The Pittsburgh Penguins have a reputation as being a team that loves to complain. Sidney Crosby and his teammates have been given nicknames surrounding this very idea, mocking the fact the Penguins are often seen complaining to the officials after penalty calls and offside whistles. Is there any validity to these statements or are fans of opposing teams just trying to rag on the Penguins? The answer may lie in the middle, but former Penguin and current assistant GM Bill Guerin believes that the Penguins whine too much.
Via The Pensblog, Guerin was recently on Sportsnet and was asked about the Penguins and their tendency to complain.
“It’s definitely an area that we’ve identified as being an issue at times. And you know what? We’ve put ourselves in that position, and we have to be better. There’s no question.”
It’s pretty surprising to see a member of the front office answer a question like this one so candidly. Usually these questions are deflected, but instead Guerin admitted it’s an issue. His team is too busy complaining to the officials instead of preparing for the next play or mentally moving on and focusing on what actually matters. Complaining won’t reverse a call, so you might as well accept it and move forward.