The Pittsburgh Penguins kind of, sort of, tried it Mike Sullivan's way. Not only were they not good enough to contend for a Stanley Cup, but they weren't good enough to contend for a playoff spot.

It's over. By parting ways with their coach, the Penguins appear to have finally realized what the hockey world did a couple of years ago. This is a roster, even though it's top-heavy with highly paid veterans, is in desperate need of a total rebuild. There is no other way to go. And that starts with parting ways with Sullivan, who was part of the process of holding up that rebuild.

In the words of Mike Babcock, there will be pain. Probably even more than there has been recently. But it will pay off if the Penguins do it right.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.