Ed Olczyk is out as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Olczyk was fired Wednesday and replaced with former Montreal Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien.

The last straw proved to be losses to Minnesota, Detroit and St. Louis in which the Penguins were outscored 11-1.

Ed Olczyk was fired by the Penguins. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

"The Minnesota loss was very disturbing," Penguins general manager Craig Patrick noted. "The team had shown its face and, for whatever reason, they weren't listening."

Olczyk's assistants, Joe Mullen and Randy Hillier, also were axed as were goaltending coach Shane Clifford and strength coach John Welday.

The injury-plagued Penguins have struggled to an 8-17-6 record this season, Olczyk's second behind the bench.

"Losing is always depressing," Penguins forward Ryan Malone said. "But we've been embarrassing."

The Penguins opened the 2004-06 season with nine straight losses, despite the presence of Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux, rookie sensation Sidney Crosby and free-agents Sergei Gonchar and Zigmund Palffy.

"We look pretty on paper," added Patrick. "But what are we?

"What are we?. I don't know, but we're going to find out."

Olczyk succeeded Rick Kehoe on June 11, 2003, even though he had no prior NHL coaching experience.

He finished 23-47-8-4 during his rookie campaign as head coach.

Olczyk spent 16 seasons as a player in the NHL, totalling 342 goals and 794 points in 1,031 games for the Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Penguins.

He helped New York win the Stanley Cup in 1994.

The Chicago native played 68 games for Pittsburgh from 1996-98, potting 15 goals and 33 points, then rejoined the Blackhawks, who drafted him third overall in 1984.

Olczyk returned to the Penguins as a broadcaster before being hired as head coach.

Therrien, who signed a three-year contract, had the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate, off to their best start ever (21-1-2-1).

"We need to have a winning attitude and do what winners do to win," he said. "There's a price to pay and it's part of my duty to make sure those guys pay that price."

Therrien, 42, spent six seasons with the Canadiens, three of them as head coach, where he compiled a 77-91-22 mark.

"He's a no-nonsense guy and it's either his way or you don't play," Patrick said. "From what I see, we definitely need that."

Pittsburgh faces the Buffalo Sabres in a home-and-home on Friday and Saturday.

with files from CP Online