PITTSBURGH -- Jim Rutherford doesnt believe the Pittsburgh Penguins need to undergo a massive overhaul to regain their spot among the NHLs elite. Classic Mens Salomon GCS Athletic Trail Running Shoes Mesh Grey . One thing is for certain: Dan Bylsma wont be part of the process. The Penguins fired the franchises all-time winningest coach on Friday while hiring Rutherford away from the Carolina Hurricanes to replace Ray Shero as general manager. Rutherfords first decision was to end the three weeks of limbo for Bylsma, whose star-laden teams had fallen well short of the Stanley Cup since winning it all in 2009. "What ownership wants here is a complete change in direction, one with the GM and one with the coach," Rutherford said. Bylsma won 252 games behind the bench and was the Jack Adams Award winner in 2012 as the NHLs Coach of the Year but failed to produce a bookend to the championship he captured with stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in 2009. The Penguins were just 4-5 in playoff series since raising the 2009 Cup, with each loss coming to a lower-seeded team. Pittsburghs latest defeat came last month when the Penguins fell to the New York Rangers in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Rutherford met with Bylsma on Friday morning as part of an organization-wide shake-up. In addition to dismissing Bylsma, the Penguins promoted Jason Botterill to associate general manager, named Bill Guerin and Tom Fitzgerald assistant general managers. The 65-year-old Rutherford takes over for Shero, who was fired on May 16. The new gig is a homecoming for the former goaltender. Rutherford played for the Penguins in the 1970s before spending 20 years with the franchise that began as the Hartford Whalers, moved to North Carolina in 1997 and won the Stanley Cup in 2006. The Hurricanes struggled maintaining that success, missing the post-season each of the last five years. It led to Rutherford stepping down in April when the Hurricanes promoted Ron Francis -- who helped Pittsburgh win consecutive Cups in 1991 and 92 -- to the GMs job. Rutherford took on an advisory role in Carolina with a small ownership stake in the team, a position he will relinquish in the near future. The Penguins, meanwhile, plan to get their moneys worth out of a man closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Rutherford allowed he will likely only be around "two or three years" and will serve as a mentor to his new staff, adding he will give Botterill and company "big roles with a lot to say." Rutherford hopes to find Bylsmas replacement by the time free agency begins in July. Considering the talent at the top of the roster, the job will certainly be attractive. Finding the right fit, however, may be challenging. "With some changes, they dont have to be sweeping changes, we can (win another Cup) in the near future," Rutherford said. While its unlikely Rutherford will do much to mess with the core of Crosby, Malkin and defenceman Kris Letang, there are some serious depth issues, particularly along the bottom two lines. "Our supporting cast needs to be improved," Rutherford said. "I look at our fourth-line players and some of those guys are in double-digit minuses and we cant have that." What the Penguins do have is arguably the leagues best player in Crosby and one of its most dynamic in Malkin. The duo has dominated during the regular season when healthy -- with Crosby the favourite to pick up his second Hart Trophy as league MVP after leading the NHL with 114 points this season -- but that success hasnt translated into deep playoff runs. Crosby struggled in the post-season. He scored just once in 13 games while maintaining he was not injured. Rutherford will try to find the right kind of role players to take some of the pressure off his high-wattage stars. Coincidentally, the Hurricanes are also looking for a new coach -- Francis first big decision in his new job was firing Kirk Muller after three years -- and Carolina has been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Bylsma. The move by Rutherford -- who won 44 games in net for the Penguins from 1971-74 -- is the latest in a series of significant ties between the organizations. Carolina has the longest active playoff drought among Eastern Conference teams. Its last post-season appearance came in 2009 -- when the Hurricanes were swept in the East final by a Penguins team that went on to win its only Stanley Cup under Sheros leadership, the crowning achievement of his eight years as Pittsburghs GM. Rutherford and Shero orchestrated the blockbuster trade of the 2012 NHL draft when forward Jordan Staal was sent to Carolina and reunited with big brother Eric in exchange for Sutter and prospects. Salomon Shoes Clearance . Will Venable and Ryan Ludwick drove in a run each for the Padres, who have taken six of their last seven contests and clinched their third straight series win after winning the first two in this set. Clayton Richard (4-9) allowed five hits and a pair of runs over seven innings, while fanning five. Mens Salomon Outban Low Outdoor Casual Shoes Dark Green Red Wearable Sneakers .com) - Colorado may be ahead of the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference standings, but they are a club that the Avalanche may want to avoid in the playoffs.EDMONTON -- Oilers captain Andrew Ference has won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership and humanitarian contributions. Ference has worked on behalf of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation and other charitable organizations since signing with the team last summer. The veteran defenceman, who brought the community fitness-oriented November Project to Edmonton from Boston, was named captain just a couple off months after signing a US$13-million, four-year deal with the Oilers. Salomon Speedcross 3. . Ference is the third Oilers player to win the King Clancy. Ethan Moreau won the award in 2009 and current team president of hockey operations Kevin Lowe won in 1990. Former Bruins teammate Patrice Bergeron was the 2013 recipient. The Edmonton native will be honoured at the NHL awards gala next week in Las Vegas. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' ' 

The Wall

No comments
You need to sign in to comment

Post

Added Mar 24 '17, 08:15PM

Rate

Your rate:
Total: (0 rates)