There is no shortage of Pittsburgh Penguins fans who would like to warm coach Mike Sullivan’s seat to an uncomfortable point. After a couple of seasons without a playoff berth and no playoff series wins since 2018, any coach would be in trouble, and the spate of teams this season finding success under new coaches only adds to the desire.
The team’s performance this season, or more specifically, the lack thereof on many nights, would often point directly to the coach. Still, the Penguins’ situation is much more complex and a little different than the average team hoping to reverse its recent fortunes.
There’s no doubt that Sullivan and the Penguins’ top three (Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin) have become close. The players are unequivocally supportive of him despite their increasing lack of success on the ice, and Sullivan has placed far more trust in them than a coach would trust in ordinary players.
Any coach, new or existing, would put a lot of faith and credibility in the Penguins’ three core teams. Discussing the matter after The Final Word on WXPI Sunday night, I compared Sullivan to former Steelers coach Bill Cowher’s final seasons, which included a Super Bowl victory and a mediocre disappointment.
A coach will treat veterans of that status differently. Every coach would do it, but there is a line between respect and deference. Cowher probably crossed him in his final season. I also know where Penguins fans stand on Sullivan.
And therein lies the vicious cycle of penguins. A new coach could come in and grab the team by the shoulders and demand a completely new game. The coach might yell or explain quietly, but as long as the Penguins core is united, they will still be his team. If they are not happy with the changes, the coach will quickly lose space.
It would be the same for all sports teams in all leagues. You may remember the friction with former coach Mike Johnston, whose brief tenure with the Penguins included the more serious rumors that “Crosby is unhappy and could leave.”
Any new coach will pay the same respect to the core.
Training, Changes
Rick Tocchet of the Vancouver Canucks and Kris Knobloch of the Edmonton Oilers made changes this season and in the playoffs. Knoblauch’s ability to change the mentality in Edmonton was the biggest catalyst for Edmonton recovering from a position far out of the playoffs mid-season to the Stanley Cup Final. Tocchet also transformed the Canucks’ thinking and style.
Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer inserted Dallas prospect and AHL MVP Mavrik Bourque into the Game 6 lineup on Sunday. It was a bold move in a potentially decisive game that helped Dallas outscore Edmonton 35-10 (but Dallas lost 2-1).
Would Sullivan boldly make the kinds of changes that others did? He certainly used to make those big swings, and his tactical adjustments were a big reason the Penguins beat the Washington Capitals on their way to the 2017 Stanley Cup.
It’s amazing how smart coaches can seem with a good team and how dumb they can seem with a bad team. No one seems to notice the changes when you lose, unless they are the cause of the loss.
Examples please?
Of course, how much worse could the situation for the penguins get, right?
A good example of how much worse the situation could get also has to do with Sullivan. Vancouver was tired of losing playoff series despite a wealth of talent and wanted a cultural change. Following his successful stint with the New York Rangers, head coach John Tortorella and assistant coach Sullivan took over in 2013-14.
Tortorella immediately targeted the aging Sedin twins, as he often does with star players who don’t play his style. See also Vincent Lecavalier and Ryan Johansen. As an assistant coach, Sullivan was in the middle of the battle.
Tortorella and Sullivan quickly lost the team and lasted only one season in Vancouver. The Canucks finished first in their division the previous season and second the following season, but finished fifth under Tortorella.
The coaches didn’t respect the room, they certainly didn’t read the room and they didn’t accomplish anything. A new Penguins coach could come in and upset the applecart with any of the three core members or all three at once, but chances are things would get worse, not better.
No, any new coach would also show the same respect to Sidney Crosby as he did to Sullivan or any new coach would quickly lose the team.
That’s why president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas had no incentive to put the coaching change on his summer to-do list, at least until Dubas feels Sullivan follows Cowher to the other side. of the line by being too deferential.
It’s the perfect Catch-22.
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