CBC-Sports

The Therrien decision

February 19, 2009 05:29 PM | Posted by   Mike Milbury  

A couple of weeks ago I attended a practice at the Igloo.

The Penguins marched onto the ice as if they were part of a funeral procession.

There was very little communication between the players … even less between players and coach. The whistle blew and the players gathered dutifully and listened to whatever instructions the coach had given.

There wasn't the hint of rebellion. It was more like docile sheep being herded in certain directions.

As I watched the practice unfold, I knew I had witnessed the scene before.

When the fun is gone, watch out

Disinterested players are the bane of coaches and the clue that the end is near. There is nothing worse than having the fun stripped from the game. What should be passionate and exhilarating becomes mundane. And guess what? When this just-another-day-at-the-office attitude shows up in the game, fans know it. And it’s not worth the customer’s good money.

This is not to suggest the Mike Therrien intended to have it come to this. I am sure if you asked him, he would say that he absolutely wanted the players to have fun. But the message was lost in translation. The team had obviously become immune to whatever message Therrien wanted to deliver. Dispirited play lead to poor decision making and when you’re a half step behind, your moves become more desperate than fluid.

It was obvious to the extent that as Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero watched the Penguins take a 2-0 lead in Therrien's last game in Toronto, he reached for the clicker in his living room and shut off his television.

He had lost confidence that his team, playing as it was, would be able to sustain the lead. Changing the channel ultimately led to changing the coach.

New-found energy

Thursday morning, as I watched Dan Bylsma conduct the morning practice, there was a jump in the Penguins that was missing just a couple of weeks ago.

The whistle blew and there was a good-natured race to see who would be last to reach the coach. The game-day session - which normally lasts no more than half an hour - lasted nearly 50 brisk minutes. The new found enthusiasm was, I admit, a refreshing change. It guarantees nothing in the long run, but it salvaged a chance for the Penguins to gather some momentum and perhaps squeak into the playoffs.

There is a lesson for coaches of all levels in this: it’s a game no matter how the stakes are perceived. It’s a game of motion, spontaneity and creativity. When the passion turns into stiff repetition, the fun is gone and the players respond accordingly.

And so did Pittsburgh's GM.

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