No troll but the Flyers coach referred to one of his players as the best in the world off one playoff series.
- Deadstar

And I think about 4 people bought it.

Crosby was horrible in the playoffs last season too.
good luck John
- MrBigglesworth

I'll take 8 points in 6 games.

Good luck, John ! You did a great job on here and will be missed.

John Toperzer: To Bylsma or not to Bylsma, that is the poll question
Pens coach under fire after another surprising playoff exit
- the-mitch-wilsons

Yes, they should. We'll gladly take him off your hands.

John Toperzer: To Bylsma or not to Bylsma, that is the poll question
Pens coach under fire after another surprising playoff exit
- the-mitch-wilsons

Good luck in your future endeavors John and hopefully the family issues that are causing you to leave are for the good side. If not best of luck!! Grat debating with you.

There will be alot of unhappy folks when this doesn't happen.
- canadianpenfan

and it shouldn't. It'd be a knee jerk reaction you guys would regret.

He is a great coach. You would foolish to fire him
- abolton

Great coaches don't lose in four straight to the Bruins. Granted, alot is on the players, but it looked like they were ill-prepared to play. Bylsma has made alot of questionable decisions since winning the Cup. His system sucks; he shows no emotion; he doesn't make in-game adjustments and he continues to make personnel decisions that boggle my mind (Despres being scratched so many times was embarrassing). Shero gave him more toys at the deadline and he didn't know what to do with them. We deserved better. There was no excuse for that performance. None.

I would can him for those reasons.

Great coaches don't lose in four straight to the Bruins. Granted, alot is on the players, but it looked like they were ill-prepared to play. Bylsma has made alot of questionable decisions since winning the Cup. His system sucks; he shows no emotion; he doesn't make in-game adjustments and he continues to make personnel decisions that boggle my mind (Despres being scratched so many times was embarrassing). Shero gave him more toys at the deadline and he didn't know what to do with them. We deserved better. There was no excuse for that performance. None.

I would can him for those reasons.
- Oneonta Penguin

Bylsma isnt a great coach, but he's a good coach and good coaches are hard to find. I'm sure a large segment of the Pens fanbase is emotionally ready to end the Bylsma era. But changing coaches is no guarantor of success.

You could make the argument that hockey coaches have a shelf life and Bylsma has run past his. But, if not Bylsma, then who?

And to John,

Best wishes, I've enjoyed reading your blogs far longer than I've been a registered member. Thanks for the good reads, and take care of you and yours.

Bylsma isnt a great coach, but he's a good coach and good coaches are hard to find. I'm sure a large segment of the Pens fanbase is emotionally ready to end the Bylsma era. But changing coaches is no guarantor of success.

You could make the argument that hockey coaches have a shelf life and Bylsma has run past his. But, if not Bylsma, then who?

And to John,

Best wishes, I've enjoyed reading your blogs far longer than I've been a registered member. Thanks for the good reads, and take care of you and yours.
- Doc_Sarcasm

Not to belittle the role of the coach, but, well, I'm going to.

With the collection of talent on the Penguins, the coach shouldn't have to do more than pick 3 names out of a hat, put them on the ice, and say, "Score a goal."

Bylsma never seemed like a good coach to me. I never thought he was all that inventive, never thought he could adapt in-game, and never seemed inspirational. Also, if he truly refuses to let anyone but MAF be the goalie, he should be gone.

Thanks, John, for the great blogs. Best of luck to you and the family.

I think Bylsma's comments about Fleury and Depres are the CP things to say if you 1) end up keeping both players or 2) trade either of them (or prepping Depres in case Letang gets moved)

As for the coaching situation I am torn but believe SOMETHING has to change.

This team has become predictable in how it will lose a series...the implosion that leads to a 5 plus goals against loss (one or more times)...followed by the 'let's start a fight - but not really' exhibit...which then leads to let's get back to playing better hockey but not scoring phase...seems to be how the movie plays out.

We have seen it more than once.

Why does this happen?

It's some combination of the players and the style they are playing that leads to this, right?

Tuuka Rask is a good goalie...we made him look like Patrick Roy.

Same for Dwayne Rolosson...and Halak.

If the Flyer's goalies weren't as bad as ours last year, we may have only scored 2 goals in that series as well.

My point is...really good coaches...great coaches...find a way to beat teams that seem to have their number. Or at least win some games in a series. They alter styles of play...they focus in on a weakness...they know that you sometimes HAVE TO account for what the other team is doing to you or not allowing you to do and change because of it.

I think back to earlier in the season...the whole idea of how the Penguins shoot to the far leg pad of the goalie and look for rebounds to go to the opposite side winger who is crashing the net.

Maybe I missed it...but did they do that against Boston? Was it because the didn't try or they couldn't get that chance?

At any time in the series, did they really get in Rask's way? Wouldn't game 2 have been a time to try and stir that up a little? They never even really accidentally bumped him, did they?

Did they try a different offensive approach? It seemed like the same things we have seen over and over in the past that led to series losses.

Something has to change...

Bylsma isnt a great coach, but he's a good coach and good coaches are hard to find. I'm sure a large segment of the Pens fanbase is emotionally ready to end the Bylsma era. But changing coaches is no guarantor of success.

You could make the argument that hockey coaches have a shelf life and Bylsma has run past his. But, if not Bylsma, then who?

And to John,

Best wishes, I've enjoyed reading your blogs far longer than I've been a registered member. Thanks for the good reads, and take care of you and yours.
- Doc_Sarcasm

Dave Tippett or Vigneault would be better fits IMO

Good luck John, you've been good to these scumdogs of a fanbase

Thanks John, thanks for all your work. Hope the Pirates do you and their fans right this year.

Disco is a good coach but not a great one. He only likes to play one style and can't change on the fly. He is good but not particularly shrewd or clever. He has a strategy and won't break it at all. This stubborn streak is his Achilles heel. If he does not go then something needs to change. I will always be a fan but I am losing patience with hoping Disco will, 'get it.'

-- I’ve skated my final lap here as the Penguin blogger. Thanks to everyone contributing to our site, along with the great feedback. I’ll be checking in on the site, posting comments. Ek & Eric have been fantastic to work with here at Hockey Buzz and if it weren't for some family issues I wouldn't be leaving.

Thank you John. It was fun while it lasted. Show up here sometimes. We'll miss your writting.

Dave Tippett or Vigneault would be better fits IMO
- Oneonta Penguin

Give me any and I'd be a happy customer.

Some people here are adamant against Vigneault as they say he's just as stubborn as Disco Dan.

Give me any and I'd be a happy customer.

Some people here are adamant against Vigneault as they say he's just as stubborn as Disco Dan.
- Orpik44

He got Cody Hodgson run out of Vancouver for a crummy depth player. Hard to say Bylsma has made a mistake like that since he coached in Pittsburgh.

He got Cody Hodgson run out of Vancouver for a crummy depth player. Hard to say Bylsma has made a mistake like that since he coached in Pittsburgh.
- Deadstar

I'm 50-50 about trading Disco Dan for Vigneault. Just a change of scenery. AV is a good coach too. Tippett is probably the guy most people would want.

If Bylsma could fix his system and his stubborness....would be awesome.

Whit the departure of Johnny T., who'll write for us? Gunner?

Thank you John for providing us quality information on a daily basis in a mostly thankless job.

Also thank you for setting up our fantasy league, I had a great amount of fun taking part in that.

All the best.

He got Cody Hodgson run out of Vancouver for a crummy depth player. Hard to say Bylsma has made a mistake like that since he coached in Pittsburgh.
- Deadstar

IMO, not playing Despres and allowing him to sit and rot in the pressbox is on par with that. Good coaches notice Niskanen sucked the entire play-off year and Despres should have been inserted in the lineup. We didn't see him.

IMO, not playing Despres and allowing him to sit and rot in the pressbox is on par with that.
- Oneonta Penguin

Despres is still in the organization and is well thought of, at least he wasn't run out of town.

I think you have 100% agreement, the Despres situation was not handled appropriately.

Thanks for your dedicated work John. Sorry to see you go. You've represented us well here!

I fully expect Bylsma to be back. Count me as one who wants to go in another direction. I've seen enough of the stubborn personnel decisions. Worse, I've seen enough of a team that has no supplemental plan when presented with the trap.

The Boston series was closer than most people realize, but so was the Islander series. I think MadCap said it best when he said the Isle series was the more disturbing of the two. The Isle were the better team in 4 of 6. If their tender situation wasn't worse than ours, they win and this conversation is moot.

The final nail in the coffin for me was when Dan didn't make one single change on the PP in the B's series. Same players, same setup. Not one change. 0 for 15. Score a few PP goals and the series is completely different.

Despres is still in the organization and is well thought of, at least he wasn't run out of town.

I think you have 100% agreement, the Despres situation was not handled appropriately.
- Gunner Staal

Is he really well thought of? Granted Shero didn't trade him, but I don't think DB thinks too much of him. His comments are laughable.

Is he really well thought of? Granted Shero didn't trade him, but I don't think DB thinks too much of him. His comments are laughable.
- Oneonta Penguin

Despres will be in the top 4 next year, even if it is a year late.

Despres will be in the top 4 next year, even if it is a year late.
- Gunner Staal

Do you seriously believe that if DB returns? The way he jerked the kid around this year was very telling to me what he thinks of the kid.