OTTAWA -- I can't respect Mike Sullivan more than I do, and it feels fair to emphasize that, first and foremost.
He's the consummate professional in how he carries himself, behind the Penguins' bench, on the ice for practices, off the ice in his countless other processes. He's a tireless worker. He's got a lifer's hockey mind and soul. He's a good human being. He's honest, caring and giving and, particularly when it comes to his players, he's as committed to them as any coach I've covered.
He's picked up some sweet bling along the path, as well:
He also hasn't stood on the healthy side of a handshake since April 22, 2018, in Philadelphia.
And in these soon-to-be-six consecutive years without winning a series in the Stanley Cup playoffs, he's had two "generational talents," to borrow his own descriptor a week ago for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. He's had an elite defenseman in Kris Letang. He's had superlative supporting types, specifically Jake Guentzel, whose four-goal gem that night against the Flyers sequed right into those handshakes.
Remember that still?
Yeah. Been a while.
And now, in the year after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2006, they're 28-27-8 and all but formally out again and, far more telling heading into another irrelevant event here tonight in Canada's capital against the Senators, they've lost five of their past six while scarcely breaking into a sweat: Beginning with the third-period blown two-goal lead in Calgary, they've been outscored, 27-7.
That's not OK. None of it.
Not the worst power play in franchise history. Not all the short-handed goals allowed. Not all the sleepy starts. Not all the late breakdowns and giveaways. Certainly not the collective failure that's teetering on a full-fledged collapse.
Speaking only for myself, I've spread the blame at pretty much everyone. Even Sid, as I did over the weekend in Boston. I've singled out every player in that locker room, at one stage or another, shy of Lars Eller and Marcus Pettersson, both of whom have been impeccable in their commitment and consistency. I've gone at Kyle Dubas, never more than for the senseless Jake trade. I've gone at the Fenway Sports Group.
I mean, of course I've criticized Sullivan, but almost always in small slices rather than in any broader scope. Which, I'm here to share today, hasn't been the most proper approach to take, given that the broader scope now appears to be the one that should be weighed the most.
The head coach hasn't gotten the job done. He just hasn't.
And knowing the man as I do, I've no doubt that's an assessment he'd share with gusto. Because those are his admonishments to "play the game the right way," to "pay attention to detail," to "maintain our discipline" that are going unheeded for whatever reason. That's his power play out there, ultimately. That's his strategic posture, pinches and all, on display for the thrown-away third period. Those are his personnel choices, from going with Jeff Carter 15-plus minutes a night to benching only young players when they screw up.
I should've been tougher. And I'll hold myself accountable for that, while at the same time not presuming it'd mean a thing to anyone anywhere.
But what about the Penguins themselves?
On Aug. 30, 2022, less than a year after Fenway bought the team from Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle, Sullivan was signed to a three-year extension through the 2026-27 season -- worth what I believe's a total of $15.5 million -- that had the new ownership's stamp all over it. For one, the term grossly outlasted that of of then-GM Ron Hextall, always an oddity in big-league sports. For another, the FSG people made no secret of their affinity for Sullivan from Day 1, including when they'd meet face-to-face. Witnessed it myself several times. And when FSG fired Hextall and that front office the following year, all concerned made clear Sullivan's status was gold.
Nothing wrong with any of that. Just reminding.
But now, that facet's become borderline farcical, to the extreme that Dubas, FSG's prized acquisition as president of hockey operations who'd soon name himself GM, was following suit as if he had a bazooka embedded against his temple.
Three different remarks by Dubas related to Sullivan in the past three months:
• Head coaches in the NHL are “always the easy, low-hanging fruit” for critics.
• "Do I think that he's the right person for this job now and far into the future? I absolutely do."
• “I don’t think there needs to be any discussion about Mike.”
Beg pardon?
For Dubas to cast Sullivan as above accountability -- never mind the finger-wagging tone about what can't be discussed -- flies in the face of all that authority he's allegedly holding over all hockey operations. What's more, it's insane. In any team sport, everyone's as responsible for failure as they're all too happy to stress for successes. There aren't any exceptions. And if there were, they sure wouldn't be for the loudest voice on the rink day after day.
But look, that's as far as I'll go on this for now.
To reiterate, my respect for Sullivan's immeasurable and, within that, I'll add that I always value a coach's ability to carry a team where it needs to go once it's got the talent at hand. He's been there, done that. And while it's not the only reason he's second in the NHL in tenure to the Lightning's Jon Cooper, it's part of it, and I get that.
At the same time ... my goodness, this hockey's been rancid in recent weeks. It's the way teams slog across the rink when they want their coach fired. And even if I don't believe that to be the case -- like, at all -- the list of potential alternate solutions to any teamwide problem is seriously limited past the obvious one.
• Al Oliver days till Miami.
• Thanks for reading this, and I mean that.
• Audiophiles don't need no stinkin' passports:
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