First, I think that Dan Bylsma is a very good hockey coach. I find it puzzling that the Pens ownership is going to blame the head coach for Sidney Crosby scoring (1g-8a—9pts) in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games. I find that troubling that the head coach is always to blame when a team loses. Bylsma did win a Stanley Cup during the 2008-09 season.
If Bylsma is fired, and he probably will be, he will get a new coaching job very quickly. Some ownership group is going to want him to be their next head coach. I think the biggest issue is that the Penguins don't have a tough guy to protect Crosby and Evgeni Malkin from all of the extra bravo sierra that they have had deal with on the ice. Like I mentioned earlier this week, if Wayne Gretzky had to put up with this garbage Crosby has during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, there would have been blood on the ice.
Rob Rossi, Trib Live --- Those questions already were being asked by majority co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle and CEO David Morehouse.I am not a Penguins fan, but I have been taken back by how many fans are calling for his head. This past season Bylsma lead the Penguins went 51-24-7 record and finished first in the Metropolitan Division. That's a very respectable finish and it's very hard to win in the NHL playoffs.
Penguins ownership will consider a sweeping overhaul that could include terminating general manager Ray Shero in addition to Dan Bylsma and the members of the coaching staff, multiple sources told the Tribune-Review. Ownership specifically is concerned about a perceived lack of accountability for players, overall team toughness and unproductive drafts, the sources said.
The sources also said Penguins ownership might not want to undergo a complete front-office shakeup with only about a month before the NHL Entry Draft.
No decisions have been made, and they will not be rushed, the sources said.
Shero and Bylsma have two years remaining on their contracts. Shero signed Bylsma and top assistants Tony Granato and Todd Reirden to extensions a few days after the Penguins were swept from the conference final by Boston last June
