Mike Sullivan Celebrates His First Victory as Rangers’ Coach
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Mike Sullivan added a new memory to his personal hockey collection after receiving the game puck following his first win as coach of the New York Rangers. Although it doesn’t equal the two Stanley Cups he won during his ten years as coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the importance of the 4-0 victory over Buffalo did not go unnoticed by Sullivan on Thursday night.This victory is number 480 in Sullivan’s career and came two days after the Rangers started the season with a 3-0 home loss to the Penguins. Sullivan was fired by Pittsburgh after failing to make the playoffs for a third consecutive season, before being hired almost immediately by New York after the Rangers fired Peter Laviolette. For Sullivan, it’s a fresh start in a familiar place, after spending four seasons as an assistant with the Rangers under John Tortorella. His mission is to bring structure and discipline to a team that crumbled on and off the court, preventing them from reaching the playoffs last year. The victory over Buffalo was just the beginning for Sullivan, who recalled with a smile how the newly appointed captain J.T. Miller handed him the puck.It’s gratifying. I’ve said this on several occasions since I got the job, it’s an incredible honor to be the coach of the New York Rangers, a franchise with so much history. It’s a privilege that I don’t take for granted.
Mike Sullivan
Although there is still much work to be done, Sullivan was impressed by his team’s response after a lackluster performance against Pittsburgh, which was sealed with two empty-net goals. On Thursday, the Rangers outplayed the Sabres for much of the first period, building a 1-0 lead thanks to Alex Lafreniere’s goal at 11:43. Along with Igor Shersterkin’s performance, who made 37 saves, the Rangers closed strongly with three goals in the last five minutes.Miller joked about the length of our video meetings. But they will continue to be long until we are on the same page.
Mike Sullivan
I’m excited about the group of players we have here. I think there’s some enthusiasm on the team right now from the first day of training camp. It’s tangible, we can feel it. And I think we’re building a relationship with the players right now that will be significant in the future.
Mike Sullivan
