, reading some of this stuff, you'd swear Kyle Dubas is the love child of Rasputin and George Soros. Like he's some brilliant mastermind boogeyman who manipulates everyone around him and secretly controls the axis the world spins on. He might be everything that angry Leaf fans imagine, but the idea that this is part of some massive sinister plan to let him forever escape blame is insane.

Sullivan won two cups in Pittsburgh, and now ownership believes the sun rises and sets out of his ass. In seven years he has now outlived 3 GMs and one POHO. He has the keys to the castle. The job is probably his for life until he gets bored. He's got some fools under his spell, and Dubas may or may not be one of them

 

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I don’t recall any pens fans speaking of him positively in the last several years

Exactly right. Some fans started souring on this man after the sweep against NYI in 2019. The Habs covid bubble series was the tipping point, and by 2021 any of his remaining defenders flipped after the collapse vs the Islanders.

For comparison, Dan Bylsma won a cup in 2009, and got an additional 4 seasons of mild to humiliating failure before ownership canned him. Mike Sullivan is now on season 7, and has a single playoff round win (6 years ago) to show for it.

 

[GrumpyKoala]

And the worst part of it all, the Penguins have won all 3 out of their 4 Cup runs while firing a Head Coach mid season.

Woooow Crosby really is a coach killer
Watch out sully

 

[PensandCaps]

Yah, no matter the moves made in the off-season, this coach would just tank it anyway.

This roster would easily make the playoffs with any other coach. Hes horrible.

 

[sabremike]

Imagine posting this thread when Don Granato exists...

 

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

 

[LevelingSolo]

Great coach, but clearly time for a change

 

[Breakers]

$17 million owed

OOOOffffff

 

[Theodore450]

So Dubas went back in time, and forced Burkle/FSG to hand out extensions to Sullivan?

Honestly, reading some of this stuff, you'd swear Kyle Dubas is the love child of Rasputin and George Soros. Like he's some brilliant mastermind boogeyman who manipulates everyone around him and secretly controls the axis the world spins on. He might be everything that angry Leaf fans imagine, but the idea that this is part of some massive sinister plan to let him forever escape blame is insane.

Sullivan won two cups in Pittsburgh, and now ownership believes the sun rises and sets out of his ass. In seven years he has now outlived 3 GMs and one POHO. He has the keys to the castle. The job is probably his for life until he gets bored. He's got some fools under his spell, and Dubas may or may not be one of them

He’s not wrong though .

Dubas is like one of the worst gms in the league but he gets to stay in the league. It’s insane that he gets to keep his job and make millions and he’s an actual moron who has no idea what he’s doing.

Coaches get fired all the time. Look at Ducharme in MTL. 3 months into the extension and he took a team to the finals. He wants to delay being blamed as ;ong as possible

 

[Bowski]

Gotta love when fanbases turn on their coach after telling the rest of HFB hes the best in the league.

Who in the post-COVID blue hell ever told that, an imaginary fairy?

The reality is that the once entertaining Capitals vs. Penguins rivalry has turned into:

Franchise decline led by nerds and Massholes vs. Propping up a shell of a player for records.
Both team fans get to eat crap as beautifully presented to them.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

$17 million owed

OOOOffffff

Yeah where is Fenway sports group gonna come up with that kind of cash

 

[22Brad Park]

I laugh at this stuff when the man has multiple Cup wins.He never forgot how to coach he just dont have the horses anymore to get it done.No coach could win there with that lineup right now.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Lmao, these points are all absolutely hilarious. Nylander having an off game when he's failed in multiple spots pre Pittsburgh? Granlund sucked in Pittsburgh and was never going to play in their top 6 with Sid/Malkin obviously being the two pillars down the center. Being a point producer on a shit team isn't something to cry about. And Vegas clearly traded Reilly Smith for a reason to Pittsburgh in the first place, shouldn't the player take some onus in that regard as well? I'll gladly take Sullivan in NJ if you're sick of him.

Lol if you actively want Sullivan as your coach then you have zero clue about how f***ing awful he is. He's Ruff levels of stupid with 100x more ignorance.

Actually a division rival? Yeah I hope Sullivan would be your coach.

So Dubas went back in time, and forced Burkle/FSG to hand out extensions to Sullivan?

Honestly, reading some of this stuff, you'd swear Kyle Dubas is the love child of Rasputin and George Soros. Like he's some brilliant mastermind boogeyman who manipulates everyone around him and secretly controls the axis the world spins on. He might be everything that angry Leaf fans imagine, but the idea that this is part of some massive sinister plan to let him forever escape blame is insane.

Sullivan won two cups in Pittsburgh, and now ownership believes the sun rises and sets out of his ass. In seven years he has now outlived 3 GMs and one POHO. He has the keys to the castle. The job is probably his for life until he gets bored. He's got some fools under his spell, and Dubas may or may not be one of them

Sullivan negotiated directly with FSG behind Burke and Hextall's backs. For one, that tells you all you need to know about Sullivan and how much of a pos he is.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Lol if you actively want Sullivan as your coach then you have zero clue about how f***ing awful he is. He's Ruff levels of stupid with 100x more ignorance.

Actually a division rival? Yeah I hope Sullivan would be your coach.

I'm sure the 2 time cup winner is worse than the guy who hasn't sniffed the Cup Final without a top 3 goalie in 30 years of coaching, maybe the Pens roster blows outside out of a generational talent.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Gotta love when fanbases turn on their coach after telling the rest of HFB hes the best in the league.

To be fair he was at one point. It's just as the roster has aged he hasn't adjusted. Still trying to play like it's 2016. And coaches go stale, no matter how good.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

This logic is routinely trotted out to justify keeping a bad coach.

They might be old and not good now, in 2024, but the last few years they were better on paper than what they showed, and their veteran core guys put up some vintage years.

The coach essentially looked out of ideas, and the team looked like they had quit, as early as 2019 and 2020, when they were 2-3 years removed from a cup. Here we are 4 years later and, lo and behold, they have gotten pretty damn old. Instead different ownerships just doubled and tripled down on him.

The guy has lived a charmed existence bc of those two cups. Edit: to echo the above, is he a bad coach? Probably not? Is he well past his sell-by date with this team? Without a doubt.

Arguably the only playoff series that it's on Sullivan is 2019, the Isles in no world should've swept the Pens. 2020, fluke bubble, who cares. Edmonton lost to the Hawks and a ton of bullshit happened in it. 2021, they should've beaten the Isles but Jarry imploded in that series. They dog walked the Islanders 5v5. 2022, they should've beaten NYR but legitimately had an AHL goalie in net and had them up 3-1 in that series. The ERod penalty in game 6 I think it was when they were up 2-0 was the reason why the Rags came back in that game and the soft ass GWG that Kreider scored. Like your last point said, is Sullivan the right coach for Pittsburgh right now? No, but that doesn't make him a bad coach.

To be fair he was at one point. It's just as the roster has aged he hasn't adjusted. Still trying to play like it's 2016. And coaches go stale, no matter how good.

Feels like Pens fans soured on him because of the playoff losses, can't fault him for 2021/2022 at all imo.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I'm sure the 2 time cup winner is worse than the guy who hasn't sniffed the Cup Final without a top 3 goalie in 30 years of coaching, maybe the Pens roster blows outside out of a generational talent.

What the Pens did those 2 years was more or less a small window with the right mix of players and coaching staff. The things Sullivan has done in the last 7 seasons is more telling of what he is as a coach now. Not what he did in a 2yr window that was followed up with 7 years of mediocrity.

Openly arguing with Cole, causing a rift with Kessel and Malkin, pissing off Malkin with his minutes a few seasons ago, misuse of the roster for 7 seasons, not putting players in a position to succeed, presented a plan to why Jack Johnson would be a good signing for the Pens which was idiotic.

His coaching system is pure trash. He's now set to miss the playoffs twice, missed three times if you understand the Habs loss in the play in was also missing the playoffs, multiple first round exits...

"He won 2 cups 8 and 9yrs ago tho, huuurrrrr"

I love it when blokes that have zero f***ing idea as fans of another team, about a coach we've seen for 9 seasons, that are suddenly more f***ing knowledgeable about a situation we have had to endure for a long time. Having shitty coaches for a long time shouldn't make Sullivan enticing to any fan.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

What the Pens did those 2 years was more or less a small window with the right mix of players and coaching staff. The things Sullivan has done in the last 7 seasons is more telling of what he is as a coach now. Not what he did in a 2yr window that was followed up with 7 years of mediocrity.

Openly arguing with Cole, causing a rift with Kessel and Malkin, pissing off Malkin with his minutes a few seasons ago, misuse of the roster for 7 seasons, not putting players in a position to succeed, presented a plan to why Jack Johnson would be a good signing for the Pens which was idiotic.

His coaching system is pure trash. He's now set to miss the playoffs twice, missed three times if you understand the Habs loss in the play in was also missing the playoffs, multiple first round exits...

"He won 2 cups 8 and 9yrs ago tho, huuurrrrr"

Translation: He's a coach past his expiration date with that roster/team, it doesn't make him a bad coach in the overall view of things. And no shit, his warts are gonna show in a longer span of time than a shorter time period. Every coach has a pet player that they overuse and play, the Devils had Brendan Smith as a regular the past 2 years under Ruff, why are you making that a Sullivan related thing?

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Translation: He's a coach past his expiration date with that roster/team, it doesn't make him a bad coach in the overall view of things. And no shit, his warts are gonna show in a longer span of time than a shorter time period. Every coach has a pet player that they overuse and play, the Devils had Brendan Smith as a regular the past 2 years under Ruff, why are you making that a Sullivan related thing?

Ok so you understood absolutely nothing about a situation you know nothing about. Got it.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Ok so you understood absolutely nothing about a situation you know nothing about. Got it.

No, just confused how you said Lindy Ruff is somehow on par with Mike Sullivan is downright the most dumbest things anyone has ever typed on this board

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

I laugh at this stuff when the man has multiple Cup wins.He never forgot how to coach he just dont have the horses anymore to get it done.No coach could win there with that lineup right now.

The last cup was seven years ago. Most coaches aren't able to sustain such a long tenure. Would you say that Sutter was unjustly fired from the Kings? Berube from the Blues?

Sullivan is past his expiry date, just like they were.

 

[molon labe]

They'll lose more than what he's owed - quickly - if they don't turn things around.

Dude is a dud. Has been a dud for SIX YEARS now. I mean, coaches get fired for a fifth of the bullshit he's pulled and here we are. Always a bag of excuses but always the first to give media time - so he's covered. It's hurt goalies, it's lack of depth, it's bad puck luck, it's not getting to our game, it's hurt goalies, it's the age of the team blah blah blah.

Most hilarious thing about defending Sullivan is that he's gotten every single thing he's wanted here except maybe trading Geno. The roster IS HIS roster.

Dude flat out sucks and should have been fired five years ago. Four years ago. Three years ago...two. now. Get it over with. The fact they're more bent on keeping him than any of the hall of famers is lunacy.

 

[BHD]

Yes, Sullivan is well past his best before date. These points, though, are hilarious.