Mad World
Lemieux Needs More Housecleaning
By Mark Madden

I am not one to prattle on about the Penguins finding a new owner with more money, because the current owner has enough money if things are run properly. The key is to run things properly. The Penguins recently parted company with president Tom Rooney and Mark Anderson, the team's vice president in charge of ticketing. I know neither of these gentlemen was responsible for Hans Jonsson playing a regular shift this season, so I'm not quite sure what the purpose of those moves was.

I am sure, however, that the following moves must be made—

o    The Penguins must replace Glenn Patrick as coach of their Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton farm team. Baby Penguins past and present have talked on and off the record about the tenure of GM Craig Patrick's brother as Baby Pens boss. The jury has reached a verdict, and it's unanimous—Glenn Patrick does not know how to prepare players to reach the next level. His style is extremely laissez-faire, with minimal tactics and systems and a whole lot of "just go out there and play."

     Craig Patrick characterizes these criticisms as inaccurate complaints made by those disgruntled at not being with the major-league team. OK, but A) most of the criticisms were made by players actually playing in Pittsburgh at the time and B) could every single one of these players possibly be wrong?

     The proof, as always, is in the pudding. Some call-ups, like Tomas Surovy, have done decently in Pittsburgh. Others, like Kris Beech, look like a deer caught in headlights. The players who have done well are usually those with confidence and intelligence—guys who can figure stuff out on their own. Surovy fits that description. Those needing direction, like Beech, obviously haven't gotten it.

o    The Penguins must overhaul their scouting department. The team has not made much impact in the draft since 1990, and how hard was it to pick Jaromir Jagr? Come to think of it, the Pens selected Markus Naslund in the first round in 1991, but we all know how that turned out. All first-round picks from the past decade have washed out and are no longer with the organization. The scouting department, unfortunately, has not made up for these horrible choices in later rounds. The Penguins haven't drafted a legitimate top-four caliber NHL defenseman since Zarley Zalapski in 1986. Head scout Greg Malone has certainly got some explaining (or packing) to do.

o    The Penguins must seriously consider replacing Rick Kehoe as coach. I write that with no small amount of mixed emotions, because Kehoe's coaching is not one of the primary reasons for the team's failure this season. This is the least talented Penguins team for almost two decades.

     They need a motivator, an orator, a communicator, a tactician. They need a coach who can make a mediocre team overachieve. Kehoe does not fit the job description. Perhaps Kehoe could be reassigned to scouting, where his well-known ability to evaluate talent could give that department a much-needed lift.

     The ideal coach for next year's Pens would be ex-Pens bench boss Kevin Constantine. Constantine is a great teacher, well-schooled at installing and maintaining systems. He has made teams overachieve throughout his career. Constantine comes with an expiration date, because his grating style eventually drives players crazy. But his shelf life would be longer with a bunch of eager young kids.

The Penguins certainly face other problems, such as how to sell tickets to see a team that could well finish near the bottom of the league again next season. Player/owner Mario Lemieux says he will not decide whether he's going to play next season until the summer is underway. The sooner he decides, the better. Buying tickets with Lemieux's playing future in doubt is like buying tickets to a Broadway play not knowing whether the lead will be played by Russell Crowe or his understudy, Shemp.

Lemieux says the organization will undergo a comprehensive post-season review conducted by Craig Patrick and head executive Ken Sawyer. My question is, who evaluates the evaluators?

For the Penguins to recover, Lemieux has to get his hands dirty. Maybe even bloody. He needs to stop deferring to Craig Patrick and use his own considerable hockey knowledge to straighten things out.

Mark Madden hosts a sports talk show 3-7 p.m. weekdays on ESPN Radio 1250.