Kingerski: Why Penguins’ Mike Sullivan’s Seat Should be Warm

The Pittsburgh Penguins have not won a playoff series in six seasons and have missed the playoffs in two straight.

And a lot of heat has landed heavily on coach Mike Sullivan.

Although the heat has come solely from the outside, that doesn’t mean it’s not legitimate. And it doesn’t mean Sullivan is immune from internal heat, now or in the future.

The Toronto Maple Leafs fired coach Sheldon Keefe Thursday despite a two-year contract extension that was set to kick in for next season.

There was wild speculation that Keefe would be terminated should Toronto not escape the first round. Speculation continued that if it happened, Keefe would reunite with Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas, with whom he worked together with the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL, with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, and Toronto in the NHL.

Yes, the pair have a history together.

Yes, the Penguins have two coaching openings: one as the head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins—where many fans have penciled in Keefe—and one as Sullivan’s assistant.

First, let’s quell the rumors. It would be borderline disrespectful for Dubas to bring in Keefe, and that’s probably not going to happen. Neither Sullivan nor Dubas are unaware of the intense rumors that would explode from such a situation and the negative side-effects.

It would be counterproductive.

Furthermore, why would Keefe leap to such inferior jobs? There are and possibly will be more head coaching positions available. More bluntly, Dubas doesn’t need to hire Keefe right now for either position in order to have him waiting in the wings should Sullivan no longer be the Pittsburgh Penguins coach.

In other words, a reunion in the current situation is a bad move.

However, Sullivan’s future should not be guaranteed, either.

While complaints about his system are largely from the exterior, and the complaint that the team is stale is the same, there are legitimate problems that worsened as the losing and struggles dragged through the first 70 of 82 games.

Sullivan must answer why his team was far too unprepared to play on far too many nights.

Remember this gem from December 17: Penguins Grade–Internal Frustration, Team Deeply Flawed.

Throughout the season, you could fill in the Sullivan quote with several often repeated phrases, “We didn’t …”

The Penguins didn’t defend hard enough. The Penguins didn’t battle. They weren’t on their toes. Didn’t take care of the puck. Made too many mistakes. The Penguins didn’t score on the power play.

Sullivan’s frown was ever-present.

The benefit of a veteran team is supposed to be eliminating those mistakes and worries. A veteran team—the Penguins began the season as the oldest team in professional sports—should understand what must be done.

Talent or age might limit an older team, but the Penguins’ never-ending cascade of jaw-dropping mistakes befitting a nervous rookie and their consistently inconsistent lack of motivation were staggering.

A veteran team should be easy to coach. However, it certainly appeared the team was anything but. Little came together until the final 14 games when it was too late.

Don’t let the Penguins’ final and gallant charge erase the rotten taste of dysfunction. It was fun to cover, and it added quite a bit of optimism for next season, but did it fix any of the issues?

If they begin next season with the energy of an afternoon nap or the discipline of a pee-wee team in a learn-to-play program, things must change.

A coach should be judged by maximizing the team’s talent and by the players’ buy-in to the program.

That’s where Sullivan’s future should rest. If the Penguins improve on their haphazard, sloppy play and too frequent no-show performances, it will show that the coach has done his job, and the Penguins’ winningest coach with a pair of Stanley Cup rings has affirmed himself as the best choice for the job.

Dubas doesn’t need to put a contingency plan in place now. There will be coaches available, perhaps even Keefe, with NHL experience.

If the Penguins do not show improvement on the ice, there won’t be a choice. And that’s the scale on which Mike Sullivan’s future should rest.