Thanks for Everything, Sully

[EightyOne]

On one hand, he's a stubborn fool

On the other, these are adults who have been playing hockey their whole life... How the f*** do you forget basic situational awareness

Anyway, nothing new. The issues on ice have been there for YEARS at this point

 

[Honour Over Glory]

@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.

Who? Me? Hate on Sully?

Why I never.......

 

[Honour Over Glory]

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.

How inspired can you be if your boss is clueless as f*** and it's the person that's supposed to work with you and it's clear he has no idea how to fix his issues.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Rodrigues is his new Simon.

Rodrigues is his new ZAR. At least Simon had decent hands.

 

[ncm7772]

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.

They actually lost that SO to LAK. But I agree - the team is playing WAY worse now than they were when Johnston got fired.

 

[Pens x]

They actually lost that SO to LAK. But I agree - the team is playing WAY worse now than they were when Johnston got fired.

I’m sure management is giving him a free pass blaming the poor start on no real pre-season.

 

[Snooki Stackhouse]

I think the bigger issue is JR's roster mismanagement and the cliff the top players have fallen off of in their careers. Plus this org is probably bleeding money like crazy and can't afford to pay two coaches.

 

[Will Hunting]

I know that Rust is not playing well. He deserves criticism. But to dump him from the TOP6 for Tanev and ERod staying next to Sid and playing 19 minutes tells you a lot about Mike Sullivan. And Kapanen looking crazy dangerous in every single shift and staying pinned to the 4th line. It was such a big game too and Sullivan´s stubborness easily could´ve cost them that game. Not to mention structural deficiences and players probably not giving 100% for him anymore. What was that start btw? Embarrassing. It took some miraculous 3 on 5 goal to woke them up and they finally played some legit hockey after that for the first time in forever. But it was not because of Mike Sullivan. He needs to go. To me, this is reaching Mike Johnston´s level of toxics.

 

[Gold Diamond]

5 years ago, Sully had this team playing hard with speed and everyone bought in.

Now, the top guys are coasting. We are not as bad as we should be on paper - if the top guys on this team don't start working harder, we are missing the playoffs. If Sully can't get them working harder, he needs to be canned and we find someone who will.

 

[Pens x]

I know that Rust is not playing well. He deserves criticism. But to dump him from the TOP6 for Tanev and ERod staying next to Sid and playing 19 minutes tells you a lot about Mike Sullivan. And Kapanen looking crazy dangerous in every single shift and staying pinned to the 4th line. It was such a big game too and Sullivan´s stubborness easily could´ve cost them that game. Not to mention structural deficiences and players probably not giving 100% for him anymore. What was that start btw? Embarrassing. It took some miraculous 3 on 5 goal to woke them up and they finally played some legit hockey after that for the first time in forever. But it was not because of Mike Sullivan. He needs to go. To me, this is reaching Mike Johnston´s level of toxics.

The whole ERod playing on the top line is inexcusable. He should have known it wouldn’t work. You want to try it? Okay, fine, try it for a game and if he plays like...well like himself, then put someone else there. Ill never understand how Sully thought it was a good idea to play him on the top line. But to simply turn a blind eye to ERod’s inadequate play is infuriating, and then you play him like 18 mins a night????

To not even try someone else in that spot was beyond incompetent. The third line also fizzled offensively over the last 2 games with 0 points collectively, so please don’t give me the he didn’t want to disrupt their chemistry BS.

 

[BHD]

5 years ago, Sully had this team playing hard with speed and everyone bought in.

Now, the top guys are coasting. We are not as bad as we should be on paper - if the top guys on this team don't start working harder, we are missing the playoffs. If Sully can't get them working harder, he needs to be canned and we find someone who will.

@Snooki Stackhouse made a good point about the roster. This is problem the weakest - or one with the biggest flaws - since JR got here. However, it's hard to gauge this team when the core is coasting.

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.

That's the only reason I'm not totally excited about them making a change. I think it'll either be Reirden or Velluci. Maybe JR does surprise by pulling someone (Gallant?) from the unemployment line. He did that when he replaced Lavy with Maurice in Carolina, but that was in Carolina. That might have had to do with ownership.

 

[ColePens]

@Snooki Stackhouse made a good point about the roster. This is problem the weakest - or one with the biggest flaws - since JR got here. However, it's hard to gauge this team when the core is coasting.



That's the only reason I'm not totally excited about them making a change. I think it'll either be Reirden or Velluci. Maybe JR does surprise by pulling someone (Gallant?) from the unemployment line. He did that when he replaced Lavy with Maurice in Carolina, but that was in Carolina. That might have had to do with ownership.

I disagree this is the weakest roster. TB, Tanev, Jank, McCann in the bottom 6. That was supposed to be our weakness and guys like Sceviour, TB, Tanev are all producing.

The top 6 doesn't have a hole in it. Kap, Rust, Zucker, and Jake are all legit top 6 wingers on many teams. We don't have any Phil Kessel wingers, but i'd argue Jake Guentzel is that now. He formed into one.

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

This thread was definitely many years coming. The Islanders series was uninspired and definitely a breaking point. Since then it's a series of convenient excuses (though under the same conditions as all). Well a pandemic paused things and they had issues getting ready! Well a pandemic is starting a short season differently! Well all of these issues have been going on pre-pandemic and have been masked by a few hot streaks from players like Murray, Crosby and Malkin at different times over the years. Throughout all of it the Pens have played uninspired for long stretches. While parts of that are on Rutherford for his continued piss poor roster construction (go figure they won back to back Cups when Rutherford tinkered his least) and I've never been one to lay off of him (I called for his head after the Washington series as he tore down and reconfigured a winning formula for no reason) it's also become an issue of coaching not adjusting or reconfiguring to get the most out of the line up he's been given, for better or ill.

Time for both to go.

 

[Gurglesons]

People flipping out about Kapanen not immediately being played in the top six are hard to take seriously ITT.

 

[Will Hunting]

People flipping out about Kapanen not immediately being played in the top six are hard to take seriously ITT.

It´s not just Kapanen thing, although it was obvious that he is ready to play and was dangerous every single shift. He even adjusted a top6... by taking Rust out of there instead of Tanev while ERod stayed and had a higher icetime than Malkin.

 

[Tom Hanks]

It´s not just Kapanen thing, although it was obvious that he is ready to play and was dangerous every single shift. He even adjusted a top6... by taking Rust out of there instead of Tanev while ERod stayed and had a higher icetime than Malkin.

ERod had a decent game. Malkin was garbage for the most part. Also ERod was on a line doing pretty well and Line 2 was our worst.

You can be mad at some stuff a coach does but playing Malkin more leads us to a better chance of losing in the last game.

 

[SEALBound]

People flipping out about Kapanen not immediately being played in the top six are hard to take seriously ITT.

We all want to play with new toys.

 

[Will Hunting]

ERod had a decent game. Malkin was garbage for the most part. Also ERod was on a line doing pretty well and Line 2 was our worst.

You can be mad at some stuff a coach does but playing Malkin more leads us to a better chance of losing in the last game.

Nah, not really. Malkin was playing well after that goal. And that still doesn´t mean that ERod should play 19 minutes in a game. The line looked good because of Crosby and Guentzel. ERod is not awful, he is good enough for the 4th line but playing him in a prominent role 19 minutes a game is shocking stuff.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Nah, not really. Malkin was playing well after that goal. And that still doesn´t mean that ERod should play 19 minutes in a game. The line looked good because of Crosby and Guentzel. ERod is not awful, he is good enough for the 4th line but playing him in a prominent role 19 minutes a game is shocking stuff.

Well? He was better for the last period but well, I won’t go that far yet. L1 was good, L3 was decent and L4 was fantastic so it is what it is.

Playing Malkin more until he shows some decent consistency or changing lines too much to accommodate him just won’t work IMO until he plays better and that’s really all on him.

It’s more likely that the Covid pre season affected him more than most which is fine which could be many factors: age, type of training he did on his own etc.

 

[Ryder71]

I'm seeing this narrative as it pertains to the top six (allegedly coasting). I'm not sure I buy that, but maybe without a crowd it's hard for them to get fully engaged. Bottom rung players on one year contracts really can't afford to take shifts off in comparison. I don't think it'll be too long before we see some gelling in the top six. I'd play Jake with Geno but they seem to not want to go with the obvious I guess. A 2-2 record isn't all that bad all things considered.

 

[ronduguayshair]

People flipping out about Kapanen not immediately being played in the top six are hard to take seriously ITT.

The complaints as read here really show who gets it or not.

If you want to complain about Sullivan then you should be talking about our aggressive defensive system that so far is a disaster in both ends.


Other complaints are just video game tactics by "keyboard experts".


Those firing a coach 3 games into a season with no training camp and a covid season doesn't really understand how to run a team.

 

[Gurglesons]

The complaints as read here really show who gets it or not.

If you want to complain about Sullivan then you should be talking about our aggressive defensive system that so far is a disaster in both ends.


Other complaints are just video game tactics by "keyboard experts".


Those firing a coach 3 games into a season with no training camp and a covid season doesn't really understand how to run a team.

Eh. I agree with everything but your last point. Sullivan has been getting this performance for nearly four months now.

 

[ronduguayshair]

Eh. I agree with everything but your last point. Sullivan has been getting this performance for nearly four months now.

If you fire a coach right now it would be fool hardy. I don't think our hand is forced just yet. Firing towards the end of the season so you can ride that momentum into the playoffs is a much better idea. Then you have time to evaluate the lineup. We'll be a .500 team with or without Sullivan.

I think our lack of success is on the players not the coaching.

 

[Al Smith]

Rodrigues is his new ZAR. At least Simon had decent hands.

At least Erod skates a lot better than ZAR. Kevin Porter keeps coming to mind.

 

[pistolpete11]

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.

Yes. It has nothing to do with thinking Reirden is a better coach. In fact, I think the opposite is likely true, but the team, especially the stars, are not responding to Sullivan anymore. Whether they have quit on him or the league has figured them out and they can't make the necessary adjustments or whatever you want to say. We know how this ends with Sullivan. We've seen it 2 post seasons in a row.

They've tried the shakeup route each of the last 3 season by trading Hags, Kessel, and Hornqvist. They brought in a legit top 6 winger like Zucker. They brought in familiar faces like Sheary. They brought in buddies like JMFJ. I know it's only 4 games in, but they look as dead as they did in August. There's one move left.

If that doesn't work and the big guns still look disinterested, then I don't know. Maybe the dream is over.