Kovacevic: How much deeper can Johnston dig?

Mike Johnston is still the head coach.

The Penguins lost to the Stars, 4-1, Thursday night at Consol Energy Center with a performance so lazy, so lethargic that I wouldn't be surprised if the players beat some of the patrons to their cars. And that's saying something.

But that's one game, hardly grounds for firing a coach.

The Penguins have looked largely terrible from the moment the puck was dropped against these same Stars two weeks ago in Dallas. They've looked directionless, disinterested and, yes, disgusted with some of the decisions being made behind the bench.

But they're 3-4, hardly grounds for firing a coach.

So why even broach the topic, right?



I mean, hey, it took the Blue Jackets going 0-7 with a ton of talent to get Todd Richards fired. Other teams get off to slow starts. Other teams find a way out. It's all too often, especially in the NHL, that smart, competent coaches get tossed as knee-jerk reactions.

Well, there's also this, and you'll want to take a deep breath first: In the Penguins' past 27 games, dating back to last season and including Stanley Cup playoffs, they are 8-19. They've averaged 1.63 goals per game. They've scored more than three goals in one -- count 'em, one! -- of those 27 games. They've been held to one or zero goals in 14 of those 27 games. The power play has converted at 12.5 percent. Their shooting percentage is 4.9 percent.

I mean, a team with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and now Phil Kessel can't score.

It also can't defend particularly well.

Or skate up the ice as a collective.

Or gain the opponents' blue line.

Or muster a forecheck lasting more than four-tenths of a second.

Or shoot.

Or score.

That, my friends, is grounds for firing a coach.