The Pittsburgh Penguins, so far this season, have played far below their potential considering the talent on the squad. On Tuesday night (Nov. 19), they blew yet another two-goal lead with less than 15 minutes to go, losing 3-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime. It was the eighth time they have blown a big lead this season. With that loss and other results since then, the Penguins currently sit in eighth place in the Metropolitan Division. Their play has been consistently inconsistent, with fast starts and slow finishes.
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The Penguins are getting lackluster results at the quarter mark, and something needs to change. While trading away players is typically what is done in situations like these, they have had their fair share of new faces come into the organization over the last couple of seasons, but still, nothing has changed. This leaves the question: when will general manager Kyle Dubas and the rest of the front office realize they need to fire head coach Mike Sullivan and bring in a new bench boss to freshen things up?
Sullivan Good for a Contending Team, Not a Rebuilder
The reason for firing Sullivan would not be due to him being a bad head coach—many would agree he is not. However, his systems and coaching style do not suit a team that is retooling while Sidney Crosby is still a member of the club, nor are they suitable for a team that will eventually be rebuilding. He is best suited for a Stanley Cup-contending team, or even a team that has a good chance of just making the playoffs.
Sullivan’s preferred style is a very offensive-heavy approach. Though it has not been consistently effective this season, he likes his teams to focus on speed and aggressive forechecking, swarming defenders to limit their time and space, and forcing them to make mistakes. The problem? The Penguins are—and have been—one of the oldest teams in the league. Because of that, the speed needed for his systems to work is simply not there. This was a significant factor in the team’s failure to make the playoffs in the last two seasons.
Two-Straight Missed Playoff Appearances
The Penguins had an incredible streak of 16-consecutive playoff appearances, but that came to an end in the 2022-23 season. They finished with a 40-31-11 record, which left them two points behind the New York…
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