I see Sullivan's problem like this:
He creates narratives for himself to simplify his job and provide structure. This limits his flexibility and willingness to adapt during difficult times. Boxing himself in. It takes something monumentally bad to force him to concede that his preconceived notions of what works are wrong.
Here's some examples:
- There are set pairs on the first 3 lines that he is married to, either because they've had success in the past or those were the pairs he decided on in the off-season. One winger on each of these lines can be rotated to provide a spark. He will only break this structure if forced by injuries. That's why we saw GMR, and why they were disbanded the moment Sid returned. It goes against his policy.
- Sully decided in the off-season that his PK'ers are Tanev, Blueger and a few 4th liners (Jank, Sceviour) who must be used there to fill their ice-time quota. He commented on this a few weeks ago. He's not capable of acknowledging that maybe they should lose that privilege due to shit play. It's one of the league's worst PK's, and his mindset is STILL "These are my chosen boys. What do I have to do in practice or say to them to make it work? We'll just keep working on it every day and try to get better..." That's why you haven't seen Kapanen get a chance, no matter how bad it is and how strong Kap was at it in Toronto. You won't in the future either. He doesn't fit the prerequisites.
They allowed yet another PP goal last game, and the Flyers could have had more easily. Jarry stoned them. Pens were letting them encroach into the high danger areas more easily than I've ever seen. Even when Sully watched the tape back, it still won't be enough to sound the warning bells in his mind.
- PP is much the same story. He has his core 5 guys, who all were part of the Cup runs. Locked in. Kap only got a chance there when Sid was out. Zucker and Matheson weren't even a consideration. Doesn't matter what either of those 3 guys bring. It will remain in tact until injuries happen. Rank 26 be damned.
- What about D-pairs? Remember when Dumoulin-Letang were attached at the hip in 2017-18 when both were goddamn awful? Remember how long that went on? Even if POJ played Victor Hedman level and complimented Letang better than any one he's ever had before, that spot would still be Dumo's when he returns. They are the preset #1 pair. In Sullivan's mind, Dumoulin is an extremely reliable, stay at home D who compliments Letang perfectly and allows him to play his game, right? Sure, that's been true in the past. But what if Dumoulin is awful for the remainder of the season? What if his injuries significantly hamper his play? Do you think that would make any difference? Do you think there's anything that could possibly happen to make him reconsider if it's still effective? No chance in hell.
And Sullivan is currently hunting for his established 2nd pair. He didn't have a preset one because we let go of a few blue liners in the off-season and that jumbled up the system. But the process is underway.
Ruhwedel has been labeled as his #7 this year. Doesn't matter how well he played. Riikola is his #8 or #9. Taxi squad material. POJ only got to play because of injuries. Doesn't matter that he was one of our best D in camp. Pettersson has been offensive to watch as a viewer the last stretch, but who cares? He's not a candidate to be removed. Locked in.
In Sullivan's first two years he wasn't rigid like this. He had a fresh perspective of this team. The bias hadn't set in yet. Performance actually dictated lineup decisions. You didn't get your spot cemented just by virtue of the coach assigning you roles for the long haul. You had to earn it and if you sucked you were removed.
Over time he's steadily veered away from that accountability, and funnily enough the Penguins performance has followed the same trajectory.
