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Bylsma rips Penguins, calls effort level ‘troubling’

Dan Bylsma

Pittsburgh Penguins’ Dan Bylsma, center, gives instructions to Matt Niskanen (2), and Sidney Crosby (87) during a time out in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Pittsburgh, Sunday, March 30, 2014. The Penguins won 4-1. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

AP

If you believe the speculation, Dan Bylsma is coaching for his job in these playoffs. Anything less than a deep run and the Pittsburgh Penguins could have a new guy behind the bench next season. Or so they say.

Today, with his team stuck in a first-round dog fight with the underdog Blue Jackets, Bylsma spoke like a coach under some pressure.

Per the Tribune-Review, here’s Bylma on his team’s effort last night in Columbus, where the Pens blew a three-goal lead and lost in overtime: “The work and compete and the battle level has probably been the most troubling thing. ... It has to be raised. ... It’s our puck battles. It’s our willingness to play in those areas and make it a tough game. Our whole team needs to be better in that regard.”

Bylsma didn’t tip-toe around the hot topic of Marc-Andre Fleury either. On the tying goal the Jackets scored with less than a minute to go: “Marc knows he should have stayed in the net.”

Oh, and don’t think Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin escaped unscathed: “They’re our best players. We need more from our whole team. And we need more from them.”

Neither Crosby nor Malkin have scored a goal in the first four games of the series, though they each have four assists.
PHT Extra: Will the Penguins pick it up for the playoffs?