The hire of Mike Sullivan as the latest Blueshirt coach has inspired all kinds of speculation in Rangerville.
And since The Maven believes in fair reporting, all sides of the story, I chose to get an X-Ray on Sullivan from a Pittsburgh reporter who has covered Sully throughout his tenure with the Penguins.
Vince Comunale is as fair-minded as they come so keep that in mind as you read his analysis. (Hint: By the end of this you’ll be smiling.) Here’s a complete analysis from Sullivan in Pittsburgh and how he’ll do in New York:
“Mike Sullivan coached parts of 10 seasons with the Penguins, amassing a 409-255-89 record, good for a winning percentage of .537. While a .537 winning percentage might not seem all that bad, consider that he had an average winning percentage of .642 in his first seven seasons in Pittsburgh.
“However, the team’s record was a paltry 112-99-35 the past three seasons with winning percentages of .555, .537, and .488, respectively, falling short of the playoffs in all three seasons.
‘Did Sullivan forget how to coach? No, but he did show a bit of reluctance to insert younger players into the lineup to support the aging core of Penguins superstars.
“Up until late this past season it was often the case that young players would be called up from the AHL, but then either healthy scratched or placed on the fourth line in a limited role.’
It seems he had forgotten that young players like Bryan Rust, Jake Guentzel, and Conor Sheary had given the Penguins the boost they needed back in 2016 and 2017 to push them to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships.
“Additionally, after parts of ten seasons with Pittsburgh, it seemed as though Sullivan’s message had gotten stale. Let’s face it, players like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson are more-than-likely just out there doing their own thing and not taking much coaching guidance.
“That core four are, of course, mostly free from coaching criticism and reprimand, which also makes it difficult for a head coach.
“There were numerous times the past two seasons where Karlsson should have been benched for his actions, but no coach is going to bench a three-time Norris Trophy winner.
“By the close of this past season it became clear that the Penguins were in full blown rebuild mode and that Sullivan was likely not the head coach to see the team through a rebuild. Not that Sullivan is not capable of guiding a team through a rebuild, but he is a veteran head coach that is one of the most in-demand coaches in the NHL, so the mutual parting of ways did not come as a surprise.
“It also did not come as a surprise that Sullivan landed a new head coaching job about a week after his tenure in PIttsburgh came to an end.
“While Sullivan is inheriting a bit of a complex situation with the Rangers, he is the right person for the job. He is used to coaching superstars and used to coaching big personalities.”
“Additionally, he is used to coaching teams with immense talent. The situation he is inheriting with the Rangers is very similar to the one he inherited in Pittsburgh during the 2015-16 season.
“The Penguins were loaded with talent and a preseason Stanley Cup favorite, but found themselves well out of a playoff spot when they made a coaching change in December of 2015.
“Similarly, the Rangers are one season removed from winning the Presidents’ Trophy and many of the players that contributed to that Presidents’ Trophy-winning season are still on the roster.
“Sullivan will get to the root of what was/is causing the discord in the Rangers’ locker room and fix it. He might not guide the Rangers to a Stanley Cup Championship in his first season as he did with Pittsburgh, but it is a safe bet he will have them back in the playoffs.
‘The Penguins and Rangers franchises are in two very different situations, but it is clear that it was the right time for the Penguins and Sullivan to part ways and the right time for the Rangers to hire him!”
Read the full article here
