STRATEGY

While I could not accuse Michel Therrien of being a poor regular season coach, I have always questioned Therrien's use of matchups, adjustments, and well--plainly put--in-game strategy. Although I believe Therrien did a marvelous developmental job with many players who were spending their first full season in the NHL, my quibbles with his strategy, or lack thereof, became even more evident in the playoffs.

Granted, the Penguins' power play ran hot and cold all year. For the power play being fifth overall during the regular season, it was ridiculously streaky. Ryan Whitney was right: for the talent on the Pens' team, they should score against anyone. And, while one can blame Ottawa's penalty killers, was there a response to what Ottawa did? Other than Sidney Crosby diagramming his own plays (more on that later, too)? Was there a change in strategy? Not that I saw.

Therrien's line juggling and shifting of lines made me crazy all season long. When Malkin struggled, I wondered why Therrien didn't just reunite Stall, Malkin, and Ouellet, who had sick (sickeningly good) chemistry throughout much of the season. I saw that his third and fourth lines weren't scoring, but wondered why those lines weren't deployed as they had been during the Pens' winning regular season.

Friends and I have discussed the fact that Therrien has proved himself to be an excellent developmental coach. However, Therrien's skill as a tactician is still in question, particularly--like it or not--after this playoff series. At some point in time, when the Pens' players stop needing development and opposing coaches spend all their time devising creative ways to impede franchise players, the Pens will need a coach who is a masterful in game tactician. To this point, Therrien has not yet shown he is that coach, and to this point, this very young team has not yet screamed that they are no longer in need of a developmental coach.

Yet at some point--perhaps, even, if next season starts off too slowly and the team fails to meet in-house organizational expectations--Therrien will either have to learn on the job to develop in-game tactical skills, or he will have to be replaced. Because there is going to be a point when Crsoby, Staal, Malkin, and Whitney, are not going to need someone to teach them the finer poitns of the NHL game. Those players are going to know how to execute the finger points of the NHL game, and the challenge for a coach won't be to teach and develop those players but to devise strategies that will allow them to excel against opponents devoting all their energy to containing them.

This post is not a call for Therrien to be replaced immediately, but with the Pens' development this season, Therrien will soon need to do some of his own development--that of in-game tactical skills and matchups that will allow franchise players to do what franchise players do. Because that's what's necessary for a championship coach to do.