Post-Game Talk: Blue Jackets 5, Pens 3 - Playoffs?

[steveg]

When your entire organization reports to a politician, this is what you get. Ice cheerleaders, an entire city's media pumping out propaganda, and success measured in Net Income as opposed to victories.

You win this thread. Bravo!

 

[Jacob]

Pouliot will be alright. Others won't be.

 

[Sideline]

You never bash a rookie for having to play big minutes. I get that. His mistakes now won't be mistakes of the future. The problem is... the organization ****ed up sooooo badly NEEDING to use Pouliot when we had guys to fill the slot before.

Pouliot deserves all the **** he got for this game. That was a terrible turnover. Same as Perron. But Pouliot shows us what he has for the future. It's a great thing. The problem is he HAS to play big minutes right now. That's dumb. He needs to be owning the AHL and getting shots at the NHL as opposed to just sitting in the NHL making terrible decisions that cost the Pens games.

Double-edged sword.

For sure DP was a dumpster fire today. Not defending the game at all. Tonight there are a few posts from other people that are writing him off as a player entirely.

My problem is that, IMHO, Scott Harrington is ready for prime time. He's not going to give you the transition game #51 can, but he makes the simple play and thinks the game like an NHLer. I think he can be what the Pittsburgh Pravda Media would have you believe Scuderi is.

 

[IcedCapp]

For sure DP was a dumpster fire today. Not defending the game at all. Tonight there are a few posts from other people that are writing him off as a player entirely.

My problem is that, IMHO, Scott Harrington is ready for prime time. He's not going to give you the transition game #51 can, but he makes the simple play and thinks the game like an NHLer. I think he can be what the Pittsburgh Pravda Media would have you believe Scuderi is.

he should be held to the same standard as every other player.

 

[Black Label]

he should be held to the same standard as every other player.

But what standard is that? Every player is held to a completely different standard.

 

[ColePens]

But what standard is that? Every player is held to a completely different standard.

Probably the hardest aspect of coaching. Truthfully... I make sure I coach DP and run film over what he did. He knows it, too. His accountability comes with sitting when everyone is healthy and being taken down to AHL if we get all our defenders back. But I also tell him he's our future and build him up.

For a star, I give them a little cushion as they make sid/geno bad passes, but ultimately I coach them as being the role models for the team.

For a guy like Kunitz, I let their play dictate where they dress. If a player gets complacent, they'll find their ass on the 4th line fighting for minutes.

But seriously... coaching is not easy. That is the dumbest thing I said, but it's so ****ing hard nowadays. All I know is we need a base standard.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

DP is a smart kid, he will clean up his mistakes. He's the least of my worries heading into the playoffs.

 

[ColePens]

Agreed, Jiggy, but Perron and DP's turnover today were unacceptable at this time. They do need to be held accountable. Laughably we cannot do that at this point, but it needs addressed. Hopefully MJ did that.

Dead serious with this statement: The only reason we lost the game is because we gave, or handed, the momentum that CBJ needed to believe. We were really starting to own the period there until Perron gave that puck away. That puck chips out to safety and we continue to frustrate them.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Agreed, Jiggy, but Perron and DP's turnover today were unacceptable at this time. They do need to be held accountable. Laughably we cannot do that at this point, but it needs addressed. Hopefully MJ did that.

Dead serious with this statement: The only reason we lost the game is because we gave, or handed, the momentum that CBJ needed to believe. We were really starting to own the period there until Perron gave that puck away. That puck chips out to safety and we continue to frustrate them.

Discipline as I've stressed for years, is the foundation every good coach builds his team upon. DB was more interested in being their buddy. MJ never created a culture of accountability either.

Why punish DP and Perron when no one else is held accountable unless you are BB or Despres?

Kunitz hacked up Rinaldo. Never missed a shift. Downie skates around taking penalties, still gets third line minutes and PP time.

This is something you do from day one. Not in April. It's too late now.

 

[KIRK]

Discipline as I've stressed for years, is the foundation every good coach builds his team upon. DB was more interested in being their buddy. MJ never created a culture of accountability either.

Why punish DP and Perron when no one else is held accountable unless you are BB or Despres?

Kunitz hacked up Rinaldo. Never missed a shift. Downie skates around taking penalties, still gets third line minutes and PP time.

This is something you do from day one. Not in April. It's too late now.

There's your problem in a nutshell. There's a fine line between having different approaches to different players as Cole outlines and being inconsistent in a way that works to the detriment of the team and eventually leads to player, albeit only on a subconscious level perhaps, tuning out.

I don't know what that fine line is, but I do know that Mike Johnston may be even less adept at trying to walk it than Dan Bylsma was.

 

[ColePens]

Continuing the zero accountability culture of this organization would be enough to drive me insane, but I get what you are saying Jiggy. I get it. I do disagree with you about MT not holding people accountable. He made people live on the edge for their jobs. In fact, i think he handled Subban very well.

But ultimately I will say now is better than later to create accountability. You are 10000% right, Jiggy, but i don't care. I want it started now. Not tomorrow. Not next season. Now.

 

[plaidchuck]

Mj is only signed for two years right? I wonder if they'll even dump him unless shero and bylsma take new jobs. I know the org has money but I wonder if they'd be willing to pay three coaches at the same time. I imagine mjs old job is available.in the whl if he wants it.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

I have some accountability for them. If they miss the playoffs, have them hand deliver ticket refund checks.

 

[KIRK]

Continuing the zero accountability culture of this organization would be enough to drive me insane, but I get what you are saying Jiggy. I get it. I do disagree with you about MT not holding people accountable. He made people live on the edge for their jobs. In fact, i think he handled Subban very well.

But ultimately I will say now is better than later to create accountability. You are 10000% right, Jiggy, but i don't care. I want it started now. Not tomorrow. Not next season. Now.

So how do you do that now, because there's no way the go along to get along coach is going to stop dropping his pants at the sight of Adams' Harvard diploma or Kunitz's cup ring.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Pens played way harder for Bylsma than they do for Johnston. Like night and day difference. These games are disgusting to watch with how they're just floating around out there, completely disengaged.

 

[KIRK]

Pens played way harder for Bylsma than they do for Johnston. Like night and day difference. These games are disgusting to watch with how they're just floating around out there, completely disengaged.

Now, let's not pretend it wasn't the exact same **** as this the last half year with Bylsma. Only difference is the division and conference weren't as strong.

 

[ColePens]

Pens played way harder for Bylsma than they do for Johnston. Like night and day difference. These games are disgusting to watch with how they're just floating around out there, completely disengaged.

I actually agree that they played harder for DB. WE still knew how each season was going to end due to the fact DB refused to adjust or focus on defense.

I'm very very shocked at how the players are responding to MU.

 

[lastcupever75]

By giving up Jarry/Murray. .

hell no to that

 

[KIRK]

I actually agree that they played harder for DB. WE still knew how each season was going to end due to the fact DB refused to adjust or focus on defense.

I'm very very shocked at how the players are responding to MU.

They responded the same way to Bylsma in his last few months.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

They responded the same way to Bylsma in his last few months.

True.

So, what are the constants? Pick your poison.

Mario, Burkle, Morehouse

Bottlerocket, Guerin, Fitz, Martin, proscouts, assorted staff

Sid, Geno, Kunitz, Sutter, Duper, Scuds, Adams, MAF, Martin, Letang, Bennett

 

[AquaticBirdman]

Not only should MJ have been canned months ago, but he never should've been hired to begin with. I have a hard time taking this organization's cup aspirations seriously when they insist on hiring inexperienced coaches time and time again. We may not be the most talented team in the league, but there's no way in hell we're so bad on paper that we should be getting embarrassed by non-playoff teams night after night.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

Mario, Burkle, Morehouse

Bottlerocket, Guerin, Fitz, Martin, proscouts, assorted staff

Sid, Geno, Kunitz, Sutter, Duper, Scuds, Adams, MAF, Martin, Letang, Bennett

Here's what my team would probably look like. That's how you change the culture.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Despres shouldn't have been traded. The stupid thing about all of these hypothetical questions "what about Despres for Cole and Bort for Lovejoy, Cole's been good!" is that the PENGUINS HAD COLE AND DESPRES. THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO TRADE DESPRES.

Of the four players traded that day, Despres is

1) the best player
2) the most physical player
3) the youngest player
4) the biggest player
5) the most cost/contract-controlled player

let it sink in, if the past month and two days hasn't been enough.

Thinking about that deal still turns my stomach. On a quality playoff team, Ben Lovejoy is a seventh defenseman. **** Rutherford and his 19 assistants.

 

[KIRK]

True.

So, what are the constants? Pick your poison.

Mario, Burkle, Morehouse

Bottlerocket, Guerin, Fitz, Martin, proscouts, assorted staff

Sid, Geno, Kunitz, Sutter, Duper, Scuds, Adams, MAF, Martin, Letang, Bennett

The very fact that there have been that many constants is the problem.

 

[KIRK]

Not only should MJ have been canned months ago, but he never should've been hired to begin with. I have a hard time taking this organization's cup aspirations seriously when they insist on hiring inexperienced coaches time and time again. We may not be the most talented team in the league, but there's no way in hell we're so bad on paper that we should be getting embarrassed by non-playoff teams night after night.

One could've argued for his canning a few months ago.

He should've been canned in the last few weeks, when there was still time.

If the Pens lay an egg against the Flyers, then he definitely should be canned immediately, but they'll use the 'not enough time' and 'what difference will it make' excuses.