Mike Sullivan reflects on making Penguins play faster and as a team

This was after the Penguins won Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final against the Tampa Bay Lightning to advance to the Stanley Cup final. Mike Sullivan was caught up in the moment. Most coaches won’t reflect until their season is finished. Sullivan reflected.


“I knew it was going to be a process,” he said of taking over a Penguins team that was in disarray in December and turning it into a club that is two wins against the San Jose Sharks from winning the fourth Cup in franchise history.


“It’s hard to change overnight.”


Imagine what Sullivan felt when he walked into the Penguins’ room for the first time after replacing Mike Johnston. He must have had some apprehension. He had NHL head coaching experience with the Boston Bruins, but he was facing an enormous challenge. He had underachieving star players in Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. He had another big ego in Evgeni Malkin. He had the enigmatic Phil Kessel.

He had a team that had been coming up so small in the playoffs that not only was Johnston fired, but also Dan Bylsma before him..........

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