Injury Report: Updates In 1st Post | Clean Out Day

bigkam

Registered User
Jun 13, 2009
1,960
372
Lesson learned: rest Phil rather than have him continuously injured at the end of the season.
 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Registered User
Sep 5, 2008
28,726
2,346
Pretty surprised Phil wasn't dealing with something significant. I don't think Sully, for as much as it's been noted he and Phil are not great pals, would be spiteful and petty enough to take a shot at him in an exit interview on clean out day.
 

Griffin6612

Registered User
Jun 28, 2007
1,965
449
Pretty dissapointed in kessel. He's a main reason we won back to back and really hurt not having him this year.
 

JimmyTwoTimes

Registered User
Apr 13, 2010
19,958
5,281
Phil vs Sully has been an ongoing thing.
I do hope it was injuries tho and not a player quitting on his coach.
I remember Sully flew up to Toronto last summer(think it was) for a little one on one.

No wonder Sprong didnt play then. If Sullivan has a problem with Phil.

Sullivan did a great job motivating these guys the last two years.

Yet they kept making the same mistakes over and over these playoffs. They not buying in anymore? Tuning him out? Theres a reason coaches have short shelf lives in the NHL.

Its something the FO should pay attention to. You obviously dont get rid of him after winning two cups. But you also dont waste the rest of this era because of that too.

All speculation..but if he has a problem with players like Sprong and Kessel something needs to be done about it. The FO already put up with Bylsma for too long, so they know not to do that again IF there is a problem.

Great talents are horrible coaches. And sully/bylsma types fall in love with guys who played like them. Hire Crosby for coach when he retires. Talent and thinks the game better than anyone.

Theres no way Kessel wasnt hurt tho. His play dropped off a cliff the last month of the season.
 

JimmyTwoTimes

Registered User
Apr 13, 2010
19,958
5,281


Groin..like it was mentioned. Obvious it would affect him throughout since he sat the rest of the regular season and came back game 1. Nothing else to do but play thru it. And thats why we didnt get much from him.

Brassard, Malkin, Hagelin, and yes Kessel(Sully) ... no 3peat.

Its a shame thats how this run ended...wanted to at least see if a team could have stopped them if healthy.

Guentzel and Crosby (and Hornqvist) did all they could to carry this team, but no way were we winning it all with those injuries. Still should have beaten the caps, but dont even care it ended now. Let them get more rest instead of playing 2 more weeks and losing to Tampa anyways.

Get healthy, make the right moves and have an even better chance at it all next year. With Brassard making an impact this time. Sprong in the lineup. Sheahan, Oleksiak, Simon, ZAR..with more experience.

Only thing Im concerned with is Sullivan. Hes fully comfortable as coach now. And you never know what youre going to get until that happens. Few red flags this postseason. He did a great job the last two years so hes not going anywhere but the FO has to sort this out. Confident we shouldnt have a problem. They already hung onto Bylsma for too long, learned from that. As we saw them move on from Johnston quick.

Also Crosby is getting older..wants to keep winning. Cant see him sitting around and letting a bad situation continue, knowing its costing the team from winning again. So either way...we should be confident in this team.

Again , not saying Sullivan is the problem. Or that he will be. But there were definitely a few red flags and the FO just needs to make sure everyone is on the same page.

If Simon had a thumb injury...and making some bad plays out there(penalties as well) then why was he still in over Sprong? Makes zero sense. Perfect time to play Sprong with Caps having their injuries and playing a bunch of rookies. Sprong could have added that extra "shot" against Holtby.
 
Last edited:

bigkam

Registered User
Jun 13, 2009
1,960
372
Wow, at Sully's comments on Phil. Definitely some bitterness there at his effort, if that is the case.
 

JimmyTwoTimes

Registered User
Apr 13, 2010
19,958
5,281
Wow, at Sully's comments on Phil. Definitely some bitterness there at his effort, if that is the case.

I found the whole thing weird throughout.

Kessels plays dropped off a cliff. Then in that 2nd to last reg season game against the Jackets he looked like himself again and ripped to shots past Bob. Looked bad in the playoffs, yet came out in game 5 like they shot him up with a bunch of PEDs.

And during this whole time, he was never removed from the first pp. Common sense to me is if he was injured, its an easy move to take him off first pp. Youre not insulting the player by doing so..they know why. So that was confusing as well. Maybe he wasnt injured.

But if he wasnt...how the hell did his play drop off like that? It was immediately after the deadline. Did he also think Ian Cole was Bobby Orr? And refused to give 100% after?
 

Joejosh999

Registered User
Mar 13, 2014
2,738
465
I thought Cole did do something to get into Sully's dog house.
No idea re Kessel but clear disconnect w JRs remarks v Sully, and also Pens training staff telling Pierre Nothing Significant.
 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Registered User
Sep 5, 2008
28,726
2,346
Sullivan being difficult about injuries? Shocking. Or he’s trying to get Kessel and replacement Kessel traded.
Maybe we're reading too much into it, but who knows. Could be nothing, could be Sully calling Phil out for a lack of effort. Either Phil's injuries were bad enough to affect him significantly or he just didn't push hard enough through like other guys. Maybe Sully just has unreasonable expectations because he's seen guys like Horny play with a completely shattered hand, or Sully, being a grinder in his own playing days, played through worse himself.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SHOOTANDSCORE

flaneur

Registered User
Jul 17, 2013
5,532
354
One interesting note in Yohe's Athletic write-up: Sullivan tried to get both Cole and Kessel to sit and rest in a game against the Rangers in April, Cole agreed and Kessel refused because of his ironman streak.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SHOOTANDSCORE

Clare2904

LEGEND!
Sponsor
Oct 22, 2016
14,685
8,816
Montreal
One interesting note in Yohe's Athletic write-up: Sullivan tried to get both Cole and Kessel to sit and rest in a game against the Rangers in April, Cole agreed and Kessel refused because of his ironman streak.

If that is true then Phil deserves all the shit in the world. Players do not dictate the line-up. And what about accountability Sully, where is yours if you allow that to happen.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hornqvists Glasses

Turin

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
21,890
25,283
One interesting note in Yohe's Athletic write-up: Sullivan tried to get both Cole and Kessel to sit and rest in a game against the Rangers in April, Cole agreed and Kessel refused because of his ironman streak.

I don’t blame Sully for being pissed off then. That’s selfish bullshit from Phil. He shouldn’t have a choice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scandale du Jour

JimmyTwoTimes

Registered User
Apr 13, 2010
19,958
5,281
One interesting note in Yohe's Athletic write-up: Sullivan tried to get both Cole and Kessel to sit and rest in a game against the Rangers in April, Cole agreed and Kessel refused because of his ironman streak.

Then Id side with Sullivan there. If that is true...then Sullivan should have said what he said.

the "injuries" werent significant enough for Phil to sit a regular season game so he should have been able to be at his best in the playoffs.

Alot of us were pissed at this whole ironman BS...I dont blame Sully for taking a dig at Kessel then.

Whole different story between not getting along with certain talent and being upset with someone who didnt rest up enough so they could be more effective in the playoffs.

Lets face it, I dont think anyone wanted that 3peat more than Sully did. Just from watching him during those all access shows...you could see it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: flaneur

Speaking Moistly

What a terrible image.
Feb 19, 2013
39,728
7,402
Injured Reserve
Maybe we're reading too much into it, but who knows. Could be nothing, could be Sully calling Phil out for a lack of effort. Either Phil's injuries were bad enough to affect him significantly or he just didn't push hard enough through like other guys. Maybe Sully just has unreasonable expectations because he's seen guys like Horny play with a completely shattered hand, or Sully, being a grinder in his own playing days, played through worse himself.

And the chances of him taking it to the media with some little dig are slim to none.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->