Thanks for Everything, Sully

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

It’s time for Mike Sullivan to go. Rutherford needs to be behind him. No excuses for the performance of this team in the past 20 games. They’ve been awful and it’s clear Sullivan’s message has gone stale. Shame of it is they thought Todd Reirden was a perfect assistant hire, and he’s clearly as uninspired as he was as the Caps head coach.

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[LRS87]

I'm convinced he's gone after tonight.

 

[dogthateats]

Maybe Hornqvist can be coach.

 

[KIRK]

The coaching replacement MUST come from the outside. New, fresh voice. Someone who will implement a (trap) system that emphasizes defensive structure and support and insulates things in general. You let the offense flow from that.

I'd prefer Gallant, but it's got to be someone of that ilk. If it's an internal retread or someone with another message from the outside, kind of the 'we're still fast and skilled and we just are changing the voice for the sake of changing the voice', then it's over.

There's no guarantee that type of change is enough to turn the tide, because it's a lot easier to get a defensive team to open things up than it is to teach a team again how to play defense, but there's no way to evaluate and fix anything-- players, mix, etc-- without that type of coach being in there first.

 

[Empoleon8771]

They absolutely should fire Sullivan, but I'm highly skeptical they will with his remaining contract. What makes me even more jaded is that if they do decide to fire Sullivan, I'm like 90% sure that Rierden will just take over.

I'm not exactly an optimist with their coaching staff. They're not getting someone like Gallant unless they trade Sullivan. They definitely should fire him because it looks like the team has just quit on him.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I mean, I would've changed it up after the Isles series. JR was years into his stupid bullshit by then, Sully's luster had worn off and guys stopped caring. The Habs series should've, without a doubt, been the last of their tenure here.

 

[KIRK]

They absolutely should fire Sullivan, but I'm highly skeptical they will with his remaining contract. What makes me even more jaded is that if they do decide to fire Sullivan, I'm like 90% sure that Rierden will just take over.

I'm not exactly an optimist with their coaching staff. They're not getting someone like Gallant unless they trade Sullivan. They definitely should fire him because it looks like the team has just quit on him.

Pretty sure that's how it turns out.

Which means MAYBE the Pens eke out 4th and a playoff slaughter if everything under Reirden goes right.

EDIT: But it addresses nothing longer term . . .

 

[madinsomniac]

Sully looks like he might be getting a reprieve tonight, but if the team seems tuned out he wont be here by st Patricks’s day...

Sully is a very good coach... nhl coaches dont last long... even the best usually have a five year shelf life

 

[DesertPenguin]

If Sully goes it's either Vellucci or someone outside like Galant. Don't hire Rierden.

 

[Pens x]

I want Sully gone too but our ownership is too cheap to hire an outsider. I don’t see Reirden doing much better.

Maybe Vellucci, but I would hate to go with a wildcard when this team is at the end of the Sid and Geno era.

I think the only reason why Sully is here is because our ownership is frugal and too cheap to pay two coaches.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Vellucci was promoted to be the heir apparent, imo. But if we were to go outside the organization, Gallant's the guy I've wanted since Vegas got rid of him.

 

[cygnus47]

Gallant is the one guy that has a system like what we did in 2016. Would love to see it.

 

[BHD]

Remember when Sullivan had them hold the Caps to like 5 shots midway through a playoff game? This is the exact opposite.

I'll say it again, he's run his course. The players are on autopilot right now. They're passengers for ~60:00 a night.

Vellucci was promoted to be the heir apparent, imo. But if we were to go outside the organization, Gallant's the guy I've wanted since Vegas got rid of him.

People always bring up that he's inexperienced, which is true. But look at the previous hires... Bylsma and Sullivan were both coaching WBS at the time they were promoted. Even Therrien was running things down there when Edzo was canned. This organization promotes from within when making a coaching change midseason.

 

[66-30-33]

Remember when Sullivan had the Caps to like 5 shots midway through a playoff game? This is what the exact opposite.

I'll say it again, he's run his course. The players are on autopilot right now. They're passengers for ~60:00 a night.




People always bring up that he's inexperienced, which is true. But look at the previous hires... Bylsma and Sullivan were both coaching WBS at the time they were promoted. Even Therrien was running things down there when Edzo was canned. This organization promotes from within when making a coaching change midseason.

Well...It is Jan so it really is "mid season".

I think the AHL guy is getting his shot when Sullivan gets shit canned.

 

[BHD]

This team was around .500 when Johnston got fired, and they were coming off a win (in the SO too ). So forget the record. I don't know Rutherford can watch this team and be OK with it. They're not playing at a good enough level - far from it.

 

[Peat]

If the team's quit on him they had a funny way of showing it tonight. Not saying they haven't mind, but that 60 minutes wasn't proof. Would have been very easy to roll over and have their belly tickled. Came back and played hard.

People are being very quick to blame effort too when it's pretty logical that having a very truncated pre-season is going to effect cohesion, fitness, and general timing, with it generally being harder for older players.

 

[Bowski]

Sully seemed to be mostly sane up to this point (despite the 3 playoff/in losses after the B2B), but what's the deal with Mango Salsa 2.0 on line 1?

They did just beat the Caps back to back with an unwanted backup goalie (Caps' was luckily even worse).

Trash high paid/length defense being injured is not really his fault.
Only JR can answer for the eternal Matheson contract trade, as well as giving a dime to CC.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Regardless of the outcome of the game, the 3-on-0 against should seal Sully's fate IMO.

 

[ColePens]

@Honour Over Glory laughing as this thread about 2 years late. The Isles loss was the one where they gave up on him. That was the writing on the wall. But sure.. hot take alert! I think 90% of people agree.

 

[StaalForOne]

Remember when Sullivan had the Caps to like 5 shots midway through a playoff game? This is what the exact opposite.

I'll say it again, he's run his course. The players are on autopilot right now. They're passengers for ~60:00 a night.




People always bring up that he's inexperienced, which is true. But look at the previous hires... Bylsma and Sullivan were both coaching WBS at the time they were promoted. Even Therrien was running things down there when Edzo was canned. This organization promotes from within when making a coaching change midseason.

Yea, going outside of the organization for a mid season hire is a pipe dream. Not to mention the last time it happened...didn't turn out great.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

WTF is Rodrigues doing playing 1RW in the NHL and not 3RW in the AHL?

And giving him preferential treatment over Kasperi Kapanen? That's an even more bizarro-version of making Kovalev wear 72. At least you could make the argument that Adams had been with the team a few years and wore a letter. Whatever. Rodrigues is a guy you made a regular healthy scratch just a few months ago and who a middle-of-the-pack Leafs team didn't think enough of to make a qualifying offer.

 

[BHD]

Think "careless" is the word I'm going to use until things change, presumably from a new coach. They don't care, and it shows - both in effort and focus.

EDIT: Furthermore, I'm not sure whether they need a defensive guy vs. an offensive guy. Again, they've been so bad at straight up executing - anything really - that I'm not sure I'd point to just the system. In other words, is the system broken or are the players not playing it properly?

 

[Pens x]

WTF is Rodrigues doing playing 1RW in the NHL and not 3RW in the AHL?

And giving him preferential treatment over Kasperi Kapanen? That's an even more bizarro-version of making Kovalev wear 72. At least you could make the argument that Adams had been with the team a few years and wore a letter. Whatever. Rodrigues is a guy you made a regular healthy scratch just a few months ago and who a middle-of-the-pack Leafs team didn't think enough of to make a qualifying offer.

Rodrigues is his new Simon.

 

[BHD]

Rodrigues is his new Simon.

I'm not crazy about Simon, but he's better than ERod.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

If it was guaranteed to be Reirden, do people still want him gone?

That’s what gives me pause. Bc if we are able to somehow miraculously get there, I still think I’d rather have Sullivan manning the bench than TR in a postseason series.