The Pittsburgh Penguins know and love Bill Guerin. He played the final two seasons with the Penguins and since was named as an Assistant GM. Yesterday he publicly stated that the Pittsburgh Penguins need to stop complaining to the referees and focus on playing cleaner hockey.
Doug MacLean directly asked Bill Guerin about the Penguins penalty woes by saying “Your team whines quite a bit, It’s hurt you at times in key situations, and I think it’s hurt you at playoff time.” Well said Doug, well said.
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Bill Guerin’s response was even more honest than everyone was was expecting. “It’s definitely an area that we’ve identified as being an issue at times. And you know what? We’ve put ourselves in that position, and we have to be better. There’s no question, the referees are out there, they do a fantastic job, the game’s faster than ever, and it’s really hard to pick things up sometimes with just the naked eye. We just have to flat-out be better. And that’s it.”
While it is one thing to know and accept what the Pittsburgh Penguins are currently doing, in the position that Bill Guerin is in, he should not be saying this. I’m all for the media and the public seeing inside locker rooms and what is going on, but management should not take to the press to address issues. This could have been discussed with head coach Mike Johnston (it probably has been, multiple times) and then with the players themselves instead of blasting the team, that he helps to run, through a third party.
Currently the Pittsburgh Penguins are the most penalized team in the league with 14:40 penalty minutes per game. Additionally, their 18 game misconduct penalties are substantially ahead of every other team in the league.
Mar 9, 2015; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns (88) speaks with Pittsburgh Penguins center Maxim Lapierre (40) between plays during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Ever since their last Stanley Cup victory the Pittsburgh Penguins have become the San Jose Sharks. A team that consistently excels during the regular season and for some unknown reason unravels towards the end of the season and is beaten down in the playoffs.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have the talent to win it all, they can beat any team in the league, but they need to execute. Leaders within the locker room and head coach Mike Johnston need to step up and reign in this slumping squad.
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