With eight words back in December, Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford changed the course of his team’s season.
“The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a coaching change.”
Seven years earlier, former Penguins general manager Ray Shero made a similar statement.
In both cases — the last two times the Penguins have changed coaches midseason — the team ended up in the Stanley Cup Final.
Shero replaced Michel Therrien with Dan Bylsma in February 2009, and four months later Bylsma led the Penguins to their most recent championship.
Rutherford made the call earlier in this season, firing Mike Johnston Dec.