Michel Therrien wrong or right answer for the Penguins?

Question

Ok, so I was off in my own little world when the Penguins resigned Therrien as their head coach. When it happened I wanted to get on here and complain, but I waited.

.....So I'm going to complain and ask a question now.

I do have to say one thing about Therrien and I've been saying this since day one.....I don't think Therrien will get them shite. Yeah he got them the Prince of Whales trophy, but that isn't the Stanley Cup. He was completely out-coached in the SCFs (I am a Penguin fan also for those who don't know me).

Therrien also can figure out the d**n power play and penalty kill. Can Crosby kill a d**n little penalty? I'm sure as h**l he can. Put him out there! The other "big name guys" are getting more ice time because they play the PK.

Also about his power play......Didn't Gino Malkin state earlier that he didn't like playing the point? Does Therrien not stand Evgeni's broken English Russian? Get him off the point and throw in dang Sergei Gonchar or Ryan Whitney......Gonchar is a very talented man....I wanna see him out there on the point, NOT Evgeni.

I guess I can't complain and grumble as much as I am saying that he's better than some other coaches, but still.......I don't think he's all that cracked up, and he most deffinately isn't as mature as a grown man should be.

So my question is this.......Do you think it was right of the Penguins to extend his contract to another 3 years? Do you think he'll be able to eventually lead them to a cup? I feel a cup for the Penguins has to be near, but.....not with him (unless a miracle of him changing a few of his ways happens over the summer).

So what do you think?

Answer 1

I have to agree with you.  Any coach could have brought a team with the same talent to the finals, although I dont think anybody could have outcoached mike babcock, as stated prior.

Maturity is definitely an issue.  Any coach who claims to be the leader of a team needs to spend less time accusing the other team of "cheating" and making excuses for his lack of ability to find an answer for any aspect of the 2008 Red Wings' SCF play.  A young team like Pitt needed composed, mature, veteran leadership rather than a 40 year old Crosby who can only make excuses and place blame on possibly the classiest organization in pro sports (bias aside, I'm pretty sure the Red Wings are a straight-forward, very sportsmanlike team).

I think Michel Therrien is the answer...to the questionable performance of a team stacked with talent.  He may prove to be their limiting factor.  I think somebody with more confidence in the team, and somebody who is more responsible for the club's successes and failures is what Pittsburgh needs while your guys are still young.  Not the best figure to be heading the development of such talent.

As a Red Wings fan, I place your inability to compete (it was over after game 2, regardless of Pitt's late surge) in the SCF largely on Michel Therrien.  Sidney Crosby needs to grow up a little bit too, but he and Malkinstein (who didn't show up in the SCF either) have an excuse.  They're both very young, and have been put into leadership positions with little or no role-modeling on the part of the front office and coaching staff.  A stronger, more mature, solid leader is of the essence in Pittsburgh if the full potential of your roster is to be utilized.  For your sake, I hope management is already looking for a better candidate.

EDIT - The fact that he came in during Pitt's natural transition from bottom of the barrel to Cup contender doesn't make him a great coach.  Spending half a decade at the bottom of the league will do that for you.  It's not like he MADE Crosby, Malkin, Hossa, Fleury, Gonchar, Sykora, and every other contributor on the roster any better.  A few seasons of high draft picks brought this team to the top.  Good picks can be attributed to scouting and the front office.  Player development and team building are the things I don't see in Pittsburgh, and those are the responsibilities of the head coach.  Give me thumbs down if you'd like, but I see what I see.

Answer 2

You get to the SC Finals for the first time since 1992 and you're complaining cause you didn't win it?Take a deep breath.This guy has been in hockey for many years and you feel you know who should be at the point and who shouldn't?

Do I like Michel?Of course not and he reminds me of a kid who got teased in school and ran to the principal but maybe you should be happy you got the Finals cause you don't know the next time you will.Also,EVERY coach was outcoached by Babcock not just Therrien.

Answer 3

I can't match the eloquency of the question and other answerers, but I agree w/ you whole - heartedly. despite being a wings fan, i admired Crosby's "never give up" attitude, and his efforts at trying to inspire his team. However, Therrien's defeatist attitude seemed to say:

- we're just trying to "not lose", as opposed to saying "we're going to win". (especially that whole explanation thing of "hey, we have a lot of young guys, and this will be a good experience for them to call upon in the future". true, but what about the "now"? and don't say that to the press. you can think it, but do you say that in front of the team, the press? gives them a get - out - of - jail free card).

- the reasons are external, vice internal. i.e. the refs have a bigger impact in if we win, than what WE do having an impact.

i have added a 2nd condition to my list of "significant loyalty reductions" for being a wings fan:

1) Forsberg becoming a wing (whew, won't happen now).

2) Therrien being in our organization.

sorry, no offence. as a Pens fan, you still have a lot to look forward to.

add - he also failed to notice that the only team that gave them a tough time was Philly. (not that the Rangers are weak, but you can't use Ranger strategy against the Wings). he mistakenly took that as invincibility, vice seeking improvement. Fortunately, the wings had to overcome their adversity starting after game 4 of the 1st round (plus overcoming the last 3+ years perceptions of underachievement). when they hit the finals, the pedal was floored.

Answer 4

Dude. Relax.

I sometimes question his way of thinking. He sits people out entirely too much. For example, he sat Christensen out when he should have been on the ice. BUT, he lights a fire under the players asses, which i like to see.

& depending on the team, i don't like to see Sidney out on the PK. That's when he tends to keep the puck when he should have passed it.

Answer 5

i agree, most coaches could have brought that team to the finals, an you are completely right he was outcoached in the finals

Answer 6

I too have never been a big Therrien fan however I will answer you point by pointy and conclude at the end

1 He did not win the cup but 28 other coaches did not either- lets be honest the Wings were the better team although Babcock outcoahed Therrien.

2) I too would like to see Crosby get some PK time to make him a more complete player but Therrien does have his reasons in that it is nice to keep in fresh to come back with him after the PK.  Their power play was 4th in the league but the PK was bad- That is more a third line issue than Crosby

3  The powerplay was great at 4th overall, the coach decides the who not a second year player like Malkin who doesn't like the point.  As steve shutt said about Scotty Bowman- you hated him 364 days a year but the day you got your cup ring you loved him.

So was extending the right thing to do- Yes.  He led you too the finals hard to fire him and not extending him would be saying we have no confidence in you- worse than firing him.  So they extend him and if it doesn't work you fire him and eat a couple years of his contract.

I do not think he is a great coach yet he got a lot out of a young team, gotta give him the benefit of the doubt.

Answer 7

I don't think he's the right person to coach a high profile team.  He whines way too much and needs to focus more on getting his team winning instead of stating reasons why he thinks his team lost.  He's a bad influence on the team.

Answer 8

well i think that he is a good coach but sometimes i dont like him but i do think it is  good for the team he is better than some coachs

Answer 9

let's just look at WHO resigned him.  mario and shero.  both have spent decades around the game, both have seen many, many coaches, finals, power plays, whatever.  both would have had to agree to resign him.  i don't think they would've extended him if they didn't feel he was capable of doing the job.  and i have confidence that the 2 of them can spot something good when they see it.

i answered a question like this i think nips posted many weeks ago.  therrien took the team from last place to first in one season, then took them to the finals the next.  that's not too shabby for a coach if you ask me.  how many coaches in ANY professional sport can say they did that?  not many at all.  no one ever agrees with all the calls a coach of their team makes.  there's always something they can do better, as you've pointed out above.  but there's a reason they coach a professional team and we sit on Y!A debating HOW they coach, ya know what i'm saying?  if we could all be coaches, i'm sure we would be.  

if he tanks, they can always fire him.  i think a 3 year extension was a fair deal considering what he's done for the team over the last few seasons.

what AVAILABLE coach out there would you rather have?

Answer 10

I dont think you can answer that question just yet! We will see what he learned from the playoffs last year, and what he does with a influx of new players! I would expect him to make a decent run at the CUP this year again, but I dont neccessarily think he has to win it this year to keep his job. I do think that last years team had more talent than this years Roster looks like on paper, but Chemistry is always the wild tangent.

My feelings about Therrien have been made clear many times and I dont feel as though I need to run it into the ground.. so I answered unbiased as possible. BUT, my instinct tells me that another coach (not sure who) will be the one to Raise the Cup with Sid and Geno!