Sully's future here

[offsides]

I'm just wondering what posters think will actually happen to Sully and crew. Not what should happen but what will happen. I'm usually wrong about everything hockey but I think he will be here for at least this season.

[Crash66]

Like another Mike in town, he ain't goin' anywhere.

[Antonio]

Love the optimist who thinks he'll be gone. Much as I hate him, I can no longer allow myself even the tiniest sliver of hope that he will be gone. Perhaps, one day when I least expect it, the fates will shine their mercies upon us all and I will discover the joyous tidings of his departure, but until then I remain convinced he will be here until he retires.

[Maestro]

No way. Not happening and this from someone that wanted him gone 3 years ago.

[KG]

This season will play out like last season. They will be in contention for a playoff spot, play just good enough for Sully to keep his job this season, while he takes subtle jabs at the roster construction and players for not listening to him...

[pcmforless]

It's been a long while since I've been to the board, was looking to see the conversation here and it was just as it should be. I've held out hope for Sullivan and while I think he is a great coach I do think he has passed his expiration date as it seems all good coaches do. If the current state of affairs continues (blown leads, Unexplainably HORRIBLE power play, wrong style of play for the current team age/speed) it really does seem the only thing that can possibly give them hope of a sucessful season is a full coaching staff change.
The good things are that they have been close in pretty much every game, the goalies are right now playing great and Sid is still Sid.

[lemieuxReturns]

Not to be overdramatic BUT.... I could see tonight's game being critical to Sully's future here. The players no doubt are hearing the criticism of their coach and the effort that they put forth tonight will indicate if they have given up on him or if they are behind him. It doesn't have to be a win necessarily but the effort will reveal a lot.

[Admin]

It's been a long while since I've been to the board...

Welcome back! Hope everything's going well... at least better than the Pens' power play!

[Coffey Break]

I'm of the opinion that Sully really needs to spread the wealth across the lineup. Can't say that would save his job, etc. but something different needs to happen. I also understand Line 1 is working well, but it's likely at the expense of the other lines at 5v5. The configurations would be a lot better with a healthy Rakell but they should try and flip DOC and Rust to try and jumpstart that second line.

It's really interesting to me - for all his early season warts and non-production, the 2nd line went completely radio silent since Rakell went down with the injury. I also wouldn't be surprised if Geno is still ailing from something (possibly minor enough since he's still able to play).

As for the PP - continuing with the outside the box approach - just plant Jeff Carter's big body right in front on PP1. Seriously - how could it get any worse? Might as well try something completely asinine at this point. It's akin to TB using Corey Perry on that top unit despite the availability of other star players.

[Antonio]

It always amuses me to see the series of posts that include a variant of "I think Sully is a great coach but..." Yeah, he's great... but for the worst power play arguably in team history, years and years of the same lack of effort, blown leads, half a decade plus of INSANE playoff ineptitude, a massive roster change with no improvement, a reduction in effectiveness of the greatest offensive d man in a generation, endless questionable player usage and management, refusal and inability to adapt or modify his system, etc etc etc. Said it before, I'll say it again, it really feels like it's just a thing people say like the emperor's new clothes... they don't know why they are saying he's a great coach (because he 100 percent isn't), but they've heard it so much from the hockey illiterati that they just repeat it.

[BigMcK]

FSG will not be involved with a coaching staff change. Small details that do not impact the bottom line, better left for GM duties, and I am not sure Dubas has the fortitude (cojones) to answer that bell in his first season.

I am braced for another season of "we'll get it figured out next year. There is still another chance the old players still have the fire to compete for another Cup...". blech

[Badger Bob]

I'm just wondering what posters think will actually happen to Sully and crew. Not what should happen but what will happen. I'm usually wrong about everything hockey but I think he will be here for at least this season.

I wonder how many think Reirden lasts the season, especially if the PP continues to be putrid.

[brwi]

Sullivan has changed the system this year and actually had changed it some late last season. It's simply that the players won't play it consistently and he's loathe to do anything about that. He wants low event games while some of the roster is thinking high event all game long. When they have games where they 100% buy-in, they look like a true Cup threat, but those games come and go and winning streaks suddenly turn to losing streaks.

Sullivan wants the team to play pretty much exactly how the Bruins have played for years, whether it was with Cassidy as HC or Montgomery now. A team that has average skating speed that plays at a fast pace between the blue lines in transition and either enter the zone with speed or cross-ice dump in the corner and get in on the forecheck. The Bruins and Vegas are case studies in how to win when your team doesn't have that much speed but can play at a fast pace in bursts.

You can't fire the players so the HC(and staff) is the one that goes. I doubt that happens this season with it being Dubas' first season and FSG seemingly huge Sullivan fans so get ready for heading into the last week of the season trying to secure a WC spot. As mediocre at best as some of the East is this season, a sub-.500 team likely gets one or both the WC spots, and no matter how inconsistent and maddening the Pens can be, they'll be in the mix.

[FLPensFan]

Do I think Sully should be or should have been fired already? Yes. You can't keep pointing at your 2 success as the world is currently burning around you.

The 2nd round exit after back to back Cups, while I didn't like the tired excuse, was acceptable. The 4 first round exits...were not, nor was missing the playoffs entirely. Quite frankly, those 1st round exit teams boasted a much more complete roster than what we've had this year and last year. It all comes down to continued, failed execution.

Either the team has tuned out Sullivan and doesn't execute, the team is no longer capable of executing Sullivan's system at their age, Sullivan's system is stale, the league has gotten younger, other coaches have adapted....or really, a little bit of all of the above.

Dubas improved the defensive play of the bottom 6, but they still aren't providing enough secondary scoring. Right now, our bottom 6 players have 13 goals. Our bottom 6 last year had 23 goals at this point. The goaltending is up and down. Jarry needs to show that he can go long stretches with solid games, even in the losses. The defense needs to stop with the odd man breaks. The PP needs to get going. Rakell needs to start finding the scoresheet when he returns.

Just like years past, it's more than just one problem. Too many media pundits out there claiming fixing the PP will heal all. It will help, but there are still other issues, and this team doesn't have the cap space or prospects (at this point, the cupboards aren't even bare....the cupboards don't exist) to pivot at the deadline to fix the mistakes.

I'll be more shocked if this team makes the playoffs and/or wins a round, then misses the playoffs at this point.

[Antonio]

Well the statistics already showed a few weeks ago that based on their record that the time, they had like an 86% chance of missing the playoffs. Mathematically the season was over last month already barring an exceptional occurrence.

[offsides]

I am sure hoping this poll is very very wrong.

[BigMcK]

Is it...

Kansas: Dust in the wind; or,
REO Speedwagon: Riding the storm out?

That is the question regarding Sullivan.

[Skatingpen]

They will probably end up with the 11th pick, with the way things are going. That would be another kick in the teeth

[DelPen]

They will probably end up with the 11th pick, with the way things are going. That would be another kick in the teeth

Which goes to San Jose for Karlsson.

[Skatingpen]

They will probably end up with the 11th pick, with the way things are going. That would be another kick in the teeth

Which goes to San Jose for Karlsson.

Yep, that was my poor attempt as a joke since a top 10 is protected!

[ahawk9]

I think I'd rather the 11th pick going to SJ this year, because I don't see next season going any better. Let's get it overwith...

[KG]

I think I want to change my vote to Yes. There's just too many negatives going on with this team. This is also not a one-off down season. It's the same thing they did last season.

Time for a change.

I wouldn't even worry about looking to bring in a long-term replacement. I would bring in a veteran coach to try to win the next couple of years while the core is here, then after they move on you bring in a longer-term coach for the rebuild.

[stonewizard51]

I think I want to change my vote to Yes. There's just too many negatives going on with this team. This is also not a one-off down season. It's the same thing they did last season.

Time for a change.

I wouldn't even worry about looking to bring in a long-term replacement. I would bring in a veteran coach to try to win the next couple of years while the core is here, then after they move on you bring in a longer-term coach for the rebuild.

IMHO it's the same thing they've been doing since 2017-2018. I voted no mainly because, if after 6 years nothing has happened to make a change, why would it happen now ?

[FLPensFan]

Is it...

Kansas: Dust in the wind; or,
REO Speedwagon: Riding the storm out?

That is the question regarding Sullivan.

Well, the fan base is not...

REM: Shiny, Happy People
Pharell Williams: Happy

We are more...

REM: It's The End of The World As We Know It
Van Halen: Jump
The Animals: We Gotta Get Outta This Place

And if we lose in Sunrise tomorrow night, we can call this Florida trip "The Great Southern Trendkill"

[pronovost19]