10-4 since the sky stopped falling.
- jmatchett383

It's not the results. It's the process. They're riding good goaltending. Almost nothing else is working.

It's not the results. It's the process. They're riding good goaltending. Almost nothing else is working.
- jfkst1

I know. Just agreeing with you that they've "turned the corner" results-wise.

Hey, I'm all for it. Problem is, 18 games into a season, there's not a lot of options.
- jmatchett383

Sullivan is doing a lot with not much in the AHL. Plus hes scary looking. Why not give him a try?

Bigger "problem" in firing him is the Pens are in a playoff spot at 10-7 thanks to goaltending. So fair or not, they probably won't fire Johnston unless the results start looking ugly.
- jfkst1

Whats not fair is the way Fleury is being left out to dry but somehow saves the game. What would be fair is putting a system in place that takes some slack off of him. Or trading him to a team that would do justice to his level of competition. I say we start with a coach that actually shows passion or emotions in general and has a system that the players actually play. I'd love for Johnston to prove me wrong but the guy is not a NHL level coach.

Sullivan is doing a lot with not much in the AHL. Plus hes scary looking. Why not give him a try?
- Zac_O

What about Tocchet or Agnew? Probably not Tocchet, but maybe Agnew?

Or maybe the removal of Jacques Martin?

What about Tocchet or Agnew? Probably not Tocchet, but maybe Agnew?

Or maybe the removal of Jacques Martin?
- jmatchett383

Good God not Tocchet - I have no idea what even qualifies him to be an assistant coach, other than people keep hiring him

Martin is simply an advisor at this point, say what you want about his defense - In that past, when he had the talent, his teams did score goals

I'm on the sully train, if he sucks we can always fire him too

#savetheseasonwithsully

#seewhosavailablenextyear

What about Tocchet or Agnew? Probably not Tocchet, but maybe Agnew?

Or maybe the removal of Jacques Martin?
- jmatchett383

I'm with Victoro on Tocchet, fire him and make Gonchar PP coach. Agnew wouldnt be to bad. But Sullivan has head coaching experience and seems like he has the back bone needed to deal with the superstars. Now thats a total assumption so take it as you will. But the fact is Sullivan has made the WBS pens amazing even though they only have 4-5 guys whos names are worth mentioning at this point. So either the pens prospect pool is severely underrated or the guy is doing good. And its not just Matt Murray being a stud like Fleury is for Pittsburgh. They are winning games 7-0 and 6-5. It, like everything, is a risk vs reward move. Way more potential upside than potential downside.

Good God not Tocchet - I have no idea what even qualifies him to be an assistant coach, other than people keep hiring him

Martin is simply an advisor at this point, say what you want about his defense - In that past, when he had the talent, his teams did score goals

I'm on the sully train, if he sucks we can always fire him too

#savetheseasonwithsully

#seewhosavailablenextyear
- TheGame316

I'm just wondering if Martin is the defense whisperer in Johnston's ear. Martin's team were built around his system. That system would probably not fit this group.

Nice blog, reiterates what I've been saying since last year. The Penguins have swung so far away from what they did well under Bylsma that they aren't even recognizable anymore. The Penguins needed to become more detail-oriented on defense. Instead they've sacrificed everything that made them tough to play against on offense in the name of decreasing quality scoring chances, and it's made them totally ineffective.

New coach, looser system, more fun, let the hockey players play hockey and everything will change almost instantaneously.

Johnston was a Mickey Mouse hire, a junior coach with no idea what it takes to play in the NHL. I'd rather have just kept Bylsma, it was certainly more fun.
- hardnosed

Under DB, we were more fun to watch, but let's not forget things, he was flawed too. No adjustments and no emotion, like MJ

I'm with Victoro on Tocchet, fire him and make Gonchar PP coach. Agnew wouldnt be to bad. But Sullivan has head coaching experience and seems like he has the back bone needed to deal with the superstars. Now thats a total assumption so take it as you will. But the fact is Sullivan has made the WBS pens amazing even though they only have 4-5 guys whos names are worth mentioning at this point. So either the pens prospect pool is severely underrated or the guy is doing good. And its not just Matt Murray being a stud like Fleury is for Pittsburgh. They are winning games 7-0 and 6-5. It, like everything, is a risk vs reward move. Way more potential upside than potential downside.
- Zac_O

The Baby Pens were also good under Hynes for the last few years. Not saying you're wrong, but it's not like Sullivan took over for a a doormat team either.

Sorry, not trying to be too contradictory. Just open and unbiased.

The Baby Pens were also good under Hynes for the last few years. Not saying you're wrong, but it's not like Sullivan took over for a a doormat team either.

Sorry, not trying to be too contradictory. Just open and unbiased.
- jmatchett383

I agree, Thats why I wanted Hynes to replace Johnston Immediately. To late now.

Under DB, we were more fun to watch, but let's not forget things, he was flawed too. No adjustments and no emotion, like MJ
- Oneonta Penguin

No emotion? Are you kidding me? Just look at this gem. It makes me want to get up and beat up the homeless with passion:

I agree, Thats why I wanted Hynes to replace Johnston Immediately. To late now.
- Zac_O

Yeah, that probably would have been a good idea.

Do you think Pens' upper management has a smug "We can put anyone in there and succeed" kind of mindset?

Yeah, that probably would have been a good idea.

Do you think Pens' upper management has a smug "We can put anyone in there and succeed" kind of mindset?
- jmatchett383

I hope that's not true because then the issue is way bigger than we are talking about.

No emotion? Are you kidding me? Just look at this gem. It makes me want to get up and beat up the homeless with passion:


- jmatchett383

Exactly.

Exactly.
- Oneonta Penguin

I'm trying to figure out who that is in the reflection. Anyone know?

Nice blog, reiterates what I've been saying since last year. The Penguins have swung so far away from what they did well under Bylsma that they aren't even recognizable anymore. The Penguins needed to become more detail-oriented on defense. Instead they've sacrificed everything that made them tough to play against on offense in the name of decreasing quality scoring chances, and it's made them totally ineffective.

New coach, looser system, more fun, let the hockey players play hockey and everything will change almost instantaneously.

Johnston was a Mickey Mouse hire, a junior coach with no idea what it takes to play in the NHL. I'd rather have just kept Bylsma, it was certainly more fun.
- hardnosed

And the glaring flaw with this game is so obvious I don't see how MJ hasn't caught on. In order to play defense first hockey with an offense first roster you have to completely nueder the offense and sit back and play passive hockey. We've been doing this so why are we still seeing juicy chances like odd man breaks and solid slot and crease crashing chances at the frequency one would expect from a more aggressive system? The answer is so simple that it's laughable.

We are actually technically limiting good chances by allowing way more chances. We're allowing so many chances that the percentage of good chances look small when seen in large bulky sample size of chances per game.

So at the end of the day, why bother if we're still going to roughly have the same amount of good chances against playing this passive, reactionary hockey than we would playing aggressively? At least if we played aggressively we could get some goals back instead of being shut out by Bobby (frank)ing Farnham and company.

I'm trying to figure out who that is in the reflection. Anyone know?
- jmatchett383

Why did you do that? I just wasted three minutes of my life trying the same.

Why did you do that? I just wasted three minutes of my life trying the same.
- Oneonta Penguin

haha. It's not Glass, although that was the description from the site. It looks like someone whose last name starts with "DAJ" and it's a 2-digit number ending with (I think) a 5. I went over the all-time roster by number and can't figure it out.

haha. It's not Glass, although that was the description from the site. It looks like someone whose last name starts with "DAJ" and it's a 2-digit number ending with (I think) a 5. I went over the all-time roster by number and can't figure it out.
- jmatchett383

It's definitely a 12 but it's not Iginla. The letters don't match up.

Don't think the letter match up to Kobasew or Lovejoy either. So I'm probably wrong about the number

It's definitely a 12 but it's not Iginla. The letters don't match up.
- Victoro311

Alexandre Daigle? Although he played in 2002-2003.

It's definitely a 12 but it's not Iginla. The letters don't match up.

Don't think the letter match up to Kobasew or Lovejoy either. So I'm probably wrong about the number
- Victoro311

Here is the list of every #12 that played for the Pens:

Ken Schinkel, Blaine Stoughton, Kelly Pratt, Greg Malone, Mitch Lamoreux, Dean DeFazio, Tom O’Regan, Tom Roulston, Bob Errey, Larry Depalma, Troy Murray, Chris Wells, Richard Park, Sean Pronger, Martin Sonnenberg, Billy Tibbetts, Michal Sivek, Ryan Malone, Chris Borque, Brett Sterling, Richard Park, Jarome Iginla

It's definitely a 12 but it's not Iginla. The letters don't match up.

Don't think the letter match up to Kobasew or Lovejoy either. So I'm probably wrong about the number
- Victoro311

I don't think it's a "2" because remember, that's a mirror image, which makes it a "5." The only one who fits 15 is Glass, and the last letter looks like an "S." But the beginning of the name doesn't match up.

Edit: Actually, it must be Glass. The "G" just looks like multiple letters.

I don't think it's a "2" because remember, that's a mirror image, which makes it a "5." The only one who fits 15 is Glass, and the last letter looks like an "S." But the beginning of the name doesn't match up.
- jmatchett383

Jeffrey?

I don't think it's a "2" because remember, that's a mirror image, which makes it a "5." The only one who fits 15 is Glass, and the last letter looks like an "S." But the beginning of the name doesn't match up.
- jmatchett383

#5 - Engelland?