‘Not Good Enough,’ Penguins Remain Broken, On Verge of Early Collapse
EDMONTON, Alberta — Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan didn’t tiptoe, tap dance, or spin his team’s latest beating. Good teams have throttled the Penguins this season, which is OK for a mediocre team with hopes of evolving into more as the season progresses. But continued no-show efforts with abhorrent and disheveled defensive zone coverage should again ring the same alarm bells that went unanswered last season.
And for the final month of the previous season, too.
On Oct. 26, they already stand at the crossroads of their season and, probably, the organization’s long-term course. If they’re not going to win, they have no need for many of the veterans on their roster.
“It was concerning because we’re just not good enough right now. We didn’t play hard enough. We didn’t play together as a group. We weren’t good enough,” said Sullivan.
If the team had not sputtered for most of last season, these first nine games would be concerning but not a death rattle. However, the continuation of the soul-crushing march of 2023-24 is as undeniable as it is defeating.
The Penguins have been broken for some time, and not the new faces and young faces can inject the Penguins with enough life-saving serum to overcome their continually self-inflicted failure.
Read More: Oilers Absolutely Drill Penguins with 50 Shots; Pens No-Show Loss–AGAIN
It is admirable to try hard against a superior opponent but lose. Instead, the Penguins gifted Edmonton with 50 shots, acres of space, a lack of defensive layers, turnovers, and a lack of heartened pushback—the same character flaws that marred the 2023-2024 season.
It’s one thing to suffer a defeat on the road against one of the best teams in the NHL. It’s another to roll over from the puck drop. It’s another to roll over against division rival Carolina or get sucked into a sloppy track meet against the Buffalo Sabres, or lose all defensive conscience against the Winnipeg Jets.
“Looking at the game, we probably don’t feel like we would have deserved it. But at the same time, sometimes you have to win games like that … In the first, we were on our heels, and then part of that second (too) … we had some looks there maybe (if one goes in) that changes things,” Crosby said.
Penguins Problems
The Penguins’ biggest problem is that their foibles are mental.
It’s a mindset or attitude. It’s a lack of desire or the absence of need. Neither Freud nor Jeung could solve this bunch, but they will remain together because that’s what they’ve decided they want, and the power brokers are not at the top of the organization but at the bottom.
The undercurrent of the training camp after the spectacle of the position battles was to emphasize the importance and necessity of a good start. The Penguins finished strong last season, but their charge was far too late.
With greater importance placed on beginning the season with points, the Penguins have lost four straight and six of nine.
Whoops.
“It’s team defense. We didn’t have the puck enough. We’re not hanging onto pucks. We need to make plays when they’re there. And we got to hang onto pucks in the offensive zone. We just didn’t have the puck enough. And I think that it’s a collective effort,” Sullivan said. “In the last ten minutes of the second period, we started to play. We had a fair amount of looks. We had some zone time … then they got the goal there (Leon Draisaitl). We need to be more physical in that situation (not) fishing for pucks.
“It’s just not good enough,” Sullivan said as he trailed off.
The team might as well have put clothespins on rookie goalie Joel Blomqvist’s sweater Friday against the Edmonton Oilers. The Penguins hung their 22-year-old netminder out to dry, allowing him to face 50 shots and 47 scoring chances. 47?!
Their defensive scheme was less about man-to-man coverage or even filling a zone than it was about “Let’s see if the kid can stop this one.”
Eventually, all good teams falter. The salary cap was designed to prevent dynasties and limit teams from winning in perpetuity. The Penguins weren’t supposed to be Stanley Cup contenders this season. General manager Kyle Dubas tacitly admitted this at the NHL Draft, as he began accepting unwanted veterans for draft picks. However, they still held reasonable hopes of being a playoff team.
Instead, it’s the visage of a team headed for the scrapyard. But no, this is not the attitude or temperament of a playoff team.
That much can be assured not because of a lack of talent—they’ve got plenty—or cratering roster positions—they don’t have one—but because it’s the same as last season.
There might be some new faces on the bench and new ideas behind the bench, but the old stink is permeating everything. The inability to muster competitive efforts on anything resembling a consistent basis has become a hallmark of the once indefatigable team.
Crumbling spirits and embarrassment have replaced resilience.
The biggest problem the Pittsburgh Penguins organization faces in its attempt to fix the problem is that those who are the longest-tenured or most important are the most culpable.
From Sullivan to Crosby to Evgeni Malkin to Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson to Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and even Tristan Jarry, those who are supposed to fix this are the ones at the center of the gathering storm.
And the storm is intensifying.
The Penguins could reverse course and become a better team tomorrow. They seemingly turned into a better team overnight late last season when they were absolutely out of time and finally desperate enough. It’s completely within their grasp to be a better team now. One wonders if the embarrassment of the Edmonton drubbing will spur them to action against the Vancouver Canucks.
And then on their short homestand. And more on the road next week.
Or not. With four losses in a row (0-3-1), the Penguins are, as Sullivan said, “Not good enough.”
The question is if they can find the desperation that spurred them late last season. It will take nothing less, or the grim reaper that comes for all great teams will arrive far sooner than they’d hoped.
Categorized:Penguins Penguins Analysis
“Be more physical when fishing for pucks”…. physical???? Peterson got physical and almost got knocked out.
Why do we continue this? You had a whole year to change it! What did you do???? Embarrassed again!
After getting boat raced last year by Edmonton, it was foolish to go into the game without playing a trap. If sully can’t figure it out then he needs to go. If he can’t get the players to play a trap then either sit them or send them to Wilkes or trade them if they are the few with no movement clauses. This team needs to play D. Make them by using a trap.
I’ve been saying this for 2 years. Fire Sullivan please.
I have been saying that for several years as well. Why is there reluctance to do that? Sullivan has lost the room years ago. They have great talent but need a coach to guide them in the right direction. A new coach has plenty of time to right the ship but Sullivan can’t do it.
Agreed! I, too, said a couple years ago Sullivan had to go. Do it now while the season is young. They need an iron fist behind the bench, Gerard Gallant? Sullivan spouts the obvious, “we weren’t good enough”, yadda, yadda, yadda. Then do something about it. He has been given too much control on roster moves and we see how that has worked out.
Exactly! Sully is responsible. Keep Sully, keep losing!
Good article, Dan, as always…tonight will tell alot….this is a MUST win game !
They stink. Hanging on to the core has kept them from getting better. They could have broken the core up and gotten younger hungrier players or draft picks if they would jumped on it a few years ago. Sulli needs to as well. He has done all he can and may be half the problem.
Wonder what the fan reaction will be at the next home game. Yoi!
Muted, or maybe echoing, as there will be more and more people staying home rather than going to watch a half-hearted effort.
And Double Yoi!
They have a lot of limited no trade contracts and such. I hope Dubas has already reached out to the players prior to the season and said if things go south would you waive it. Or at least ask what few teams would you really not want to go to. Most of the players are playing bad and not much buyers out there. They have to make some changes and get prospects or picks back. Problem is it’s so early in the season who really is looking to make deals already? Might have to wait on a couple guys after… Read more »
Are the Penguins to slow, to weak or uncoachable by the present staff?
SAD.
James Hagens might be a good pick.
we are a team stuck in the past. Many of our players still think we can out skate, out talent, and score more than the other team. That’s not us anymore. Until that mindset changes, results will be poor.
They play D like the Keystone Cops on ice. If you’re not familiar with the Keystone Cops google it. No O zone time and allow 50 shots on a rookie goalie. Wow won’t win too many games playing like this.
Team is to soft & undersized.
St Ivaney had 5 hits last night, not a single other player had more than 2.
Almost all the Oilers shots were within 5′ of the goalie and maybe one time a Oiler got trucked onto the ice in the crease.
Can ‘the core’ play into their 50s?
In the legendary DX voice, I got 2 words for you, “Lottery Pick”!
It is so refreshing to see St Ivany take the body and be physical when defending…he stood up mc David twice. It is also shocking to see a quality defenseman play and remember what it looked like with Ian Cole and Brooks Orpick.
I’m sorry, but I think it is time to call flop on the ek65 venture
I’ve always wanted to do a western Canada road trip. Thought about doing it this year. So glad I didn’t.
I had a great time in Calgary and Edmonton despite the Pens. The Calgary game was actually exciting!
Pull the plug on this garbage already. Start with Teflon Mike since either his system is problematic or the players have tuned him out and don’t adhere to it. David Quinn ain’t the answer either. Failed coach with a career losing record. New coach calls a team meeting with KD and JS present. “Team will be run as a meritocracy. If your play isn’t up to snuff, you sit. You don’t like that philosophy, talk to Kyle about finding a new home.” Waive Grzzzz…useless in O and D zones, and nobody will claim him. Trade Petey for a stay at… Read more »
I think Mark Madden is right. This team is destined for a lottery pick in next year’s draft. And honestly, that’s what they need. This time, when they fail, they’ll have no one to blame but themselves for insisting on keeping this team, coach and style together about 6 years too long.
It’s one thing to not have a lot of talent and it’s something else to not have a lot of heart. This is a team that has tuned out their coach and are going through the motions – and barely at that.
How many times are we going to have to hear Sullivan tell us his team isn’t playing hard enough? It’s time for a MAJOR shake up as this thing has gone way south and it has become very late really early.
#freesullivan #freelars
COOKED. we apologize, sid.
Time for a new coach. Actually past time. The team has talent but hasn’t done much since the last cup. Other teams changed coaches when things aren’t going well. Why not the Penguins? A new perspective is needed now before it’s too late for this season.
Would love to know what Sullivan said before the game. I’m betting it wasn’t play loose and fast. Don’t worry about defending. The players refuse to change. So either accept the results, start putting players on the bench or press box, or try a new coach. But realistically, until the players change how they play the game to adjust to the reality of what this team is, it will continue to get worse.
Next game scratch kari65 and play shay.
Can we just swap Sullivan and Laviolette so Sullivan can ruin the Rangers?