Happy Anniversary: Good times keep rolling for Penguins under Sullivan
What a year.
The Pittsburgh Penguins celebrated the one-year anniversary of Mike Sullivan becoming head coach by doing what they've done a lot of over the past 365 days - winning.
Pittsburgh dusted Arizona 7-0 on Monday to make it six wins in a row, an expected result considering the Coyotes' last-place standing in the NHL, making for a combined score of 13-0 for the Penguins over Arizona in 2016.
Related: Watch: Crosby bats puck out of mid-air to score NHL-leading 21st
Sullivan was hired on Dec. 12, 2015, replacing Mike Johnston, and Pittsburgh has been a force ever since.
Monday night was regular-season game No. 83 for Sullivan behind the black and gold bench, and his record is stellar:
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | WIN% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 54 | 33 | 16 | 5 | .657 |
| 2016-17 | 29 | 19 | 7 | 3 | .706 |
Once Sullivan took over, the Penguins became what they are today: one of the league's fastest outfits, which can score goals in bunches. It helps when you have Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel - each player went into Monday's game with over 30 points, while Crosby is averaging almost an absurd goal per game.
Kris Letang anchors the defense, and Patric Hornqvist and Conor Sheary are producing as well. When controversy hit the crease after Marc-Andre Fleury was hurt last season, Matt Murray stepped up admirably, and he's undoubtedly the new No. 1 in goal.
There are 16 wins not accounted for in the table above. They came in 24 games during the 2016 playoffs, as the Penguins marched to their fourth Stanley Cup.
It's fair to say that the honeymoon stage between Sullivan and Pittsburgh is far from over.
Isn't love beautiful?
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