‘Nothing Positive’: Penguins Report Card, the Mike Sullivan Edition

There have been very few games in the Pittsburgh Penguins season in which they did not participate or remain competitive. Just as they did on opening night, the Penguins score indicated their no-show in their final game before the NHL All-Star break and were easily shutout by the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night.

Head coach Mike Sullivan is invariably a coach who finds the silver linings or positives to expand. However, on Tuesday night, the Penguins coach simply spanked his team. Every question was negatively answered.

“No, (the schedule isn’t an excuse). Nor should it be,” head coach Mike Sullivan deadpanned. “We just weren’t very good.”

“There wasn’t anything. For me, there was a lack of execution, lack of attention to detail, no sense of urgency. No cooperative play. You can’t play that way in this league and win.”

Sullivan continued to bag his team’s 19-shot performance, but there was an opponent, too.

Philadelphia has settled into Alain Vigneault’s 1-3-1 counterattack strategy. Vigneault has traditionally given the Penguins trouble, at least when his team is capable. Philadelphia sucked the life from the game, then feasted on the Penguins mistakes.