Mike Sullivan-- Missed Opportunity? Or Only a Product of His Pens Roster?

[KingWantsCup]

From July 16th, 2009 to July 3rd, 2013 Mike Sullivan was our assistant coach with his tenure nearly identically mirroring Torts'. When Sullivan was here, I fondly remember the joke about him being "What does he actually do here?"

When the Pens hired him as their head coach mid friggin' season last year I was utterly perplexed. I mean I was really thrown off my rocker. I had to do a double take to see if the news was a typo. I could not comprehend why the Pens picked Sullivan to stand behind their bench when he had no NHL head coach experience, and from my own time seeing him as an assistant head coach here, a seemingly uncertain purpose with the Rangers.

But low and behold, he's on the door step of his second cup--back to back. Is it because he's an actually good coach though? Or because he's taken over an all-time top 20 team and is simply competent? Could Sullivan have been better than AV has been?

Basically, did the Rangers drop the ball here? And even if that's so, could the Rangers really be blamed?


Edit: I stand corrected, Sullivan apparently briefly had head coaching experience with the B's from '04-'06. Pardon this error, this was before I started watching NHL hockey.

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[ecemleafs]

sullivan had nhl head coaching experience. he seemed like he had a pretty big role for an assistant under torts as well.

 

[Krams]

Sullivan coached the Bruins for two years

 

[KingWantsCup]

sullivan had nhl head coaching experience. he seemed like he had a pretty big role for an assistant under torts as well.

My apologies, updated to account for his prior head coaching experience with the Bruins. Still a pretty confusing move by the Pens to me nonetheless.

 

[Krams]

I don't know what the answer to this is, but Brooks had an article on Sully a year ago: http://nypost.com/2016/05/29/how-mike-sullivan-emerged-from-tortorella-shadow-10-years-later/

 

[Mac n Gs]

Sullivan was also coaching Wilsbarre-Scranton when Johnston got fired. He was already within the Penguins organization.

As to comparing him to AV, I really like the Penguins defensive structure and breakout scheme, which they execute pretty damn amazingly when healthy. They're built to be lethal off the rush, but they also play much better defense than we do and have better support all over the ice. Also doesn't hurt either to have two of the best players in the NHL.

 

[nyr2k2]

Good coach made great by his roster.

 

[Cassano]

Everyone hated him when he was here because he orchestrated the famous 6 goalie system I thought?

 

[Tawnos]

Sullivan is a perfect example of why I don't really want a first time NHL coach unless the team is rebuilding.

He got an NHL job. He didn't do well and got fired. Then he bounced around being an assistant and a minor league head coach. He took all the lessons he learned and brought them to a new job with success.

There was no missed opportunity. He hadn't learned all the lessons he needed to when he was fired by the Rangers.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Do teams fire their head coach and replace him with the assistant ever? (not including the Hitchcock/Yeo thing) I feel like it would have been real strange for the Rangers to do that, especially if they wanted to get away from the style of hockey they were playing under Torts and co

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Sullivan is a perfect example of why I don't really want a first time NHL coach unless the team is rebuilding.

He got an NHL job. He didn't do well and got fired. Then he bounced around being an assistant and a minor league head coach. He took all the lessons he learned and brought them to a new job with success.

There was no missed opportunity. He hadn't learned all the lessons he needed to when he was fired by the Rangers.

Same thing happened with Bill Belichick.

 

[Pyrophorus]

I don't know WTF Johnston did, but whatever it was, it wasn't working at all.

I don't think Sullivan did anything, except told his team, to play the way they like, changed the voice, reversed the Johnston changes...and voila.

Without the roster its Boston all over again.

 

[cwede]

this is one silly thread

the guy has been a pro hockey coach for 15 years but he is just lucky to be coaching Sid and Geno?
the coaches since the '09 Cup were just as lucky, right, but they didn't succeed like Sully has

being Torts' ONLY A coach was fuller busier coaching jobs than most NHL coaches, Head or Ass't

the guy invested 1/3 of his life to coaching pro hockey, and when his 2d shot came, he was ready

i am not saying he won the Cup by himself;
agreed, part of it sometimes is not getting in the way,
but how many NHL head coaches are even good at that

anyway i love this matchup of 2 coaches whose playing careers beging in Ranger blue,
Sully as a draft pick in '87, and Lavi as a UDFA back (in '87 as well) before that acronym was a thing

 

[Boris Zubov]

From July 16th, 2009 to July 3rd, 2013 Mike Sullivan was our assistant coach with his tenure nearly identically mirroring Torts'. When Sullivan was here, I fondly remember the joke about him being "What does he actually do here?"

When the Pens hired him as their head coach mid friggin' season last year I was utterly perplexed. I mean I was really thrown off my rocker. I had to do a double take to see if the news was a typo. I could not comprehend why the Pens picked Sullivan to stand behind their bench when he had no NHL head coach experience, and from my own time seeing him as an assistant head coach here, a seemingly uncertain purpose with the Rangers.

But low and behold, he's on the door step of his second cup--back to back. Is it because he's an actually good coach though? Or because he's taken over an all-time top 20 team and is simply competent? Could Sullivan have been better than AV has been?

Basically, did the Rangers drop the ball here? And even if that's so, could the Rangers really be blamed?

Edit: I stand corrected, Sullivan apparently briefly had head coaching experience with the B's from '04-'06. Pardon this error, this was before I started watching NHL hockey.

Sorry, but the bolded is laughable.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

[fieldset=HFNYR Rules][highlight]FORMER PLAYERS/COACHES[/highlight] - Please do not devote space in our player discussion thread or in standalone threads to players/coaches who are still in the NHL but no longer with the Rangers. These discussions should take place exclusively in the “Around the NHL†thread.[/fieldset]