PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Former player Eddie Olczyk was out and disciplinarian Michel Therrien was in as the Pittsburgh Penguins' coach Thursday, and a couple of minutes of practice quickly revealed the differences between the two.
There were no sloppily run drills, no casual puck shooting, no scrimmages that looked like pickup games. The country club was closed, and it was time for hockey boot camp.
It was culture shock for a team that has long prided itself on developing creative players and not systems. But the Penguins' 8-17-6 record was an even bigger shock to a franchise convinced it has Stanley Cup-contending talent, and it brought down a coach who had no previous coaching experience and, for much of his short career, looked like it.