Penguins/NHL
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— Mike Sullivan conducted the greatest coaching job in Penguins history during the 2016 Stanley Cup run. Regardless of how much damage the Penguins do or don’t do in the 2021 playoffs, this season from March 1st on, has been the second best coaching job of his tenure.
The 2016 run was majorly coach driven, while the 2017 run was just the perfect storm, from the goaltending combo, to favorable matchups, to at the end of the day, just a championship ‘will to win’ mentality the group had. Point is the 2017 Stanley Cup wasn’t the type of dominant system like play that overwhelmed teams in 2016.
Aside from job security Sullivan had due to his contract, at the time of the General Manager change, there were a ton of doubters even among Mike Sullivan’s biggest supporters in the organization that he could get this team to transform the way they play and become a team that plays with a new identity and structure in all three zones.
They had to become a team that defended in waves and whose staple would become turning defense into offense.
What needed to happen has played out in a big way that has the Penguins now being a team you can realistically look at and believe they can win at least a couple rounds if the identity/system like play they’ve developed for a sizeable stretch continues in the post-season.
It’s just as easy to envision this team getting ousted in the first round because of how equal the top three to four teams are in the division, but there was absolutely zero signs before the season and the first two months of the season that come May, the Penguins would transform into a legit Cup contender like they have.
Ron Hextall and Brian Burke have not made any personnel moves that look any different that what win-at-all costs Jim Rutherford would have done, but I’m still a firm believer that the regime change had a seismic impact on the turnaround in the sheer presence of their being a managerial change. It put almost everyone on their toes and has paid off.
— Sidney Crosby has shown the obvious this season for the Penguins in that there’s still quite a few years to build around him with how elite of a 200ft player he’s become as he’s aged. There isn’t that same feeling surrounding Evgeni Malkin from the new regime, multiple sources say. There’s some pressure on Malkin as his return nears to fit in.
The most prominent discussion about Malkin’s long-term future and whether it makes the most sense to tie Sidney Crosby’s final great years to Malkin, is Malkin’s struggles To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
— As the saying goes, some of the best moves you make, are the ones you don’t make. Early in the past off-season, the Penguins shopped Jared McCann hard to gauged his trade value and former GM Jim Rutherford is said to have come awfully close to trading McCann to the To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
— To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
— Lots of pressure on Jason Zucker when the postseason comes around as he has some work to do in making the new regime believers and maybe even the head coach. There’s already scuttlebutt Hextall has been laying the groundwork on moving Zucker’s salary To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Please keep Letang on the bench tonight if they are holding onto a 1 goal lead late in the 3rd. He can’t hit an empty net or cover his man.
Agreed he should never be on the ice in the last minute when the Penguins are holding a lead…
He will make a stupid ill timed pinch, leave a man uncovered in front, jump a pass that doesn’t happen (ala Wilson the other night with 14 seconds to tie the game) make a bad pass/turnover, take a stupid penalty, or let someone blow by him wide..
Which Fraud player will be back from their annual vacation
Fraud murray or our lazy Russian
Funny these two always have times off yet people like npl and Stan drooled all over them
As long as an American hero like Bryan Rust is carrying them, it doesn’t matter. Rust > Sid
The Penguins now have the longest active playoff streak in all sports 15 straight seasons… Crosby is still elite, the best 200 foot player in the nhl, and keeps making people better. I like the way the team is playing and with a smart move or two this off season we will be good again next year.. Malkin needs to be moved…to a destination of his choice for all his great accomplishments.. Take what you can get and use the cleared cap space to smartly invest in what we need. Geno has slipped, he is consistently injured, and he is… Read more »
That play by Letang last night was inexcusable. Bob Errey tried to defend him like he does every Penguin that makes a bad play. He needs to learn how to be objective and less of a homer. This season is hard to judge older players like Geno. He looked horrible from the start but once he finally found his legs he took off. I am not surprised. This layoff will either help or hurt him. Moving him will not be up to the Pens, it will be up to him. Once he comes back, what do the Pens do with… Read more »
I don’t think the Pens have a chance in the playoffs if he isn’t playing like he was before the injury. I could see them scraping together a first round win, with a slim chance in the second. Still possible. Beyond that though, they are going to need him to be the player he has shown to be in the past to move forward. The third round draw is going to be a really tough one. Their goaltending is inexperienced, but that isn’t always necessarily a problem. The Pens won with Murray and the blues with Binnington. Their defense can’t… Read more »
My goodness we actually agree….
Well said..We need Geno playing well and on board with the team game they are playing since he left..
No one is bigger than the team..
Agreed….Letang can’t make plays like that…..
Malkin needs to be moved to second PP Agreed
Jarry did gain some experience last year and played well against Montreal….clinching game only two goals
Crosby is the best 200ft player in the NHL…
Hey, don’t forget Sullivan would still have sid skating with Rodriguez if hextall and Burke weren’t around. I’m saying it’s all the GM not the coach. The top 6 finally has the best players on it. If Rutherford was around, Kapanen would be a 3rd liner and ZAR and Rodriguez would be in the top 6 guaranteed.
So when you don’t have anything real to cry about, you make up ridiculous hypothetical situations. You’re a sad individual.
I’m not crying. Just saying. Hextall clearly told Sullivan no more bums with Crosby.
Pretty sure the GM doesn’t tell the coach how to manage the lines. Especially a new GM to a coach that’s won two cups the team…
You are clearly a paid agent of the pens spinning your propaganda.
If they were paying me, I wouldn’t be on a site with 10 members. Especially considering half of which, like yourself, have no understanding of the game and aren’t capable of rational thinking.
Man you think highly of yourself…..LOL
I didn’t even say anything about myself? LOL LOL LOL
You always do when you don’t admit when you are wrong… says a lot bro The whole debate we had about Jeff carter and Sam Bennett.. We were talking about the trade deadline only for the Penguins and who would be a better addidtion. Once you knew you were wrong about Bennett you started adding OH I’LL Take my 5 year sample over your three eek sample size…. We weren’t taking about 5 year samples, who was a bust, who had a better career. just the deadline. I was right about Sam Bennett he is tearing it up in Florida…..you… Read more »
Here is a thought you could leave…LOL
Funny watching NHL NBC intermission show today they were rating the top trade deadline pick-ups….and how they were doing.
1. Sam Bennett mmhh
2.Taylor Hall
3.Jeff Carter you
we were both right/and wrong..LOL
Ok TBJ233 Lets talk, We both were wrong about our assessments in our recent debate. You know since there is no new article on here for months at a time…LOL You ripped me about Sam Bennett (me saying he would be a god fit for the Penguins) he is tearing it up in Florida. I want no excuses from you (you were wrong) he has like 10 points since going there great OT winner last night.. I said he would be a good player if given a chance and he has been dynamite. I was wrong about Jeff Carter he… Read more »
I’ll take my 5 year sample size over your 3 week sample size. He’s average and you talk about him like he’s everything Lemieux wished he was.
You need to start engaging exclusively with yogurt, sam and dusty. And yes, you’d fall into the half i mentioned below.
Dude just admit your wrong bro…what a loser. I said Bennett would be a good fit as a third line center for the Penguins…at the deadline that’s all !! You are comparing him to Mario Lemieux….not me you twist shit bro.. All I said is this kid is good and just needs a chance which Coach Q is giving him that in Florida.. I was wrong about Jeff carter (you said he would be good in Pittsburgh) he has been better in Pittsburgh than I thought. You need to grow up man and admit when you are wrong.. Your a… Read more »
Agree. Sullivan believes in the 2-2-2 pairings for top 3 lines and just throw whoever the hell on as the other winger.
We actually have a useful 4th line, which imo makes the biggest difference.
Letang with another bone headed play that coast a goal with 14 seconds left.
Agreed….
Fuckin’ Sprong!
That was one horrible goal!