Report: Pittsburgh Penguins Goalie Coach Gilles Meloche Will Resign
By Josh Hill
There has been a lot of uncertainty about what will happen this offseason with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but answers are slowly starting to roll in. While head coach Dan Bylsma may end up being fired for his part in the Pens series sweep against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals, he’s not the first coaching domino to fall on the team. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, goalie coach Gilles Meloche is expected to resign after the Pens netminding went down the tubes against the Bruins.
"Meloche, goaltending coach for the past seven seasons, will inform general manager Ray Shero this week of plans to resign. He is expected to take another role — perhaps as a professional scout — with the Penguins, with whom he has spent 27 seasons. Meloche, 62, wants to spend more time in his native Montreal."
It was obvious that someone needed to be held accountable for the utter destruction of the Pens netminders in their series against the Bruins, and while poor offensive output from PIttsburgh skaters is a major factor in the series sweep, the back breaking 6-1 loss in Game 2 is something still fresh in everyone’s mind in Pittsburgh.
The purging might not be done as even though Dan Bylsma gave Marc Andre-Fleury a vote of confidence on Sunday, the ice seems to be thin under both of them with Mario Lemieux reportedly calling for Bylsma’s head and rumors swirling about Andre-Fleury getting possibly bought out this summer.
But what we do know is happening revolves around Meloche and his resignation as the Pens goalie coach. Expect this to be the first of many offseason moves for Pittsburgh following the way they exited the Stanley Cup Playoffs.