The Hourglass Should Be Running Out on Mike Sullivan
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ back-to-back Stanley Cup winning seasons in 2016 and 2017 feel so far in the rear view mirror.
While losing to the Washington Capitals in the 2018 playoffs was nothing to be ashamed of- after all - Washington captured Lord Stanley that year - and it’s hard for any team in any sport to three-peat - the Pens have had playoff problems since then.
In 2019, Pittsburgh got swept by the New York Islanders, which was the first time the Penguins suffered a playoff sweep since 1979.
Following a stoppage, because of Covid, the Pens played a qualifying series with the Montreal Canadiens, and promptly lost the series, to a subpar Habs team.
Just like ‘19, it was a first round rematch between the Penguins and Islanders in 2021. The Isles took the series, 4-2. The series included Tristan Jarry giving up the worst playoff goal in franchise history.
Pittsburgh was in the driver’s seat during the opening round in 2022 with the New York Rangers. Injuries to both Jarry and Casey DeSmith forced Mike Sullivan to go with Louis Domingue. The combination of spicy pork and broccoli wasn’t enough to stop the Rangers, as they came storming back to take the series.
Unfortunately, it’s gotten worse, for the Pittsburgh hockey club, as they have missed the playoffs, in each of the last two seasons, for the first time since the mid-2000’s.
In a league where head coaches generally have a short, shelf life, when they don’t meet specific expectations, the Penguins staying with Mike Sullivan needs to be questioned at this point. It’s been since 2018 the last time the Pens won a playoff series.
For Sullivan, the beginning of this season has gone off to a bad start, with a record of 3-7-1. In terms of points percentage, Pittsburgh’s .318 mark is currently lowest in the Eastern Conference.
Whether it’s chasing the puck defensively, frequently allowing odd man rushes, and constant line changes, to see what sticks, the Penguins are simply playing a horrible, brand of hockey.
Sullivan has a three-year contract that kicks in this season. The current deal pays him $5.5 million annually.
Should the Penguins’ poor play continues, then I don’t see how GM Kyle Dubas can be content about where Sullivan is leading this team.
This past offseason, Pittsburgh hired former New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn, to serve as an assistant on Sullivan’s staff. If the organization decided to move on from Sullivan, then perhaps Quinn would become the interim replacement, which would allow Dubas to evaluate Quinn, and see if he needs to hire a new head coach as early as next season.
Make no mistake, you can still appreciate the fact that Sullivan is a two-time, Cup winning coach, and has the most coaching wins in Penguins’ history, but there comes a point where a head coach no longer fits the expectation level, or direction that an organization wants to go, and in these recent years, it’s just not happening under Sullivan.