from Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

The Penguins have become a mediocre hockey club, 11-9-2 since the Olympic break, including their 4-3 shootout home win Wednesday night against the Detroit Red Wings. They are ready to do another quick exit from the playoffs, perhaps even a one-and-done. Marc-Andre Fleury will wilt again under the pressure. The rest of the team will be undisciplined. Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Kris Letang and even Sidney Crosby will take stupid retaliatory penalties out of frustration. Dan Bylsma will be fired as coach.

That about sum it up?

I don't get it. I'm not sure why people are so down on this band of Penguins. If they win one of their final two regular-season games this weekend against Philadelphia and Ottawa, they will finish with 109 points, the second-highest total in franchise history.

I really don't get why everyone is so down on Bylsma. Shouldn't he be the NHL's coach of the year? He won't get the award, of course. The voters will hold Crosby against him. "Anyone can coach a team with the greatest player in the world." What the voters won't look at closely are the Penguins' 512 man-games lost, easily the most in the league. Crosby has played in all but one of the 80 games, but most of the team's other key players haven't been so fortunate.

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