The Bruins firing Montgomery but the Penguins not firing Sullivan does not make sense
Today the Boston Bruins fired their head coach Jim Montgomery after getting blown out 5-1 in their previous game and starting the season 8-9-3. But the Penguins cannot fire Mike Sullivan after starting 7-10-3 and missing the playoffs 2 seasons in a row.
After the Boston Bruins dropped their previous game on Monday to the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1, the Bruins were booed out of their own building and wondered if their coach would be fired. That was the case as Jim Montgomery was fired and replaced pretty fast.
Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney announced today, November 19, that the team has relieved Jim Montgomery of his duties as Head Coach.
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 19, 2024
Associate Coach Joe Sacco will assume interim head coaching duties.
📰: https://t.co/g6eGJ3bmZx pic.twitter.com/x41b6SjbYL
The Bruins being able to fire their coach after a not great start to the season and realizing that the coach was a big part of the problem, was a smart move. Now it remains uncertain as to why the Penguins cannot do the same thing and fire their coach.
Mike Sullivan should have been fired multiple seasons ago
Usually if a team does not win a playoff series since 2018 and have missed the playoffs in two straight seasons, the coach would have been shown the door and a fresh voice would be in the locker room.
But for whatever reason, the Penguins ownership group Fenway Sports Group, likes Sullivan a lot and it seems that they will not let GM Kyle Dubas fire him, even though Sullivan's expiration date has been way overdue.
The Penguins have started the season worse than the Bruins have, and Dubas will not fire Sullivan and get a new voice in the locker room.
Jim Montgomery with the bruins (2022)
— ChelPenguins (@ChelPenguins) November 19, 2024
• 120-41-23
• Greatest regular-season of all-time
• Series win in 2023/24
• Gets fired after an 8-9-3 start.
Mike Sullivan since (2022)
• 84-73-26
• Missed playoffs two-straight years
• Seat still ice cold
FSG just doesn’t care.
The Penguins could very well lose their next two games and still not fire Sullivan
The Penguins have been god awful against playoff teams this year and the next two games are against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Winnipeg Jets.
Two teams that could absolutely destroy the Penguins and run them out of their own building. This result still would not get Sullivan fired and that is saying something.
Against the Lightning, former winger Jake Guentzel comes back to Pittsburgh for a second time since being traded at last year's trade deadline. Former Penguins love to score against the Penguins specifically in Pittsburgh so expect him to see the scoresheet in tonight's game.
If the Penguins go 1-1, 2-0, or 0-2 in these games, it will not matter and Sullivan's job should be safe either way.