NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- It was December in Tampa, two days shy of the the one-year anniversary of the Penguins hiring a new coach. Scotty Bowman was holding court in the press box, speaking loud enough for all nearby to hear.
"This guy coaching the Penguins is something special," Bowman said that night. "I mean, you can just see it in how they play. This guy is good."
Six months later, that guy did what Bowman did in 1998 with the Red Wings. He led the Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cup championships. As no one between those two had been able to do.
There are countless guys nicknamed 'Sully' from Boston. There is only one Mike Sullivan.
Sullivan's impact on the Penguins has been unspeakably powerful. In his 18 months as head coach:
• The Penguins won the Cup in 2016.
• The Penguins won the Cup in 2017.
• Sidney Crosby has forcefully established himself as the best player in the world following his Mike Johnston-induced slump.
• Evgeni Malkin isn't far behind.
• The Penguins won the Cup without Kris Letang.
• They are 8-0 in playoff series.
• They are 3-0 in Game 7s.
• They are 14-3 following a playoff loss.
Not a bad first 18 months on the job.
“I don’t know what else can really be said about the guy,” Conor Sheary said. “He’s obviously an incredible coach. He always knows the right thing to say at the right moment. It seems like he’s never wrong.”
As a result, Sullivan made Pittsburgh sports history when the Penguins outlasted the Predators in six games. He’s one of three coaches/managers in the city's history to win multiple professional championships, joining the Steelers' Chuck Noll (four) and the Pirates' Danny Murtaugh (two).
“I’ve been around a lot of hockey coaches,” Jim Rutherford said. “I’ve never been around one as good as him. Never.”
Sullivan isn’t just a champion, although that shouldn’t be taken lightly. He did something else along the way. The head coach of the Penguins turned them into the Penguins again.
Sure, they showed guts and determination. They block shots because of Sullivan. They show mental toughness because of Sullivan. They play an overall brand of team defense, one that's very much under-appreciated, because of Sullivan.
But still, they score way more goals than anyone else. They're the Penguins again. In fact, they became the first team since the 1992 Penguins to lead the NHL in regular-season goal scoring and win the Cup. The NHL rewards goal prevention. It's been this way for a couple of generations now, as the finest of defensive teams almost always compete for championships.
Sullivan promotes offense. The Penguins played beautiful offensive hockey. And they won it all.
"He's just the kind of coach that I think anyone would want to play for," Olli Maatta said. "Sure, he can be tough on us. Very tough at times. He's not afraid to tell you when you messed up. But he always tells you when you do something right, too. He talks about playing the game the right way. That's what we try to do."
Maatta probably hears "play the game the right way" daily. Sullivan-isms have become a daily part of locker room discussion: There is "just play." There is "staying in the moment." And when the coach is talking about Crosby, there is "inspiring hockey."
Said Sullivan about this: “We try to find little catchphrases that try to be reflective of how we want to play, and so these phrases end up taking on significant meaning with our team, and more so than probably outside of our locker room.”
His players, young and old, have a profound respect for the man. It's detectable on a daily basis. Never is a negative word uttered about the coach.
“The guy is just incredible,” Bryan Rust said. “We just listen to him, and when we do that, we have a chance to always win. Every game.”
Rutherford has made many fine moves as Penguins' general manager, no question. There's also little question that the GM's decision to hire Sullivan on Dec. 12, 2015, was the moment that turned around a franchise.
If there is a better coach in professional sports at the moment, Rutherford can only think of one.
“Maybe that guy who coaches the New England Patriots,” Rutherford said, comparing the Boston-born Sullivan to Bill Belichick. “I’ve never been involved with a guy like Mike Sullivan. He communicates. He knows how to treat people. He knows how to fix things that need fixed. I’ve absolutely never seen anything like this guy.”
Sullivan seems comfortable with everything that he does. Taking credit, though, just isn’t his thing.
“We’re trying to define with this group of players a certain identity, a certain style of play, a certain attitude that we think gives this group the best chance to be successful,” he said.
Two Cups in 18 months isn’t a bad start.
“I’m telling you, this guy is special,” Rutherford said. “He’s just a special hockey coach.”
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
