Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan is catching heat for a poor season.

PITTSBURGH – For the second consecutive season, the Pittsburgh Penguins will miss out on the chance to compete for the Stanley Cup. The Penguins saw their playoff hopes come to an end while the Washington Capitals clinched the final spot in the Eastern Conference.

In the final weeks of the season, the Penguins were one of the best teams in the NHL, posting an 8-1-3 record with one game still to play. What could have gone wrong, and what changes need to happen to put the Penguins back in playoff contention in the final years of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang?

Many people believe the jig should be up for head coach Mike Sullivan. Under his watch, the Penguins have missed the postseason for the second straight year, and they haven’t won a playoff round since 2018.

“I think you got to move on,” Adam Crowley said on 93.7 the Fan Morning Show. "In fact, I know you have to move on. They haven’t won a playoff series since 2018, and you’ve had Sidney Crosby be healthy.”

For the second straight year, the Penguins are missing the playoffs, and Crosby and Malkin are set to play in every game of the season. Letang and Erik Karlsson will also play all 82 games.

Jesse Marshall from the Athletic said on Twitter that there are better options than Sullvain, considering the recent lengthy stretch of no success.

Sullivan is set to start a new contract at the beginning of the 2024-25 season that will last three years. His removal from the team this summer seems unlikely, but that doesn’t mean his seat won’t start getting warm.

President and general manager Kyle Dubas will likely have another busy offseason with the Penguins. On-ice changes are certainly on the horizon, and coaching swaps might take place, but Sullivan’s departure is uncertain.

Todd Reriden and Mike Vellucci are at the end of their contracts and likely will not return, so there will at least be some changes behind the bench.

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