Mark Madden: Penguins' collapse in Colorado was unacceptable; their failures should dictate the future

Coach Mike Sullivan after the Penguins blew a 4-0 lead at Colorado on Sunday, losing 5-4 in overtime:

“I thought we competed hard. That’s one of the most explosive offenses in the league that we played against. We knew they were going to push back. We competed hard all night.”

Sullivan didn’t use the word “unacceptable.”

That should have been the first word out of his mouth and used repeatedly.

Sullivan didn’t have to verbally embarrass the Penguins. But turning them into try-guy underdogs who did their best insults the intelligence of those watching. “Unacceptable” fits what everybody saw.

Instead of “competing hard,” use a modicum of hockey IQ to protect a lead. Play score and situation. Don’t approach every foe like one size fits all.

The Penguins are plummeting. That’s OK. Keep that first-round draft pick for an extra year. Get more balls in the hopper for the lottery.

But the Penguins’ method of descent should give president of hockey ops/GM Kyle Dubas legit reason to consider the futures of everybody besides Sidney Crosby, and that certainly includes Sullivan.

Consider some of the shenanigans that fueled Sunday’s defeat.

• The Penguins squandered a 4-0 lead.

• The Penguins scored to go up 4-0, then conceded a goal 25 seconds later.

• The Penguins allowed a goal in the last minute of the second period.

• The Penguins were fortunate to not allow a shorthanded goal. Colorado got three legit opportunities on one penalty kill. The Penguins were 0 for 2 with the man advantage.

The failures listed can be traced to focus, which is connected to accountability, and that’s tied to coaching.

The power play has been a debacle all season despite (or perhaps because of) adding his generation’s top point man, Erik Karlsson. The PP ranks third to last in the NHL at a conversion rate of 14.5%. The Penguins have conceded 10 shorthanded goals, second most in the league.

That’s a direct coaching fail: The power play is either being taught incorrectly, or, more likely, incorrect execution is tolerated.

Don’t blame assistant coach Todd Reirden, who’s nominally in charge of the power play. Do you think what you see is what Reirden wants? Why hasn’t Sullivan taken charge of that unit himself? Reirden can’t tell those big contracts what to do. If Sullivan can’t, or won’t, that’s a problem.

The power play has been brutal all season and isn’t close to being fixed. That’s on coaching, especially given the personnel. If the power play is even average, the Penguins might be in a playoff spot.

The Penguins have played three-on-three overtime 15 times. They’ve won thrice.

The Penguins don’t practice three-on-three.

I’ve written much of this before, merely updating the stats. That’s because the story never changes. The same bad things keep happening.

Consider the loss at New Jersey this past Tuesday, when the Devils extended a 2-1 lead to 4-1 by scoring goals 16 seconds apart in the third period. Dallas netted twice in 77 seconds during the second period of Friday’s game.

It’s a flawed roster, to be sure. That happens when a team has three general managers inside of three years.

But the coach needs to adjust to his resources better than Sullivan has.

The Penguins play fast. That’s their only method. But they’re too slow to do it. Their forecheck is sporadic and mostly plodding. The only line that can legit play fast is whatever line Crosby is on. Evgeni Malkin is skating in mud.

Giving the core three and Sullivan another shot this season was understandable. Adding Karlsson was, too.

But all that has failed miserably. (Except for ticket sales. Nostalgia sells.)

Next season, the Penguins’ four best players will be 38, 37, 37 and 34. Sullivan’s resume hasn’t been great since 2018.

Dubas must consider everything.

Dubas should start by not repeatedly saying Sullivan will keep coaching. That might be true with Sullivan signed through 2027 on a contract that pays $5.5 million per. Owner Fenway Sports Group is sold on Sullivan, perhaps because of the Boston connection. Maybe Dubas legitimately is, too.

But singing Sullivan’s praises during the worst of the Penguins’ decline is almost as nuts as saying your team played hard after blowing a 4-0 lead.