Ryan Wilson: Time for a new coach Time for a new coach

seriously dude? You want to blame the coach? Didn't hear this sentiment from you when he was winning 2 cups for you....please...players win/lose series not the coach. With all that talent on the team they couldn't win the series?

Yet, the wrong decisions keep getting made. Many of the things Dan Bylsma got crushed for when he was fired apply here.
- Ryan_Wilson

If two different coaches made the same decisions in two different coaching tenures, maybe there was something to it?

Bring Back Bylsma!

I like both, prefer Gallant. However, I don’t expect a change, unfortunately.

seriously dude? You want to blame the coach? Didn't hear this sentiment from you when he was winning 2 cups for you....please...players win/lose series not the coach. With all that talent on the team they couldn't win the series?
- mattstake

So anyone who wins two Cups gets a lifetime pass?

I am not defending Sullivan, he has earned a lot of criticism. I think the Bylsma versus Sullivan comparisons arent 100% fair to Sullivan since he has had this core on the other side of 30 whereas Bylsma had this group for most of their primes.

I just wonder if Rutherford had a say in player personnel, specifically Johnson sitting. I could see Rutherford blowing Sullivan up last year after Johnson sat that one playoff game. Sitting the guy your boss just signed to a 5 year contract is a bold move, no matter what player. But in a "win at all costs" organization like the Penguins, that isnt acceptable.

I think Rutherford is the one that needs relieved of duties. you dont have to fire him, give him the classic NHL "promotion" where he moves onto a new organizational role.

If you do make a coaching change, I have 0 problems with the two guys Ryan mentioned, Bruce especially would be funny given where we were at with him a decade ago.

Anyone think John Chayka was trying to get out of his Arizona contract to come to Pittsburgh?

You guys are getting Lafrenière. I’m a Flyers fan living in DC, and everyone I know just has the sinking suspicion that it’ll happen. I’m not saying it’s rigged. I don’t believe that. It’s just more of a feeling of dread.

Rest up for the off-season. Looking forward to doing battle again next year!

Hey, at least it looks like you guys got a real deal defenseman in Marino. Nice pick up.

Schultz, Sheary and Marleau are UFAs. Murray is an RFA unlikely to be back. If JJ is replaced by POJ, what are the major problems that remain to compete with the top teams?

seriously dude? You want to blame the coach? Didn't hear this sentiment from you when he was winning 2 cups for you....please...players win/lose series not the coach. With all that talent on the team they couldn't win the series?
- mattstake

You must not really watch the Penguins. Sully had a great team and pulled some minor strings to win back to back cups. 3 years in a row they have been embarrassingly outcoached. 1-9 in the last 10 playoff games. He didn’t touch a thing and ignored obvious flaws in his lineup. Sully did not give this team a chance to compete, plain and simple.

I thank Sully for his tenure, it is time to move on. I love this team, but this is the NHL, coaches come and go. Also, GMJR needs to kick rocks as well.

I was done after the islanders killed them, now they didn’t even make the regular playoffs? This is 100% on Sullivan and Rutherford.

Just a quick, outside view--the Pens are old and they don't have cheap, high-quality players to surround a trio whose average age is over 33 yrs. old and who combine for a cap-hit of over $25M...

sid, geno and letang are still hall of famers, guentzel is a gem, zucker, hornqvist and the like are still excellent role players, but you guys had conor sheary on the top line...no lightning in a bottle this time as he proved that he's really nothing more than a thrid-liner anymore...and that d outside of letang and the very surprising marino...oy vey!!!

three cups in a nine-year span is fantastic but in a cap-world there comes a time when a serious influx of fresh talent is needed...problem is, those three cups took it's toll on the prospect pool and it could be a painful transition...

just my 2 cents

Babcock

Pens need a bonafide Chris Kunitz type to play with Sid and Jake - No more of this Sheary nonsense, I want a guy who'll win the board battle, get the puck to Sid, who will feed it to Jake

I also kind of want Jake to play with Malkin and Rust in an actual "Scoring line"

Sid can play with Zucker and (Insert player) in a line that can shut down another teams top line, score, and grind

A 3C who can play and put up points. Legit points with decent speedy wingers

A 3rd pair D who can simply keep the puck out of their own net

Murray gone and Jarry between the pipes on a bridge style contract

Just a quick, outside view--the Pens are old and they don't have cheap, high-quality players to surround a trio whose average age is over 33 yrs. old and who combine for a cap-hit of over $25M...

sid, geno and letang are still hall of famers, guentzel is a gem, zucker, hornqvist and the like are still excellent role players, but you guys had conor sheary on the top line...no lightning in a bottle this time as he proved that he's really nothing more than a thrid-liner anymore...and that d outside of letang and the very surprising marino...oy vey!!!

three cups in a nine-year span is fantastic but in a cap-world there comes a time when a serious influx of fresh talent is needed...problem is, those three cups took it's toll on the prospect pool and it could be a painful transition...

just my 2 cents
- Michael Pachla

Letang is very good, but not a HHOFer...in my opinion.

My friend just texted me this:

12.5% chance apparently. 12.5 rounded up is 13. That means there's an 87% chance they don't. But as u know , Sid is number 87 so that cancels everything out. That's just science. They will definitely luck out😀

Hahaha

Schultz, Sheary and Marleau are UFAs. Murray is an RFA unlikely to be back. If JJ is replaced by POJ, what are the major problems that remain to compete with the top teams?
- Tojo.

Age of the stars. Can't fix that. Maybe we get this Lafrenier kid.

I'd like to see a legit 3C and true top 6 RW. If they can dump Bjug and buy out JJ they can probably afford both.

seriously dude? You want to blame the coach? Didn't hear this sentiment from you when he was winning 2 cups for you....please...players win/lose series not the coach. With all that talent on the team they couldn't win the series?
- mattstake

Yup. It absolutely is the coaches fault lol and GMJRs.

Just a quick, outside view--the Pens are old and they don't have cheap, high-quality players to surround a trio whose average age is over 33 yrs. old and who combine for a cap-hit of over $25M...

sid, geno and letang are still hall of famers, guentzel is a gem, zucker, hornqvist and the like are still excellent role players, but you guys had conor sheary on the top line...no lightning in a bottle this time as he proved that he's really nothing more than a thrid-liner anymore...and that d outside of letang and the very surprising marino...oy vey!!!

three cups in a nine-year span is fantastic but in a cap-world there comes a time when a serious influx of fresh talent is needed...problem is, those three cups took it's toll on the prospect pool and it could be a painful transition...

just my 2 cents
- Michael Pachla

I’ll take the 3 cups any day of the week. The back to back was especially nice since they did it before. Looking forward to Buffalo doing something, maybe a nice 3rd Jersey? Just my 2 cents.

You are not wrong, all great teams take a fall. It’s been a wonderful 15 years though.

I am not defending Sullivan, he has earned a lot of criticism. I think the Bylsma versus Sullivan comparisons arent 100% fair to Sullivan since he has had this core on the other side of 30 whereas Bylsma had this group for most of their primes.

I just wonder if Rutherford had a say in player personnel, specifically Johnson sitting. I could see Rutherford blowing Sullivan up last year after Johnson sat that one playoff game. Sitting the guy your boss just signed to a 5 year contract is a bold move, no matter what player. But in a "win at all costs" organization like the Penguins, that isnt acceptable.

I think Rutherford is the one that needs relieved of duties. you dont have to fire him, give him the classic NHL "promotion" where he moves onto a new organizational role.

If you do make a coaching change, I have 0 problems with the two guys Ryan mentioned, Bruce especially would be funny given where we were at with him a decade ago.

Anyone think John Chayka was trying to get out of his Arizona contract to come to Pittsburgh?
- SuperHenderson13

Both gots to go.

Back to porn now for me

@Hesh...Flyers fan (originally from S. Jersey) living in northern VA. Sure is nice to once again have a Flyers team that has skill and grit. Here’s hoping we keep rolling.

I’ll take the 3 cups any day of the week. The back to back was especially nice since they did it before. Looking forward to Buffalo doing something, maybe a nice 3rd Jersey? Just my 2 cents.

You are not wrong, all great teams take a fall. It’s been a wonderful 15 years though.
- Sell My Monkey

no need to get defensive...i envy what the pens and blackhawks, and even the kings, have done....

seriously dude? You want to blame the coach? Didn't hear this sentiment from you when he was winning 2 cups for you....please...players win/lose series not the coach. With all that talent on the team they couldn't win the series?
- mattstake

Yeah seriously. Sullivan's lineup and in game decisions probably cost this series. Very, very good chance of that. He chose to scratch a far superior statistically and producing 3rd pair in favour of the dumpster fire he kept dressing...half of that dumpster fire was one of the worst free agent signings of the past 10 years. He kept an obviously cooked Marleau in instead of young fresh guys. Took McCann out for game 3 and then the 3rd line in his absence was buried all game.

Pens looked pretty damn good for 2.5 games. Price was much, much better than Murray. If the Pens had Price they sweep that series.

Cup or BUST you say, Gunner. Well, then BUST!

Just a quick, outside view--the Pens are old and they don't have cheap, high-quality players to surround a trio whose average age is over 33 yrs. old and who combine for a cap-hit of over $25M...

sid, geno and letang are still hall of famers, guentzel is a gem, zucker, hornqvist and the like are still excellent role players, but you guys had conor sheary on the top line...no lightning in a bottle this time as he proved that he's really nothing more than a thrid-liner anymore...and that d outside of letang and the very surprising marino...oy vey!!!

three cups in a nine-year span is fantastic but in a cap-world there comes a time when a serious influx of fresh talent is needed...problem is, those three cups took it's toll on the prospect pool and it could be a painful transition...

just my 2 cents
- Michael Pachla

Reminds me of the Canucks after their Cup run. Aging star core, no real big prospects, two years of terrible playoff performances... I mean, clearly the Canucks didn't win the cups. But they should have started to dismantle the team after those playoff losses, however they didn't because they were committed to the Sedins, and prolonged the rebuild.