Speculation: Penguins off day talk thread: Yes, Sully is still the coach

[vodeni]

They’re both dynamic offensive players (well, Geno not as dynamic anymore lol) and they are not really a fit to play in a NZ trap system that Sullivan wants to employ…he has to do a better job putting them in positions to utilize their best attributes and he’s not…for example, G and EK give up more goals when theyare on the ice together than when they play with other D pairs or forward lines respectively…yet they were on the ice together for the final Vegas goal

that was a stinker of a game, and it all comes down to his effort and skating...One thing that I have been pondering all these years...Has anyone tried to coach him the last 6-7 years...As he was losing this burst and first step ...If I were Penguins coach I pulled him over in the camp and just drill him: Skate, stop, skate stop skate stop, forecheck, stop, the dman have tape on Malkin, they just need to skate to their side and He is already flown by, leaving a ton of room for dman to brake out of their zone easily...in our zone, he fights hard on the wall, but once in open, he again cheats leaving most of the time someone open, hence a lot of goals against...he also lost confidence, not charging forward, towards the goal, seeing their net as ultimate end point, instead, looking for atrailer, looping around, etc...
We know he is not player he used to be, but I think he could be coached and put in position to help more

 

[DesertedPenguin]

The mentality issues are on Sully though. It happening one game is on the players. It's been happening for 6 years now, with players that have previously been far better at it.

It's on both. The veteran players should have an understanding of what to do, but if Sullivan's system is too complex or confusing, then he also needs to modify it.

 

[cygnus47]

It's on both. The veteran players should have an understanding of what to do, but if Sullivan's system is too complex or confusing, then he also needs to modify it.

I don't think it's a system thing, I think it's a coach that's been around too long and doesn't have the distance needed to motivate the team.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Hey, it could be worse, you guys could be Bills fans like I am.

 

[Andy99]

Pens are back to being alone in 7th place in the Metro and now 5 points out of WC spot, which is now 53 points with the Wings win tonight and Tampa yesterday…Isles got a new coach bump and win…I hope Dubas is looking to make some trades soon or fire Sullivan lol

 

[Gurglesons]

Hey, it could be worse, you guys could be Bills fans like I am.

It is funny how pissy we all are even though we won back to back championships less than a decade ago.

 

[Gurglesons]

The latest Mike Sullivan puff piece from Yohe dropped. @DesertedPenguin.

 

[Josey Wales]

Pens are back to being alone in 7th place in the Metro and now 5 points out of WC spot, which is now 53 points with the Wings win tonight and Tampa yesterday…Isles got a new coach bump and win…I hope Dubas is looking to make some trades soon or fire Sullivan lol

GOOD LORD ! take Your Meds, Nothing is going to make a Difference

 

[Andy99]

The latest Mike Sullivan puff piece from Yohe dropped. @DesertedPenguin.

Maybe DesertedPenguin is Yohe’s burner account lol

 

[DesertedPenguin]

The latest Mike Sullivan puff piece from Yohe dropped. @DesertedPenguin.

Yeah, it's a bit much.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Maybe DesertedPenguin is Yohe’s burner account lol

That's not nice, Andy.

I might not agree much with DP but he's not a blathering, boot-licking hack like Yohe.

 

[Andy99]

That's not nice, Andy.

I might not agree much with DP but he's not a blathering, boot-licking hack like Yohe.

You’re right…much more intelligent defense of Sullivan but a defense of Sullivan that still justifies almost everything he does lol

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Maybe DesertedPenguin is Yohe’s burner account lol

I'm actually willing to criticize Sullivan when warranted.

 

[Gurglesons]

Yeah, it's a bit much.

"• He needs a different level from Erik Karlsson, whose impact in recent weeks has been minimal. His performance on the power play has been subpar and his decision-making has been puzzling. The talent is there. So is his desire to make this work. But it’s not, and Sullivan must find the key to turning Karlsson’s season around."

He does realize EK65 is on an 8 game point streak and has 10 points in his last 10 right?

 

[Andy99]

I'm actually willing to criticize Sullivan when warranted.

Ok, it’s just that your view of when it’s “warranted” is pretty restrictive imo…

the coach still doesn’t use his personnel well and put them in the best positions to succeed..he also has a lot of players on his roster, a roster he helped put together, who aren’t great defensive players and yet he wants to play stifling defensive style…if it wasn’t for the goaltending, we’d probably be last in the East lol

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Josh Yohe will be at the beck and call for stalwart defense of Sullivan up until the day he's fired in like 2050 or whatever. And then on that day he'll claim he never much cared for him and will start connecting all kinds of past missteps to him long after it matters at all.

DP actually says stuff like "yeah this is kind of f***ed and if it continues requires consequences."

 

[Gurglesons]

If only Ron Hextall hadn’t ruined this roster and forced Mike Sullivan to coach all these players he has to now because of Ron Hextall, we’d be amazing.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Josh Yohe will be at the beck and call for stalwart defense of Sullivan up until the day he's fired in like 2050 or whatever. And then on that day he'll claim he never much cared for him and will start connecting all kinds of past missteps to him long after it matters at all.

DP actually says stuff like "yeah this is kind of f***ed and if it continues requires consequences."

I'm at the point where the power play's failure is a fireable offense on its own. I just have a huge philosophical issue with midseason coaching changes. I would rather play out the season, waste a season, and hire the best candidate in the offseason. You have a greater likelihood of creating a sustained impact rather than a two-week bump that then falls apart spectacularly.

This team is Minnesota, not Edmonton. It has some solid pieces and parts, including a still elite Sidney Crosby, but it doesn't have McDavid and Draisatl going on tandem heaters.

 

[Gurglesons]

At this point I have to just sit back and laugh about how predictable the media stories are.

I knew from the second we acquired EK65 that him and Malkin were going to be the scapegoats this year. Kingerski just complained about them and how they are ineffective on the ice.

 

[BusinessGoose]

EK65 is STILL not the problem on this team @yohe

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I'm at the point where the power play's failure is a fireable offense on its own. I just have a huge philosophical issue with midseason coaching changes. I would rather play out the season, waste a season, and hire the best candidate in the offseason. You have a greater likelihood of creating a sustained impact rather than a two-week bump that then falls apart spectacularly.

This team is Minnesota, not Edmonton. It has some solid pieces and parts, including a still elite Sidney Crosby, but it doesn't have McDavid and Draisatl going on tandem heaters.

Eh. I understand what you mean but I feel like this can just lead to an endless cycle of complacency. When the dust is settled it becomes easier to sit back and excuse everything away and eventually circle back around to "well we still like Mike enough that there just aren't QUITE enough compelling reasons to fire him so let's give him another year to work his magic. He's still under contract, after all!"

Just rip the damn bandage off and see what happens. If your interim staff blows then you're still out of the playoffs but the pick gets ever better. Boo hoo. At least you've removed the rot and at the same time had a good look at the options you already had in-house. THEN take it to the off season. With an empty bench and MOTIVATION to fill it.

 

[Andy99]

Guarantee you Mike Sullivan will not be fired this off season either with his new contract extension kicking in, regardless of how the PP ends the season lol

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Eh. I understand what you mean but I feel like this can just lead to an endless cycle of complacency. When the dust is settled it becomes easier to sit back and excuse everything away and eventually circle back around to "well we still like Mike enough that there just aren't QUITE enough compelling reasons to fire him so let's give him another year to work his magic. He's still under contract, after all!"

Just rip the damn bandage off and see what happens. If your interim staff blows then you're still out of the playoffs but the pick gets ever better. Boo hoo. At least you've removed the rot and at the same time had a good look at the options you already had in-house. THEN take it to the off season. With an empty bench and MOTIVATION to fill it.

If there were other internal options, maybe I'd be for it.

But my biggest fear is that if they fire Sullivan, they'll promote either Reirden or Vellucci, and I am convinced that they'll be an abject disaster. I think they're terrible assistant coaches. I desperately want an outside voice and perspective.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

If there were other internal options, maybe I'd be for it.

But my biggest fear is that if they fire Sullivan, they'll promote either Reirden or Vellucci, and I am convinced that they'll be an abject disaster. I think they're terrible assistant coaches. I desperately want an outside voice and perspective.

A legit concern but at this point I just don't care. So what if those guys suck? Only the most rosy-eyed optimist sees this team as even playoff caliber. Nevermind winning anything of significance. So what... Toddddddddd and/or Looch fly the plane into the ground and that middling like 15th overall suddenly becomes top ten AND you have legit reason to tell them to sit and spin their way out the door. Sounds like kind of a win to me.

 

[pistolpete11]

I'm at the point where the power play's failure is a fireable offense on its own. I just have a huge philosophical issue with midseason coaching changes. I would rather play out the season, waste a season, and hire the best candidate in the offseason. You have a greater likelihood of creating a sustained impact rather than a two-week bump that then falls apart spectacularly.

This team is Minnesota, not Edmonton. It has some solid pieces and parts, including a still elite Sidney Crosby, but it doesn't have McDavid and Draisatl going on tandem heaters.

How a Penguin fan of all people could come to this conclusion is very confusing to me.