Steel City Shocker: Penguins and Mike Sullivan Agree to Part Ways
I don’t often claim to be prescient or have any sort of ESP. However, back on March 19, I posted a Penguins Update titled “Things I Wonder” where I surmised that the Pens and coach Mike Sullivan might amicably part ways this summer.
Well, it looks like both parties beat me to the punch (summer doesn’t begin till June 20).
In a bit of news that can only be described as shocking, the Pens and their veteran skipper have, indeed, mutually agreed to part ways, just as I sensed might happen. Here’s a link to that article where I lay out my reasoning.
And so ends the decade-long tenure of arguably the most successful coach in franchise history. One that began with a bang (back-to-back Cups) and ended with a whimper (four opening-round exits followed by three non-playoff seasons).
I confess, I’ve had issues with Sullivan over the years, mostly over his perceived reluctance to adjust his system to fit the talent on hand and his aversion (again, perceived) to kids and aggressive players. To say nothing of the unending stream of mistakes (odd-man breaks against, sloppy defensive play) that seemed to go unchecked the past few seasons.