Will The Pens Make The Playoffs?

The question that plagues us all as Pittsburghers and Pens fans alike. Will they turn it on over the next two months and squeak their way in to the playoffs? Simple answer is, I have no effing clue. I don't know what to think of our beloved Penguins. I made a post before the season started saying how there should be no reason why the Pens shouldn't repeat as Eastern Conference Champs. Now I feel like a dumbass thanks to how this team has been playing all season. I think in the long run getting rid of Therrien was a good call. He was not well liked by his team, he has the personality of a wet mop, he gave his team no identity, and frankly he was a C+ B- coach. We need someone who is going to first get the defence in order. The D is slow, lazy, and mistake ridden. We need someone who is a motivator and a likable personalty. Someone who is going to get on the ice during practice and get down to the nitty gritty with these players. We need an identity as a team. When you hear New Jersey Devils, you think the Neutral Zone Trap. That is an identity. The Pens don't have one. We need a coach who will not shift lines every game to try to generate offence. Doing that nonsense will never build team chemistry. We need... Badger Bob Johnson. Not literally because of course he passed away many years ago but you get the idea. He is the type of guy we need. That is step one to getting this team back on track.

Step two is getting rid of Ryan Whitney. The man is a cancer on this team. Everyone blows him like he is the best defensive and offensive player we have. To everyone Ryan Whitney is simply amazing. Still, the only thing good specifically that anyone says about him is "man, he always has his eyes up when he brings the puck up on the rush." So that one good trait makes him an all-star. Are you fucking kidding me? He gives the puck up at least 5-10 times a game, half of those, sometimes more, are in his own zone. He never stays with his man. For a big guy he lacks physical play. One of his jobs as a blue liner on the Power Play is to keep the puck in, and he seems to not even be able to do that. Just watch him for an entire game, count the number of things he does well and count the number of things he does wrong. I can guarantee you the bad outweighs the good significantly. I know this because I have done it many times before. He has a good game though every now and then, but that is not what we need. If it was a bad game every now and then that would be fine everyone has rough games. Not a rough two seasons in a row while you are taking up 5 million in salary cap. Plus did you ever see the guy in an interview he's a dick. I know a few people who know him personally and say the same thing. He's an asshole. Get rid of Ryan Shitney and Miro Shitan and pick up a goal scorer for Sidney. Just watch at the end of this video at Whitney, what a douche bag.



So will the Pens make the playoffs? Chime in on comments if you think one way or the other. Lets hope they slip in and turn it on during the playoffs and make a run for it and my post from before the start of the season will be correct.

Penguins Fire Therrien

As most already know, the Pittsburgh Penguins fired Head Coach Michel Therrien. They have brought in Dan Bylsma to try and right the ship at least until the end of the season. For the most part the Pens coaching staff remains in place. We'll get a quick look at the new guy when the Pens play today at 2pm.

It is hard for me to come to a decision on this change. I probably won't like most other things and then just agree with the experts that sound smart down the road. But I do think that there is somthing that shouldn't be lost in all of this. Here is my take.

Obviously the Pens were struggeling this season. Not having Gonchar and Whitney for half the season proved to be a negative. Take the top two defenceman from any team and they will have issues. The other thing in all of this however was that the Penguins clearly weren't the same after last season losing some key players and not getting Hossa back either. Therrien I feel was a very solid coach. But it's also tough when a guy like Satan and Sykora are supposed to be "finishers" and they are struggeling. I do think he was especially good with a team full of young players like the Penguins. Therrien's downfall though was the fact that he shuffled lines too much and was maybe too defence minded for a team with so many young talented players. Overall I think for the most part, Therrien's tenure with the Penguins will be considered a success, but this season may be remembered for his failure after coaching them to the Stanley Cup Finals last year. Overall the reason Therrien got fired, wasn't because of the team's struggles, but that they simply didn't believe in his theories and style anymore. When Therrien was first hired, everyone bought into the fact that defence would be the way to win and it was his way or the hi-way. That maybe was somthing that this team didn't want to buy into anymore with the struggles of the season. No matter what though, Therrien will be remembered for the guy that helped turn this team around and we should be grateful for that. He was the right guy at the right time for this team back in 2005-2006.