Confirmed with Link: Penguins and Mike Sullivan part ways

[Honour Over Glory]

Me too.

It’s like waking up on Christmas morning

My wife watched me unbox all of my Pens stuff and was like “Babe why are you getting your Penguins stuff out, they’re not even in the playoffs, unless your dream finally came true…did it?”

Me turning to her like “Yes, it did…”

Like she told me before this that 6 of her eggs were good to go with the IVF stuff and that we have a great chance and I wasn’t even as excited for that as I was for Sullivan being fired.

I really f***ing despised him.

 

[Ulf5]

Just had to come back to this thread to make sure it was real and not a dream.

Belated Happy April Fool's Day.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I’m under no illusion that the culture of mediocrity Sullivan instilled will go away any time soon after his departure but it’s a step in the right direction. Team still kind is up it’s own ass about things but now that’s Dubas’ job to sort out over the offseason.

The core of Sid, Geno, Letang, and... -wistful sigh- Bryan Rust!

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I’m under no illusion that the culture of mediocrity Sullivan instilled will go away any time soon after his departure but it’s a step in the right direction. Team still kind is up it’s own ass about things but now that’s Dubas’ job to sort out over the offseason.

I think it will because I am pretty sure the issue for Dubas was Sullivan wanting to win and likely wanting to add veterans to help and Dubas wanting to retool/rebuild and seeing the youth play well when they were given a better shot. Most of those lads haven’t been “Sullied” and if Dubas starts to move more vets out, it leaves very little Sully tainted wankers. The ones that are left will be ecstatic to not have to play an absolute asinine system and idiotic usage and minutes.

The core of Sid, Geno, Letang, and... -wistful sigh- Bryan Rust!

I really hope Rust is angry about this and wants to leave. He can go f*** off to wherever Sullishit is ends up.

 

[HandshakeLine]

The core of Sid, Geno, Letang, and... -wistful sigh- Bryan Rust!

EXACTLY.

He joins the rare company of Robert Lang, Stu Barnes, Tomas Sandström, Randy Cunneyworth, Warren Young, Greg Malone, Syl Apps, Al McDonough, AND Greg Polis.

30G is fine, but man, the team acting like some previously impossible milestone is pretty hilarious.

My wife watched me unbox all of my Pens stuff and was like “Babe why are you getting your Penguins stuff out, they’re not even in the playoffs, unless your dream finally came true…did it?”

Me turning to her like “Yes, it did…”

Like she told me before this that 6 of her eggs were good to go with the IVF stuff and that we have a great chance and I wasn’t even as excited for that as I was for Sullivan being fired.

I really f***ing despised him.

Lol and also congrats+good luck dude! We're actually looking like today is the day, so my daughter will never have to know the Sullivan-era Pens, thank goodness.

 

[Zbynek]

Doesn't seem real

 

[MeinerEiner]

For me, Duba's plan started yesterday and from now on I'm much more critical of its implementation. But the press conference suggested a lot and that's why I only see Dubas as being 50% to blame for the last two years.

 

[cookthebooks]

did anyone hire sully yet?

 

[HandshakeLine]

For me, Duba's plan started yesterday and from now on I'm much more critical of its implementation. But the press conference suggested a lot and that's why I only see Dubas as being 50% to blame for the last two years.

I mean, I still hold him responsible for not reacting sooner, but I’m interested enough in his vision that I think he deserves a chance to implement it.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I mean, I still hold him responsible for not reacting sooner, but I’m interested enough in his vision that I think he deserves a chance to implement it.

Yeah I have no excuses left to not at least want to see where this is going, now.

...right up until he brings on some horrific players for a crappy pick or two then I'm sure I'm right back to complaining bitterly lol

We're not doing that again this year I hope? Can we maybe just bring in a handful of REAL players and if (when) the team sucks just trade those guys instead? Please?

 

[eXile3]

did anyone hire sully yet?

I was told he would be hired 20 minutes after being let go. No way our media was wrong so he must have and we didn’t get notified.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I don't even put much blame on Dubas on the last 2 years anyway. The team he inherited was completely spent, he was just brought in with a mandate to make one more push to see if there was anything left. Want to say firing Sullivan could have solved things quicker? Sure, but there was zero chance a new GM was going to come in and immediately fire Sullivan with how FSG propped up how big of a positive he was for the team. Hell, I don't even know if Dubas would have been hired had he said he would fire Sullivan immediately.

It sounds like Dubas decided it was time to move on during the season and just kept Sullivan until the end of the season out of respect. Sullivan should have been fired years ago, but Dubas took a completely reasonable amount of time to fire Sullivan here IMO.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I don't even put much blame on Dubas on the last 2 years anyway. The team he inherited was completely spent, he was just brought in with a mandate to make one more push to see if there was anything left. Want to say firing Sullivan could have solved things quicker? Sure, but there was zero chance a new GM was going to come in and immediately fire Sullivan with how FSG propped up how big of a positive he was for the team. Hell, I don't even know if Dubas would have been hired had he said he would fire Sullivan immediately.

It sounds like Dubas decided it was time to move on during the season and just kept Sullivan until the end of the season out of respect. Sullivan should have been fired years ago, but Dubas took a completely reasonable amount of time to fire Sullivan here IMO.

I think it's just one of those damned if you do damned if you don't things.

I did not and still do not like it. I think any GM that came in needed to make giant sweeping changes including the coaching staff to have any real shot at actually competing. The team was years-stale even at that point and whoever was coming in needed to recognize that and understand why. One of those "massive culture shift" hires or whatever. But they didn't do that and I can at least understand why... that's a lot of upheaval and like you said the guy coming in with that mentality likely doesn't even get hired in the first place.

The big misstep is and always was extending the goof to begin with. That should have been a pink slip... not an extension. The team was still way too far up it's own ass to see that, though.

 

[ThosePuckingPenguins]

Between Madden, this and so many others, it’s wild to me that Crosby was able to continue his career after they traded his buddy Colby Armstrong in 2008. Because according to all of these doofs, Sid just can’t simply move on any time anyone who he likes and respects is let go or traded or whatever else.

Screw Marek for that tweet too. He knows what he’s doing with that quote. This whole trying to drive Sid out of Pittsburgh thing is such utter crap.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think it's just one of those damned if you do damned if you don't things.

I did not and still do not like it. I think any GM that came in needed to make giant sweeping changes including the coaching staff to have any real shot at actually competing. The team was years-stale even at that point and whoever was coming in needed to recognize that and understand why. One of those "massive culture shift" hires or whatever. But they didn't do that and I can at least understand why... that's a lot of upheaval and like you said the guy coming in with that mentality likely doesn't even get hired in the first place.

The big misstep is and always was extending the goof to begin with. That should have been a pink slip... not an extension. The team was still way too far up it's own ass to see that, though.

Yeah you can individually judge how Dubas has done in the last 2 years (terrible first off-season, has been good since deciding to rebuild with the Guentzel trade), but I don't think he really has much "blame" for the state of the team. At this point, the real evaluation of Dubas begins because this is now officially his team. The team's path forward is going to be decided by him, rather than "doing right" for Sullivan and the core.

There are no excuses left for Dubas.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Yeah you can individually judge how Dubas has done in the last 2 years (terrible first off-season, has been good since deciding to rebuild with the Guentzel trade), but I don't think he really has much "blame" for the state of the team. At this point, the real evaluation of Dubas begins because this is now officially his team. The team's path forward is going to be decided by him, rather than "doing right" for Sullivan and the core.

There are no excuses left for Dubas.

Right. Which is fine... he can be judged on his own merits, now.

Having Sullivan around was kinda like putting this tarnished lens over every single decision made by the team as ultimately it had to be distilled through THAT guy. It's a relief to not have to account for that when discussing all the different facets of this team. As I said yesterday it was tough to even completely grade out Dubas on FA and trades because like... how MUCH of those were HIS idea?

 

[Empoleon8771]

Right. Which is fine... he can be judged by his own merits, now.

Having Sullivan around was kinda like putting this tarnished lens over every single decision made by the team as ultimately it had to be distilled through THAT guy. It's a relief to not have to account for that when discussing all the different facets of this team. As I said yesterday it was tough to even completely grade out Dubas on FA and trades because like... how MUCH of those were HIS idea?

I can easily throw shit at him for the Jarry and Graves contracts, but yeah Sullivan was pretty adamant that they needed more puck movers (Karlsson trade) and guys like Smith, Eller, Acciari and Nieto were pure "make Sullivan happy" additions.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I can easily throw shit at him for the Jarry and Graves contracts, but yeah Sullivan was pretty adamant that they needed more puck movers (Karlsson trade) and guys like Smith, Eller, Acciari and Nieto were pure "make Sullivan happy" additions.

100% agreed. It was so obvious to me that vast swaths of the roster the last however many years were Sullivan Plugs. He had his brand... we all know it and hate it. And it's always been funny to me that Sullivan has had a thing for puck-moving bluelines or an "offense from defense" mentality but in execution has no idea how to actually implement it haha

 

[GilbertSeinfeld]

Between Madden, this and so many others, it’s wild to me that Crosby was able to continue his career after they traded his buddy Colby Armstrong in 2008. Because according to all of these doofs, Sid just can’t simply move on any time anyone who he likes and respects is let go or traded or whatever else.

Screw Marek for that tweet too. He knows what he’s doing with that quote. This whole trying to drive Sid out of Pittsburgh thing is such utter crap.

No, THIS is what will finally cause Crosby to demand a trade.

He's finally going to Montreal.

Source: trust me, bro.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Between Madden, this and so many others, it’s wild to me that Crosby was able to continue his career after they traded his buddy Colby Armstrong in 2008. Because according to all of these doofs, Sid just can’t simply move on any time anyone who he likes and respects is let go or traded or whatever else.

Screw Marek for that tweet too. He knows what he’s doing with that quote. This whole trying to drive Sid out of Pittsburgh thing is such utter crap.

Too bad Sid doesnt have social media

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

No one is thrilled when a colleague loses a job. But I bet Yohe and Madden have lost more time and sleep thinking about what Crosby thinks about Sully than Crosby himself lol.

Just so funny to me these slobs think they’re like boys with Sid and should speak for him or need to carry water for him. Like Sidney Crosby can’t speak for himself or he’s a victim of the evil regime firing the good guy coach. Embarassing.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

No one is thrilled when a colleague loses a job. But I bet Yohe and Madden have lost more time and sleep thinking about what Crosby thinks about Sully than Crosby himself lol.

Just so funny to me these slobs think they’re like boys with Sid and should speak for him or need to carry water for him. Like Sidney Crosby can’t speak for himself or he’s a victim of the evil regime firing the good guy coach. Embarassing.

The media and large portions of the fanbase have treated Crosby and Malkin like these petulant, overly-emotional little children for going on decades now and I have no idea why because they have never shown any signs that they should be handled as such. It's bizarre.

 

[PamBallam]

Between Madden, this and so many others, it’s wild to me that Crosby was able to continue his career after they traded his buddy Colby Armstrong in 2008. Because according to all of these doofs, Sid just can’t simply move on any time anyone who he likes and respects is let go or traded or whatever else.

Screw Marek for that tweet too. He knows what he’s doing with that quote. This whole trying to drive Sid out of Pittsburgh thing is such utter crap.

...or trading Fleury, or Guentzel. Or firing Bylsma. Sid will be fine. As he's shown dozens and dozens of times over the past 20 years.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

The media and large portions of the fanbase have treated Crosby and Malkin like these petulant, overly-emotional little children for going on decades now and I have no idea why because they have never shown any signs that they should be handled as such. It's bizarre.

Exactly. Bizarre is a great word.

“Can’t imagine Sid is happy about this” “did you consult with Crosby” “Crosby didn’t want to play for another coach”

Guarantee Sid is sad for his colleague he won a cup with and got along with. Guarantee he’s sad at kinda what this represents and kinda everyone aging out and it being near the end.

I also guarantee that because he is a:

a) a big boy
b) has played sports at the highest level for 20 years and is a competitor himself
c) a professional

That he can understand and rationalize why the coach without a series win since 2018 is getting moved on from by a GM that didn’t even hire him. And as a result he still goes about his day.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Crosby is superstitious and as part of that I'm sure he's at least wary of big changes but that doesn't mean he isn't a completely reasonable person who is looking at this entire situation with eyes wide open.

I guarantee you he knows the score... where they are at, now and that if anything this coach and his vision were given TOO much time to prove that they could still do it. To act like Crosby needs to have things explained to him and like he needs to be like... sheltered and spoken for is super cringe IMO. Dude is a like... middle aged man FFS.