Hartnett: Rutherford Deserves Praise For Masterminding Penguins' Revival

By Sean Hartnett
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After winning the Stanley Cup in 2009, the Pittsburgh Penguins appeared to be on the verge of forging a dynasty.

Back-to-back appearances in the Final and a burgeoning core group of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury and Kris Letang gave credence to the idea that the Pens could thrive on the playoff stage for years to come.

But just at the moment when Pittsburgh looked ready to seize the throne as hockey's preeminent franchise, it was quickly exposed as a team that lacked the supporting cast required to do the job.

The Pens became slow, old and were burdened by a tricky salary cap situation. Frustration came to a boiling point in the summer of 2014 when head coach Dan Bylsma and general manager Ray Shero were dismissed as the Pens sought a total change of direction.

Just like Winston Wolfe in "Pulp Fiction," veteran general manager Jim Rutherford was summoned to be the fixer. Similar to Harvey Keitel's quick-thinking character in that incredibly popular movie, the plan was for Rutherford to alleviate a troublesome situation in record time.

"I would suspect my term here is two or three years," Rutherford said at his introductory press conference.

Like the blood-stained car driven by Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega, the Pens were a mess. However, within the span of two years, Rutherford was able to restore Pittsburgh as a team that could again be dangerous come playoff time. On Tuesday night, the Penguins defeated the rival Washington Capitals in overtime to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2013.

These Penguins have a different makeup and a renewed swagger. Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin were recruited to give the Pens the speed edge they were lacking. After postseasons of repeatedly tormenting the Penguins in a Rangers uniform, the skate was on the other foot as Hagelin's possession-driving outside speed helped Pittsburgh eliminate the Blueshirts in five games in the opening round.

Hagelin starred in the second round against Washington, collecting seven points in six games.

Rutherford supplied the Pens with the pieces for a dominant third line in Hagelin, Kessel and center Nick Bonino. Kessel and Bonino were acquired last summer, while Hagelin was swapped for struggling winger David Perron and oft-traded defenseman Adam Clendening in January.

The Pens are now the opposite of past teams that were overly reliant on Crosby and Malkin. They boast three formidable scoring lines and were able to eliminate the Caps with their dynamic duo accounting for just a combined four points in the series.

At the heart of the Pens' success has been Rutherford playing the role of GM extraordinaire. He swapped a player who wasn't a fit in Perron for one of the league's top speedsters in Hagelin. He refused to deal away elite-level prospects to land Kessel's goal-getting, but got him anyway and got the Maple Leafs to swallow $1.2 million of Kessel's $8 million salary for seven years.

Rutherford upgraded at center by dealing Brandon Sutter for Bonino. He dumped aging Rob Scuderi at a temporary weigh station in Chicago to gain the mobility and playmaking of key defenseman Trevor Daley. Not to be understated is the value of 39-year-old fourth-line center Matt Cullen, who has offered production and coolness under playoff pressure.

Out of all of Rutherford's smart moves, the wisest was turning to Mike Sullivan after the Penguins struggled out of the gate under Mike Johnston. Pittsburgh caught fire after Sullivan took over behind the bench because of his simplified system that allows the Pens to fully utilize their game-changing speed and ability to create high-percentage plays. Additionally, Sullivan has been long recognized as a coach who holds his players accountable with straightforward honesty.

The Penguins have the look of a relentless group, built on skating and thriving in Sullivan's system. Hats off to Rutherford for putting this broken team back together as it finally has the depth and ability to lift Lord Stanley once again.

Follow Sean on Twitter at @HartnettHockey