Pens voted off island
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Dan Bylsma has ideas on how to turn the Pittsburgh Penguins back into Stanley Cup contenders. What the new coach might be lacking is enough time to make it happen this season.
Bylsma's debut with the Penguins, after he replaced fired coach Michel Therrien less than 24 hours earlier, wasn't a total loss Monday. But the 3-2 shootout defeat against the lowly New York Islanders was hardly a confidence booster for the struggling defending Eastern Conference champions.
"With the little amount of time we had to make an adjustment or get on the same page systematic-wise, I think it was expected to see a scramble out there," Bylsma said. "As the game went on, we got more in tune with how we want to play."
These Penguins will have to be fast learners if they hope to return to the Stanley Cup finals, or even the playoffs. With the one point earned Monday, Pittsburgh is still 10th in the Eastern Conference — two places and four points below the postseason cutoff in the East.
Pittsburgh (27-25-6) has 24 games to make a push, but the Penguins are 1-2-1 in their past four and have just one road win in 2009 (1-7-2).
"As players, we realize that things could change, but we still have to go out and play," captain Sidney Crosby said. "He just wanted us to be a little more aggressive, but to play the same basic way."
Frans Nielsen and Jeff Tambellini scored shootout goals, and Joey MacDonald turned aside Evgeni Malkin and Crosby in the tiebreaker to snap the Islanders' 0-4-1 skid.
"Those first moments, there were some nerves there," said Bylsma, who hadn't completed one season as an AHL head coach before his big promotion.
Bylsma got the call that he would replace Therrien on Sunday, just before he was set to coach his Wilkes-Barre/Scranton club — the Penguins' AHL affiliate.
The decision to dismiss Therrien, who led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup finals last year, was made by general manager Ray Shero after Pittsburgh blew a 2-0 lead at Toronto and gave up five goals in the third period of a 6-2 loss Saturday.
Bylsma is faced with the task of implementing a new fast, attacking style that can make the most of the Penguins' talented forwards. It produced a season-high 37 shots Monday, but only one point in the standings.
Malkin and Ryan Whitney scored tying goals, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves through overtime.
"We want two points every game, especially right now," forward Jordan Staal said.
Chris Campoli and Frans Nielsen scored for New York, which owns the NHL's worst record (17-33-6).
