Recounting Mike Sullivan’s 10-year reign as Penguins head coach: The good, the bad, and the ugly

The Mike Sullivan era in Pittsburgh has officially reached its end.

It was a stunning announcement on Monday morning, as the Pittsburgh Penguins shared Kyle Dubas' statement detailing the parting of ways with their longtime head coach on X (formerly Twitter).

Mike Sullivan had just completed his 10th season behind the Pens bench, in what's been a tenure full of the highest highs and plenty of lows.

After taking over in the middle of the 2015-16 season, Sullivan enjoyed one of the most successful starts to a coaching career you'll ever see. Back-to-back Stanley Cups had already cemented the 57-year-old as a legend in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, the success waned from that point forward, as the Penguins were limited to just one playoff series win in their last eight seasons under Sullivan.

Now that it's all come to a close, it's the perfect time to recount the good, the bad, and the ugly from Mike Sullivan's lengthy reign in Pittsburgh.

The good, the bad, and the ugly from Mike Sullivan's Pittsburgh Penguins coaching career

The Good: Back-to-Back Stanley Cups

Mike Sullivan's time in Pittsburgh will always be remembered for the back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 2016 and 2017.

After a young Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin carried the Penguins to a Cup in 2009-10, fans thought they were witnessing the start of a special run of dominance in Pittsburgh. However, the next six years were far from it, as the Penguins dealt with major disappointments and injuries, leaving many wondering whether the core group was capable of winning together again. The start of the 2015-16 season saw more of the same, that was until then head coach Mike Johnston was fired and replaced by Mike Sullivan.

The Penguins took off under Sully and never looked back. He integrated a system that allowed the Pens to play a speed game while remaining defensively sound. He brought up the youth from their AHL affiliate, which was so desperately needed. Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust, Connor Sheary, and Matt Murray were all given opportunities to thrive and make massive impacts because of Mike Sullivan. And he did all of this while commanding the attention and respect of the superstars, which is not an easy task.

The Bad: Failed last hurrah

When general manager Kyle Dubas took over during the 2023 offseason, he pushed hard in an attempt to make one final run at a Stanley Cup with the core of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang. Dubas swung for the fences, acquiring Erik Karlsson and other veteran pieces. The Penguins were set to compete amongst the best in the Metropolitan Division, but instead they fell flat.

Pittsburgh had a poor start to the year and was never able to recover. Their star-studded power play was abysmal, and they just weren't getting the best out of Erik Karlsson, which falls on Mike Sullivan. Despite a very late-season push for a wildcard spot, the Penguins fell short, potentially wasting one of their last best chances to make a deep playoff run.

The Ugly: Wasted Opportunities from 2019 to 2022

Losing in the second round to the Washington Capitals in 2018 was understandable; a three-peat is almost impossible in today's age. But the zero playoff victories in the four years to follow was unacceptable.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were still at the peak of their powers, and it all went to waste. Four consecutive first-round losses with a roster that had the potential for so much more. Mike Sullivan received plenty of criticism for his stubbornness and reluctance to make changes throughout several of the losses, most notably the debacle against the New York Islanders in 2021. Penguins' fans wanted a new voice back then, and it's fair to wonder how the team's fortunes would have changed had their wishes come to fruition.