Penguins fire Mike Johnston, Mike Sullivan named new head coach

[A1LeafNation]

Perron Malkin Hornqvist
Kunitz Cullen Kessel
Bennett Crosby Sprong

Crosby needs to go against 3rd line pairings right now. Kessel can drive plays on his own. Malkin can produce without them.

 

[Faax]

I knew it was the coach's fault!

 

[Hossa die Waldfee]

Perron Malkin Hornqvist
Kunitz Cullen Kessel
Bennett Crosby Sprong

Crosby needs to go against 3rd line pairings right now. Kessel can drive plays on his own. Malkin can produce without them.

You haven't watched the game, huh?

Bennett is hurt and Crosby played a good game. Was using his speed again.

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

Perron Malkin Hornqvist
Kunitz Cullen Kessel
Bennett Crosby Sprong

Crosby needs to go against 3rd line pairings right now. Kessel can drive plays on his own. Malkin can produce without them.

lololololol

what is this ****

 

[qc]

I h8 the Pens but I'm happy for their fans. Johnston was turrible. Hopefully they can get back to where they should be with Sullivan.

 

[oobga]

People are right to blame players, but as someone that lived through the Dallas Eakins years, coaches can be just as much of a problem or more if they are bad at their job. Players all still want to follow the coaches lead and hope it makes the entire team work. If the coach is telling everyone to do things that simply can never work with the personnel the team has and refuses to (or just isn't smart enough to) change his methods, you're gonna be a worse team than you could be.

 

[tony d]

Hope Sullivan cures this teams' ills. A team with Crosby, Malkin and Kessel should be so much better.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

It's interesting that the catalyst for Pittsburgh's current situation was losing the Gill-Scuderi pairing.

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

It's interesting that the catalyst for Pittsburgh's current situation was losing the Gill-Scuderi pairing.

Well, not to downplay how important they were in the Cup run but it's definitely bigger than that. Kunitz and Dupuis getting older and less useful. Losing Jordan Staal. Bad luck with injuries.

The Crosby Malkin Staal 3C combo was really the reason the team was so good back then. Those three were rarely iced at the same time again after that though because of injuries.

 

[Anderson9]

On 24 April, 1977 a goalie named Jim Rutherford of the Detroit Red Wings was in goal for Team Canada against the Soviet Union at the World Cmampionships in Vienna. The game ended in the most humiliating defeat in Team Canada's history. Can the Canadians in this thread clue me in on whether it was the same Jim Rutherford who was the key factor in that mortifying loss, 11-1? Giving up eleven goals sure is an achievement!

 

[Big McLargehuge]

On 24 April, 1977 a goalie named Jim Rutherford of the Detroit Red Wings was in goal for Team Canada against the Soviet Union at the World Cmampionships in Vienna. The game ended in the most humiliating defeat in Team Canada's history. Can the Canadians in this thread clue me in on whether it was the same Jim Rutherford who was the key factor in that mortifying loss, 11-1? Giving up eleven goals sure is an achievement!

I'm an American that was 9 years away from being born, but unless the Canadians just picked some random guy off a bus with the same name as the NHL goalie, that was our guy.

 

[radapex]

First game under Sullivan, we lose our best winger this season (Bennett) for 4-6 weeks and our starter is undergoing concussion testing. Great start!

 

[hockeykicker]

And now fluery is out 1-2 weeks with a concussion

 

[Farnham4top6]

Well, not to downplay how important they were in the Cup run but it's definitely bigger than that. Kunitz and Dupuis getting older and less useful. Losing Jordan Staal. Bad luck with injuries.

The Crosby Malkin Staal 3C combo was really the reason the team was so good back then. Those three were rarely iced at the same time again after that though because of injuries.

No it's more of Bylsma actually implementing his system and Shero 180 turn to make the team soft and lazy.

 

[Anderson9]

On 24 April, 1977 a goalie named Jim Rutherford of the Detroit Red Wings was in goal for Team Canada against the Soviet Union at the World Cmampionships in Vienna. The game ended in the most humiliating defeat in Team Canada's history. Can the Canadians in this thread clue me in on whether it was the same Jim Rutherford who was the key factor in that mortifying loss, 11-1? Giving up eleven goals sure is an achievement!

I'm an American that was 9 years away from being born, but unless the Canadians just picked some random guy off a bus with the same name as the NHL goalie, that was our guy.

So it was that same Jim Rutherford who's currently the Pens' GM! From what I see, the team's prospects look daunting.

 

[metalan2]

I knew it was the coach's fault!

It was. Anyone who says different just doesn't watch the Penguins.

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

No it's more of Bylsma actually implementing his system and Shero 180 turn to make the soft and lazy.

Yeah that didn't help either.

 

[PSGJ]

This combined with Roy's floundering really should cause teams to be wary about junior coaches.

Why would you even consider a junior coach, when there are 30 current AHL coaches, even more NHL assistants and currently unemployed coaches with NHL experience. That's a lot of people with better qualifications that you bypass in order to go with a junior coach.

 

[illpucks]

No Mike Johnston, get blown out.

Yes, they have an injury situation, including their goalie. But Johnston was underrated on what he did for this team defensively.

 

[tokyoite]

well, it wasn't Johnston's fault after all eh ?

 

[Mr Positive]

Fleury was playing over his head early in the season. It's unlucky for Sullivan that Fleury got injured.

edit: plus Letang. Sullivan was like a stooge headed to execution

 

[Pi]

Kessel you bum please help the Pens make the playoffs.

 

[Empoleon8771]

No Mike Johnston, get blown out.

Yes, they have an injury situation, including their goalie. But Johnston was underrated on what he did for this team defensively.

It can't be that Zatkoff isn't good, no it has to be that it's because the Pens fired Johnston. Flawless.

The Pens are getting blown out because Fleury got hurt, it's really that simple.

 

[Carlzner]

It can't be that Zatkoff isn't good, no it has to be that it's because the Pens fired Johnston. Flawless.

The Pens are getting blown out because Fleury got hurt, it's really that simple.

So their 3 goals in 3 games under Sullivan is also because Fleury got hurt or what?

 

[Empoleon8771]

So their 3 goals in 3 games under Sullivan is also because Fleury got hurt or what?

No, their 3 goals in 3 games is because they can't hit the ****ing net to save their lives. It's honestly amazing that a sniper as good as Kessel can miss the net as much as he does. They also played Holtby and Rask twice, so it's not like they're getting games against goalies like Zatkoff.