An era has come to an end for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The organization fired general manager Ray Shero on Friday. The moves came after the Penguins failed to go deep in the playoffs this past postseason. 

Pittsburgh has become a franchise where anything less than a Stanley Cup Finals appearance is considered a failure. After the Penguins turned a 3-1 series lead against the New York Rangers into a 4-3 series loss in Game 7, everyone knew change was coming.

Many speculated that both Shero and Dan Bylsma would be fired by this time. As of right now, Bylsma is still the coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Not Afraid

Shero came aboard the Penguins in May of 2006, replacing long time GM Craig Patrick. Long time Penguins fans will remember Patrick as the architect of the 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cup teams. His first blockbuster trade came in at the deadline in the 2007-08 season, sending popular Penguin Colby Armstrong, Erik Christiansen, prospect Angelo Esposito, and a 1st round pick to the then Atlanta Thrashers for star winger Marian Hossa and winger Pascal Dupuis. Dupuis still forms one third of the top line in Pittsburgh, playing alongside Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz. He also made several minor trades the next season that led the Penguins to the 2009 Stanley Cup title.

No one can fault Shero's willingness to make deals in attempts to propel the Penguins to the top. In 2013, Shero pulled the trigger on deals that brought Jussi Jokinen, Jarome Iginla, Brendan Morrow, and Douglas Murray to Pittsburgh. He sacrificed youth and draft picks in an attempt to go "all in" in a gamble to win the Stanley Cup. The 2013 effort sputtered against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference finals.

Failing

Shero has had trouble finding a suitable bodyguard for Crosby this season, which many speculate led to his dismissal. Crosby's concussion issues have been well documented. The amount of abuse he took against Columbus and the Rangers didn't even provoke a response from tough guys like Tanner Glass. Long time supporters will remember players like Kevin Stevens and Rick Tocchet holding the opposition accountable whenever they took liberties with Mario Lemieux. There was no one to fill that role this season, as Marc Staal and Brandon Dubinsky mugged Crosby repeatedly throughout the playoffs. Throw in the water bottle incident from Henrik Lundqvist during the Rangers' series, and there's a sense that Shero didn't do enough to protect his stars. Ultimately, it could be this fact that led to Shero's demise in Pittsburgh.

There will be many changes to the Penguins this offseason. Shero isn't the first domino to fall. Time will tell what follows this bombshell out of Pittsburgh. One thing remains certain; Pittsburgh will certainly be the center of attention this offseason.

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About the author
Justin Halbersma
With over 15 years' experience in sports writing, Justin loves to write, chat, and debate anything hockey. An avid fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Justin lives in Nova Scotia with his wife Emily and two cats.