The Pittsburgh Penguins are the Stanley Cup champions. Once upon a time, that would not have been a surprising statement. It might have been taken for granted. After all, they had Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, two of the best players in the world. They were expected to win, right?
If only winning were so simple. For six seasons the Penguins tried to win the Stanley Cup for the second time in the Crosby era, and they never made the Final, advancing as far as the Eastern Conference final once. Then this season, when they fired their coach, when they started 15-14-3, when they revamped their roster, when they weren't expected to do it, they did it.
If only winning were so simple. For six seasons the Penguins tried to win the Stanley Cup for the second time in the Crosby era, and they never made the Final, advancing as far as the Eastern Conference final once. Then this season, when they fired their coach, when they started 15-14-3, when they revamped their roster, when they weren't expected to do it, they did it.
It was hard enough when Penguins icon Mario Lemieux won the Cup in 1991 and 1992. It is harder now in this era of the salary cap and parity, but it's possible with a strong core, savvy management, smart coaching and cohesive performance. The Penguins have become one of three teams to win the Cup multiple times since the cap was introduced in 2005-06, joining the Chicago Blackhawks (2010, 2013, 2015) and Los Angeles Kings (2012, 2014).
Pittsburgh's core of Crosby, Malkin, Chris Kunitz, Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury stayed constant. But the Penguins replaced general manager Ray Shero with Jim Rutherford in June 2014; Rutherford replaced coach Dan Bylsma with Mike Johnston that same month and Johnston with Mike Sullivan in December 2015. Rutherford turned over the supporting cast with prospects he inherited and players he acquired via trade and free agency. Perhaps his biggest move: trading for forward Phil Kessel July 1, 2015.
"All those moves are important," Crosby said. "They all add up. But that's certainly a big one."
A coaching change sparked the Penguins in 2008-09, when Bylsma replaced Michel Therrien midseason, and a coaching change sparked them again this season, at least after an adjustment period. The Penguins went 0-4-0 and were outscored 15-4 in their first four games under Sullivan. They were 15-14-3 after a 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 19.
"The first part of the season was awfully tough," Penguins forward Matt Cullen said. "We just never really found our stride and never found our game."
But Sullivan played to the Penguins' strengths of speed and skill while Rutherford kept reshaping the roster. Rutherford traded for defenseman Trevor Daley on Dec. 14, forward Carl Hagelin on Jan. 16 and defenseman Justin Schultz on Feb. 27. He called up Tom Kuhnhackl, Matt Murray, Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary along the way. They had played for Sullivan with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, so they knew what he expected and he knew what they could do.
"I think that Tampa series was where we found ourselves," Cullen said. "The series flipped on its head. We were up 2-1 and everything was looking pretty good, and all of a sudden you find yourselves down 3-2. It was a big test for our team, and I was really proud of our team and the way that we played when we were down. I thought those two games were right up with the very best games we had all playoffs. I was really happy with the way our team responded to the adversity, and that's been our hallmark all year."
Even so, few picked the Penguins to beat the Sharks in the Stanley Cup Final. The Sharks were supposed to be bigger, tougher, harder, the stereotypical superior team from the Western Conference. They were supposed to pin the Penguins in their zone, grind them and wear them down. But the Penguins set the tone by flying past them in the first period of Game 1, and they proved to be the superior team throughout the series, offensively and defensively. Frankly, the Sharks were lucky the series went six games, winning Game 3 in overtime and Game 5 thanks to stellar goaltending by Martin Jones. Crosby now has won the Stanley Cup as many times as Lemieux did, and he was brilliant at times in the playoffs, from scoring an overtime winner to setting up an overtime winner with a faceoff play. But this championship belongs to every Penguin: the GM, the coach, the captain, the core, the new guys. It is a testament to how difficult it can be to win the Cup in today's NHL, how difficult it can be predict the winner, how quickly things can change, how it takes talent and management and coaching and, above all else, a team.
When the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-1 in Game 6 at SAP Center on Sunday to win the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in franchise history, they also became the sixth NHL team to win the Cup following a coaching change that season. Pittsburgh hired Mike Sullivan in December and never looked back, finishing the regular season as the hottest team in the League before its two-month run to the Cup.
Here's a look at the list:
Here's a look at the list:
2016: Pittsburgh Penguins (Mike Sullivan)
Prior to this season, Sullivan became coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Penguins' American Hockey League affiliate. Sullivan, who won a championship ring with the Chicago Blackhawks last season as their player development coach, had Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at 18-5-0-0. When Pittsburgh fired Mike Johnston on Dec. 12 with the Penguins underachieving (15-10-3), Sullivan was named coach. The Penguins lost his first four games but ended the regular season on a 33-16-5 run, including 14 wins in their final 16 games. The Penguins defeated the New York Rangers in five games, the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals in six games and the defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games before defeating the Sharks for their fourth Stanley Cup title.
2012: Los Angeles Kings (Darryl Sutter)
The Kings fired Terry Murray, who was in his fourth season with Los Angeles, on Dec. 12, 2011. Murray had a 13-12-4 record and was replaced by John Stevens, who went 2-2-0 before Sutter was named coach on Dec. 20. In 49 games under Sutter, the Kings went 25-13-11 to make the playoffs as a No. 8 seed and defeated the top three teams in the conference -- the Vancouver Canucks, St, Louis Blues and Phoenix Coyotes -- before eliminating the New Jersey Devils in six games to win the Stanley Cup for the first time. Sutter and the Kings became the first team to hold a 3-0 series lead in each round, and went 16-4 in the playoffs to become the first No. 8 seed to win the Cup.
2009: Pittsburgh Penguins (Dan Bylsma)
Pittsburgh fired Michel Therrien on Feb. 15 after a 27-25-5 record and the Penguins five points out of a playoff position. Bylsma, the coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton who had no NHL head coaching experience, took over. He went 18-3-4 during the regular season and 16-8 during the playoffs. Bylsma became the 14th coach to win the Cup in his first season and the second midseason replacement to win it in his first season (Al MacNeil did it with the 1971 Montreal Canadiens).
2000: New Jersey Devils (Larry Robinson)
With eight games left in the regular season, Robbie Ftorek was fired by the Devils on March 23, despite a 41-20-8-5 record. General manager Lou Lamoriello wasn't happy with the way the team was playing heading into the playoffs. Robinson went 4-4-0-0 in eight games to finish out the season. The Devils, the No. 4 seed, swept the Florida Panthers in the first round - New Jersey had been the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference the previous three seasons, losing twice in the first round and once in the second round -- before defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games and coming back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Philadelphia Flyers in the conference final. The Devils then defeated the Dallas Stars on a double-overtime goal by Jason Arnott in Game 6. New Jersey went 16-7 in the playoffs under Robinson to win its second Stanley Cup.
1971: Montreal Canadiens (Al MacNeil)
With the Canadiens (11-8-4) struggling and having missed the playoffs the previous season, Claude Ruel resigned 23 games into the season and was replaced by MacNeil. He led the Canadiens to third place in the East Division with a 31-15-9 record in 55 regular-season games, before riding rookie goalie Ken Dryden to playoff series wins against the Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars, and Chicago Blackhawks in the Cup Final.
1932: Toronto Maple Leafs (Dick Irvin)
After starting the season 0-3-2, the Maple Leafs fired coach Art Duncan and replaced him with Irvin, who went 23-15-5 the rest of the regular season. Irvin had led the Chicago Black Hawks to the Stanley Cup Final the season before but was fired after they were defeated by the Canadiens. The Maple Leafs, under Irvin, finished second in the Canadian Division, four points behind the Canadiens, defeating the Black Hawks in the first round and the Montreal Maroons in the second round before defeating the New York Rangers in the Cup Final.
Prior to this season, Sullivan became coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Penguins' American Hockey League affiliate. Sullivan, who won a championship ring with the Chicago Blackhawks last season as their player development coach, had Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at 18-5-0-0. When Pittsburgh fired Mike Johnston on Dec. 12 with the Penguins underachieving (15-10-3), Sullivan was named coach. The Penguins lost his first four games but ended the regular season on a 33-16-5 run, including 14 wins in their final 16 games. The Penguins defeated the New York Rangers in five games, the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals in six games and the defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games before defeating the Sharks for their fourth Stanley Cup title.
2012: Los Angeles Kings (Darryl Sutter)
The Kings fired Terry Murray, who was in his fourth season with Los Angeles, on Dec. 12, 2011. Murray had a 13-12-4 record and was replaced by John Stevens, who went 2-2-0 before Sutter was named coach on Dec. 20. In 49 games under Sutter, the Kings went 25-13-11 to make the playoffs as a No. 8 seed and defeated the top three teams in the conference -- the Vancouver Canucks, St, Louis Blues and Phoenix Coyotes -- before eliminating the New Jersey Devils in six games to win the Stanley Cup for the first time. Sutter and the Kings became the first team to hold a 3-0 series lead in each round, and went 16-4 in the playoffs to become the first No. 8 seed to win the Cup.
2009: Pittsburgh Penguins (Dan Bylsma)
Pittsburgh fired Michel Therrien on Feb. 15 after a 27-25-5 record and the Penguins five points out of a playoff position. Bylsma, the coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton who had no NHL head coaching experience, took over. He went 18-3-4 during the regular season and 16-8 during the playoffs. Bylsma became the 14th coach to win the Cup in his first season and the second midseason replacement to win it in his first season (Al MacNeil did it with the 1971 Montreal Canadiens).
2000: New Jersey Devils (Larry Robinson)
With eight games left in the regular season, Robbie Ftorek was fired by the Devils on March 23, despite a 41-20-8-5 record. General manager Lou Lamoriello wasn't happy with the way the team was playing heading into the playoffs. Robinson went 4-4-0-0 in eight games to finish out the season. The Devils, the No. 4 seed, swept the Florida Panthers in the first round - New Jersey had been the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference the previous three seasons, losing twice in the first round and once in the second round -- before defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games and coming back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Philadelphia Flyers in the conference final. The Devils then defeated the Dallas Stars on a double-overtime goal by Jason Arnott in Game 6. New Jersey went 16-7 in the playoffs under Robinson to win its second Stanley Cup.
1971: Montreal Canadiens (Al MacNeil)
With the Canadiens (11-8-4) struggling and having missed the playoffs the previous season, Claude Ruel resigned 23 games into the season and was replaced by MacNeil. He led the Canadiens to third place in the East Division with a 31-15-9 record in 55 regular-season games, before riding rookie goalie Ken Dryden to playoff series wins against the Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars, and Chicago Blackhawks in the Cup Final.
1932: Toronto Maple Leafs (Dick Irvin)
After starting the season 0-3-2, the Maple Leafs fired coach Art Duncan and replaced him with Irvin, who went 23-15-5 the rest of the regular season. Irvin had led the Chicago Black Hawks to the Stanley Cup Final the season before but was fired after they were defeated by the Canadiens. The Maple Leafs, under Irvin, finished second in the Canadian Division, four points behind the Canadiens, defeating the Black Hawks in the first round and the Montreal Maroons in the second round before defeating the New York Rangers in the Cup Final.
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