Mike Johnston obviously has lack of control over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The game versus the Red Wings with five Pens in the penalty box. On national TV no less. Discipline starts behind the bench. There was none this game.Penguins lead the league in penalty minutes. That's a cold hard fact. Most of them have been due to lack of discipline. Quite a few cost us games.
Penguins also lead the league in giving up short handed goals. Well coached teams do not have this problem.
The calls from the referees have been atrocious this season to say the least. In his book Johnston said that you never win an argument with a referee and that it's his and the team Captain's responsibility to get the facts from the refs. Again too many times have we seen Pens who are not the Captain do that and get on the bad side of them. And Johnston should get an explanation and plead His teams case. When this happens you gain the confidence of your team. Didn't see much of this at all.
And the numerous blunders in arguably the most important Pens game since 2009. Putting Sutter in on a critical face off who's only at 33% and Crosby as a winger ? They scored right after that. And before that whole blowing the lead thing, why not employ what even an AHL team can execute to perfection - a Neutral zone trap? Your percentages will tell you that when its executed properly it will shut down even desperate teams. And it doesn't take the top five players in the league to do this.
Looking at Johnston behind the bench. No confidence whatsoever. The players can see that. The opposition sees that. And the fans see that.
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| Book co-authored by Mike Johnston |
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