Penguins Post-Mortem part 2

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons have all gone
(Lyrics by Jacques Brel / Rod Mckuen
Sung by Terry Jacks)

As I wrote in my first installment, Mike Sullivan was the biggest reason why this team failed, and our Pittsburgh Penguins will miss the Playoffs for the first time in over a decade. He chose the players and after five years behind the bench they were the players he wanted, except for the Penguins top three Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, all of whom have contracts that either make it impossible for his boss to move, or at least very difficult.

Last season when the Penguins played their best hockey, it was when the injury bug plagued them and many of Sullivan’s choices for player were removed from his toolbox. When those players started to come back, so did the Penguins troubles.

Sullivan also chose the strategies and tactics or at least chose the assistant coaches that made those decisions and, in the end, had the authority to override any choices below him.

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