We don't really want to think about this…
Of course, we'd rather see the Penguins take care of business over these next two or three games this week, dispatch the New York Islanders, and set their sights on the Boston Bruins.
But with the series tied at two games apiece, there's certainly no guarantee the Penguins escape this first round. If they don't, it will mark the third straight season in which they didn't win a single playoff series.
If that happens, The Fan Morning Show says it opens up a Pandora's box of question about the man in charge, Mike Sullivan. Those questions include this one…should he be coaching for his job between now and Friday (a would-be Game 7)?
"I don't think he is (coaching for his job) but I think if he's loses again in the first round, he could be put on notice," said Colin Dunlap. "We bury the football coach in this town for his inability to win playoff games and it's because we have an expectancy in this town that the teams that have talent are supposed to win in the postseason."
Chris Mack wouldn't look so much at Mike Sullivan if the Penguins don't make it past this series as much as he would examine the players.
"I think it heats his seat up, but I would not say Mike Sullivan is coaching for his job over the next five days. I think a lot of players are playing for future contracts over the next five days. This is their opportunity to prove they still deserve to be a part of this moving forward.
All the names that are going into the final years of their deal, whether it's Malkin, Letang, Rust, Carter now is a part of that mix.
Whether it's restricted free agents in a year and a half like McCann and Kapanen. There are guys fighting to prove over the next two to three games that they're part of the solution moving forward and not part of the problem."
Jim Colony chimed in by saying that not every decision Mike Sullivan has made during his tenure has been above questioning.
"When they got swept (in 2019 to the Islanders), you could have made the argument to put him on notice. Then last year, I know there were extenuating circumstances but Matt Murray should not have been the starting goaltender in the Montreal series, he just shouldn't have.
The other thing too is that, I understand there are qualified coaches out there but let's not forget that at one point, and I know it was a previous regime, but they ended up with Mike Johnston as an NHL coach."
Chris followed that up by saying that while nobody on the show is calling for Sullivan to be fired after the season if the Penguins falter in this series, it would now be three consecutive exits in which it looks like things are getting through to the players so some of it absolutely falls on the head coach.
The Fan Morning Show all agreed that with Brian Burke and Ron Hextall mentioning that the Penguins aren't built to handle the extra physicality, that a series loss would probably mean a restructuring of the roster to get bigger.
So, should Mike Sullivan be on the hot seat if things go sideways?
