Penguins fire Mike Johnston, Mike Sullivan named new head coach

  • Work is still on-going to rebuild the site styling and features. Please report any issues you may experience so we can look into it. Click Here for Updates
Status
Not open for further replies.
I think he did the best with what he had and he doesn't deserve to have his reputation besmirched because Crosby isn't producing like he normally does. What happened to personal accountability?

Johnston seems like a good man and I wish him the best. Losing your job right around the holidays is pretty devastating.

Oh boo hoo. How terrible! Not only do coaches rarely get fired in the NHL, but it happened near the holidays! Oh boo hoo!
 
Oh boo hoo. How terrible! Not only do coaches rarely get fired in the NHL, but it happened near the holidays! Oh boo hoo!

Wow have some compassion man. This is a human being with a family and everything. How would you like if s bunch of people posted on the Internet about how crappy you were at your life's work?
 
Mike Sullivan? The assistant coach of Torts in Vancouver? lmao

kasslove.gif


You bet.
 
Hey look, someone who has no clue what the issues are with the Pens.

The Pens are very well set at forward and on D. Their depth is fantastic and they're like 3 or 4 deep in NHL goalies. Their issue is D, and that is mainly due to Letang's horrid start to this year. If he were playing to his normal level, we'd only be down 1 top-4 D.



The roster construction is a fair point, the Pens are extremely weak on defense. That weakness shouldn't make them a bottom-5 offensive team. Blaming Crosby is so hilariously offbase, but I'm not even a little surprised you said that.

I think the Pens are set up perfectly for their 1st to have max value. I think they finish 14-16th make the play offs and go out in the 1st round giving the Leafs a top 4 and 14-16th pick
 
From my perspective, this was never truly going to work from the start - and not because I don't think Johnston is capable of coaching at the NHL level. Prior to being hired in Pittsburgh, Johnston spent 6 years as head coach and GM of the Portland Winterhawks. He's used to running a team his way, and his way only. He was always destined to butt heads with Rutherford, and that's ultimately what led to this point - Rutherford wanted him playing the young guys (Sprong, Clendening) and he didn't think they were ready to play. Sure, if you're a Mike Babcock you might be able to get away with exercising that kind of control... but not when you're a rookie head coach.

I agree
The only thing is Rutherford would have cleared house already if he was given the full title without having the owners say. He would of been stupid enough to get rid of Crosby or Malkin , he doesn't care about anyone. He just runs around chopping players, grabbing more players hoping he can get a royal flush playing with others money. Uses the media well to make his trades look good.
No one really calls him out because of his age and a few friends he keeps who back him.
He will be gone shortly and he knows it. It was him or Johnston for now . He will retire for physical reasons within the next 2 months
 
So the Pens are going with a Torts disciple? Should be interesting considering Torts hates the Penguins.
 
I think the Pens are set up perfectly for their 1st to have max value. I think they finish 14-16th make the play offs and go out in the 1st round giving the Leafs a top 4 and 14-16th pick

Just don't do something silly and flip it for Griffin Reinhart.
 
Wow have some compassion man. This is a human being with a family and everything. How would you like if s bunch of people posted on the Internet about how crappy you were at your life's work?

He makes a lot more money than the vast majority of us and will still get paid for the remainder of this year and next year. He'll be fine.
 
I think he did the best with what he had and he doesn't deserve to have his reputation besmirched because Crosby isn't producing like he normally does. What happened to personal accountability?

Johnston seems like a good man and I wish him the best. Losing your job right around the holidays is pretty devastating.

That's your problem. Johnston took the 5th best offense in the league in '13-'14 to 19th last year (when your scapegoat Crosby still had the best points per game in the league) and then 27th this year.

He used a system that was ill-suited to the Pens strengths, played useless older players in prominent roles when they should've been demoted or benched, often put together goofy lines with poor complementary skillsets, and refused to give talented young players a chance even when the GM publicly called him out for it.

Johnston isn't responsible for all the Pens' issues, but he is responsible for a good portion of them.
 
Just don't do something silly and flip it for Griffin Reinhart.

In a perfect world I am hoping a pkg of that pick 14-16+31-34 will be enough to move up just high enough to get A.Nylander. However if the Leafs end up with 5th or later I bet they take him there and go for a D man with Pits pick.

Back to topic at hand-I have noticed that Malkin seemed like the only player who gave a crap and many of the other guys were not giving 100%. The team should be way better than they have been.
 
That's what I don't get. It doesn't seem like that big of a systems change.

Nah it's a big system change. JR compared his system to Laviolette's system, which would be a fantastic fit here. I think of Sullivan as what Tortorella would be if he ran a more offensive system and wasn't a massive crybaby.
 
Really hope the team rebounds and Crosby can find his game again under the leadership of a new coach. I never understood why this team doesn't hire an experienced coach who knows how to win and has proven it in the past.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad