It is quite insulting to think as Penguins fans, that coach Mike Sullivan likes playing young players because that could is so far from the truth. In the most recent game against the New York Islanders, the Penguins went into the third period up 2-0 and lost 4-2. Not before allowing an Islanders goal less than a minute into the period because of a mess-up by Kris Letang.
But instead of making Letang show accountability and sit for his mistake, Sullivan decided to bench his defense partner in Vladislav Kolyachonok instead even though it was merely Letang's fault the Islanders went on a breakaway and scored.
Sullivan making that kind of decision especially in a game where the Penguins needed to win it, is as boneheaded as it can get.
Kolyachonok needs development, not to be punished for silly mistakes
The Penguins and coach Sullivan need to realize that if they are gonna have young guys come in and play and be good for the team for years to come, they need playing time and need to develop.
Sullivan can not be seeing one little mistake and benching them and ruining their development like he has done over the course of the past several seasons. They need playing time and need to be able to make mistakes and learn from it and go back on the ice and try again.
Yes us Penguins fans understand that benching teaches the player a lesson as to not do whatever mistake they made again, but they need to be able to play and work through the mistakes.
Benching Kolyachonok for the whole third period when he is one of the only Penguins defensemen that actually knows how to play defense, was one of the major reasons that the Penguins blew Tuesday's game and got zero points out of it.
Karlsson and Letang make mistakes all the time and do not get benched for it
It is often that when Penguins fans tune into a game, that they see Erik Karlsson and Letang making the littlest of mistakes that lead to odd man rushes or goals against and they do not get benched for it.
But god forbid a young defenseman gets benched for something that was not even his fault in the first period and he does not see the ice the rest of the game is a bit ridiculous.
Sure Letang and Karlsson are veterans and are always going to get the benefit of the doubt, but if Sullivan is gonna try to teach accountability, these two need to be taught that as well instead of getting free passes regardless of their play.