Brewin Flames Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 Penguins part ways with assistants Recchi, Gonchar, Martin Sean O'Leary 3h ago Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo / Getty Images Sport / Getty The Pittsburgh Penguins will not renew the contracts of assistant coaches Mark Recchi, Sergei Gonchar, and Jacques Martin, the team announced Wednesday. "We are in the process of conducting a review of our organization because we have underperformed in the playoffs the last few years," general manager Jim Rutherford said in a statement. "We just thought we needed to change the dynamic of our coaching staff. "We have very high standards here in Pittsburgh, and we want to continue competing for Stanley Cups. The message to our fans is that ‘We are not rebuilding, we’re re-tooling.'" The Penguins finished fifth in the Eastern Conference but were eliminated from the qualifying round by the 12th-seed Montreal Canadiens in four games, prompting Rutherford to promise change within the organization. Pittsburgh also had a highly disappointing playoff showing in 2019, having been swept by the New York Islanders in Round 1. All three assistants were with the Penguins for the club's back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Recchi joined Pittsburgh - where he played for seven seasons during his Hall of Fame career - in 2014 as a player development coach. He became an assistant coach in 2017. Gonchar also had a lengthy playing career with the Penguins before joining the club as a coach in 2015 and was in charge of the club's defense. Martin was a head coach for four different teams from 1986-2012 before joining the Penguins as an assistant in 2013. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlapShot66 Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 Could it be that some players and the head coach might have to go ??? The Pens looked lackluster to me in the playoffs maybe time to start some trades and look on the waivers to see if anyone is available and imho get rid of Murray because the Pens seemed to play with more confidence when Jarry was in the net. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notfondajane Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 8 hours ago, SlapShot66 said: Could it be that some players and the head coach might have to go ??? The Pens looked lackluster to me in the playoffs maybe time to start some trades and look on the waivers to see if anyone is available and imho get rid of Murray because the Pens seemed to play with more confidence when Jarry was in the net. The Pens should try to break Murray of the Marc Andre Fleury Syndrome! If they can't then trade him for some draft choices! Who would you trade? Hopefully the Pens could get some decent picks for Wheeling and Wilkes-Barre. Bring people up to replace who was traded away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mojo1917 Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 8 hours ago, notfondajane said: The Pens should try to break Murray of the Marc Andre Fleury Syndrome! If they can't then trade him for some draft choices! Who would you trade? Hopefully the Pens could get some decent picks for Wheeling and Wilkes-Barre. Bring people up to replace who was traded away! That team performance could hardly be put on the goaltender. I don't recall seeing Pens teams quit prior to the last two seasons, but the game 4 performance vs Montreal was something as a fan of a rival team i hated to see, 20 dudes taking their sticks for skates waiting for the game to be over. I don't think the problem is the assistant coaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlapShot66 Posted August 16, 2020 Share Posted August 16, 2020 mojo1917 I agree 100% with you the problem is NOT the assistant coaches maybe it is the head coach and some lackluster play by the team and I agree bring up some players from Wilkes-Barre and go to waivers and I still say Murray has to go he hasn't been the same since they won the Stanley Cup or maybe since his dads passing. . . . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notfondajane Posted August 17, 2020 Share Posted August 17, 2020 15 hours ago, mojo1917 said: That team performance could hardly be put on the goaltender. I don't recall seeing Pens teams quit prior to the last two seasons, but the game 4 performance vs Montreal was something as a fan of a rival team i hated to see, 20 dudes taking their sticks for skates waiting for the game to be over. I don't think the problem is the assistant coaches. Recchi, Gonchar and a 3rd assistant were let go! The Pens power play was anything but a power play! Murray at times looked like Marc Andre Fleury which is not a good thing. He is starting to give up alot of soft goals. Should he be traded I'm hoping for some high draft choices in hopes of retooling the defense and a quality netminder to replace DeSmith when he's brought up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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