There are three other men who have been a head coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins when they claimed the Stanley Cup. Two are in the Hall of Fame. The other was once named NHL coach of the year.
None, though, have won as many playoff games for the franchise than Mike Sullivan.
The Penguins’ 7-2 victory Monday against the New York Rangers in Game 4 of the teams’ first-round series was the 44th of Sullivan’s seven-season tenure with the Penguins. On Monday, Sullivan surpassed Dan Bylsma (43) for the most playoff wins by a Penguins coach.
“I don’t really give a whole lot of thought to that kind of stuff, quite honestly, because we are so immersed in the moment right now,” Sullivan said Tuesday, “but what I will tell you is that with some of the names that I read last night after the game, that’s a humbling moment for me.
“And I have said this on so many occasions that the opportunity to coach this team has been just an honor and a privilege. The group of players who have been here in my time have been second to none from a character standpoint, and I don’t take a single day of it for granted.”
Even after three consecutive flameouts in the playoffs, Mike Sullivan’s stature among the upper tier of NHL coaches is secure as he preps to open his seventh postseason as the #Penguins’ bench boss. https://t.co/y52R9uHK2d
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) May 1, 2022
In addition to Bylsma – the 2010-11 Jack Adams Award winner – the Penguins’ other Cup-winning coaches are Hall of Famers Bob Johnson and Scotty Bowman.
Sullivan is the only one of that group to claim the Cup twice, in 2016 and 2017.
Alternate captain Kris Letang said Tuesday that he appreciates how Sullivan demands the best from those he coaches.
“I think if you want to win in this league consistently, you need to demand a lot from your players and from your leaders,” said. “The drive he brings every day to push us to get better I think is his best attribute.”
