Faceoff Factor

Who Is Dan Bylsma And Can He Help The Pittsburgh Penguins?

Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins

Feb 17, 11:36 AM | Hype this story!

Interim coach Dan Bylsma has had an opportunity to introduce him to Pittsburgh Penguin fans, albeit in a losing effort yesterday afternoon.

But without an opportunity to observe his new team in practice prior to the game, Bylsma’s true style won’t begin to show through until Thursday night, when the Penguins play the struggling Montreal Canadiens.

So, in an attempt to get a better understanding of what Bylsma brings to the table, I chatted with noted Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins beat writer Jonathan Bombulie through email last evening.

Matt Bodenschatz: Explain Bylsma’s coaching style. Is he hands-on? Is he a players’ coach? Does he rule with an iron fist? What are his strong points and weak points?

Jonathan Bombulie: Definitely a players’ coach. Well-liked in the room. No iron fist. Communicates well with players. A philosophical guy. Studies leadership style of other coaches. Does all the X’s and O’s things you need a coach to do — matches the James-Jeffrey-Wallace checking line with top line of opponents, changes up the breakout when he needs to, that sort of stuff.

The weak point is a lack of experience. He only has five months as a head coach and some of his players are nearly as old as he is. Has to earn their respect. Also, he hasn’t faced any real adversity as a coach. WBS has been winning consistently since Thanksgiving. How will he handle a serious crisis? I have no idea.

MB: In what areas does he compare to Michel Therrien and in what areas is he different?

JB: As far as personality goes, he couldn’t possibly be more different. This is the classic case of a players’ coach following a disciplinarian

MB: Give a brief breakdown of Bylsma’s system.

JB: WBS switches up its forecheck at times, but generally speaking, you’ll see an aggressive two-man attack more often than not.

MB: Do you anticipate that one or several of Bylsma’s reliable AHLers (Janne Pesonen, Chris Minard, Danny Richmond, Ben Lovejoy, etc) may get legitimate shots to prove themselves — kind of like Colby Armstrong, Michelle Ouellet, etc when Therrien first got the nod?

JB: That idea makes sense, but there aren’t as many disposable players in Pittsburgh’s lineup as there were in 2005. If there’s a guy Bylsma regularly vouches for, it’s Minard. He thinks he can score in the NHL.

MB: Does Bylsma have the experience/knowledge and command enough respect from his players to right the ship in Pittsburgh?

JB: He commands respect from AHL players. I mean, he did play nine years in the NHL. If the current crop of Pittsburgh players doesn’t respect him, that’s on them.

MB: What are your thoughts of former player development director Tom Fitzgerald stepping in for Andre Savard as an assistant coach and Mike Yeo remaining in an assistant role?

JB: I haven’t dealt with Fitzgerald. I know he and Bylsma get along. I think Mike Yeo is a good coach with a tremendous work ethic in the video room. He’s an asset to the staff. I think the “power play sucks so Mike Yeo sucks” philosophy is shallow.

MB: Prediction: Will the Penguins make the playoffs?

JB: Probably not. They’ll have to win 16 or 17 of their last 24 games to make it. That’s a huge hill to climb.

MB: Prediction: Will Bylsma remain the coach beyond the season? And, if so, will he be permitted to mix up his coaching staff if he so desires?

JB: Probably not. Shero hasn’t had the chance to hire a coach yet. I’m sure he’ll want to do that, since his seat will inevitably start heating up if they miss the playoffs.

MB: Lastly, how does this affect the Baby Penguins?

JB: Todd Reirden will hold things down for now and he’s a good X’s and O’s guy too, so they’ll be fine. Playoffs might be a different story, but they’ll cross that bridge when they get to the water. (That was one of my favorite Therrien expressions.)

I would like to thank JB for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer these questions.