Sullivan’s Rangers debut soured by Penguins: Crosby and Malkin triumph.

Mike Sullivan Debuts with Rangers in Loss to Penguins

In a meeting full of emotions and reunions, Mike Sullivan, after ten seasons at the helm of the Pittsburgh Penguins, debuted as coach of the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Tuesday night, however, was not as he expected, as the Penguins won with a score of 3-0. Sullivan, who led the Penguins to two Stanley Cup championships, faced his former pupils, including Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, now on the opposing side. The experience, though peculiar, did not diminish the excitement of the game.

“Obviously, it’s different. I knew it was going to be like that,” Sullivan commented after the defeat. “But I’m excited about the group we have here with the Rangers. I’m eager to work with this team.”

Mike Sullivan

The Rangers failed to score, being outplayed by goalie Arturs Silovs, who made 22 saves. Justin Brazeau of the Penguins stood out with two goals, while the Rangers struggled to find their offensive rhythm, especially in the third period where they were outshot 15-5.

“I think we have a long way to go to become the team we want to be. I’m not going to overreact, it’s just one game. We have a lot of hockey to play,” Sullivan added.

Mike Sullivan

Sullivan’s departure from the Penguins was finalized in April, despite having a contract through the 2026-27 season. During his time in Pittsburgh, Sullivan achieved 409 victories, being the fourteenth coach in NHL history to reach 400 wins with the same team. The Penguins celebrated consecutive Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017 under his direction. A few days later, Sullivan was hired by the Rangers to replace Peter Laviolette, signing a five-year contract that made him the highest-paid coach in the NHL. Previously, Sullivan was an assistant for the Rangers from 2009 to 2013, during which time he coached Chris Drury, current general manager of the Rangers. Sidney Crosby, Penguins captain, acknowledged the strangeness of seeing Sullivan on the opposing bench. In addition to Sullivan, David Quinn and Ty Hennes, former Penguins assistants, also joined the Rangers. In contrast to Sullivan’s defeat, Dan Muse, the new Penguins coach, secured a victory against his former team. Muse was Laviolette’s assistant in New York and was on the list of candidates for the coaching position before Sullivan’s arrival.

“Every team will tell you, especially at the start of the season, that it won’t be perfect. You’re just trying to be on the same page as much as possible. And I feel like it prepared us well to start the year,” Crosby said.

Sidney Crosby

The game featured Crosby, Malkin, and Letang in the Penguins’ starting lineup, three players who have been teammates since 2007.

“We had three players who have been playing together for 20 years, and I thought it was important that they started the game together,” Muse commented.

Dan Muse