Sullivan's debut as Rangers coach spoiled by Pens

NEW YORK -- Mike Sullivan coached the Pittsburgh Penguins for 10 seasons, starring them to 2 Stanley Cup championships. On Tuesday nighttime astatine Madison Square Garden, helium watched them ruin his debut arsenic the New York Rangers' latest caput coach.

Sullivan admitted it was a peculiar feeling having Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and others helium coached successful Pittsburgh abruptly go his opponents.

"I mean, evidently it's different. It's different. I knew that was going to beryllium the case," helium said aft Pittsburgh's 3-0 victory connected the opening nighttime of the 2025-26 NHL season. "But I'm excited astir the radical we person present successful beforehand of maine with the Rangers. I'm looking guardant to moving with this group."

The Rangers were unopen retired by goalie Arturs Silovs (22 saves) and watched guardant Justin Brazeau scores 2 goals successful the Penguins' win. They were outshot 15-5 successful the 3rd play and couldn't muster thing accordant offensively successful Sullivan's debut.

"Well, I deliberation my archetypal reflection is we got a agelong mode to spell to go the squad we privation to become. Some of it I deliberation we tin robust out, but surely we've got aways to go," said Sullivan, who volition manager Team USA successful the 2026 Winter Olympic men's hockey tourney successful Italy. "I'm not going to overreact to it. It's 1 game. We've got a batch of hockey to play," helium said. "So is it disappointing? Yeah. We're going to spot what we tin instrumentality from it. We've got to determination on."

Sullivan and the Penguins agreed to portion ways successful April contempt his being nether declaration done the 2026-27 season. Hired successful 2015-16, Sullivan was the franchise's astir palmy manager with 409 wins, lone the 14th manager successful NHL past to triumph 400 games with 1 team. Pittsburgh won back-to-back Stanley cups successful 2016 and 2017 with Sullivan.

Days later, aft helium near the Penguins, Sullivan was hired by the Rangers to regenerate manager Peter Laviolette, signing a five-year declaration that made him the NHL's highest paid coach. The 57-year-old had erstwhile served arsenic an adjunct manager with New York from 2009-13, during which clip helium coached Rangers GM Chris Drury arsenic a player.

Penguins skipper Sidney Crosby acknowledged it was a antithetic feeling having Sullivan down the Rangers' seat alternatively of his.

"I conscionable spell retired determination and compete, but it's ever weird that archetypal small bit," helium said.

For Crosby, it wasn't conscionable seeing Sullivan coaching the opponents. He brought implicit erstwhile Penguins assistants David Quinn and Ty Hennes with him to New York.

While Sullivan took the nonaccomplishment against his erstwhile team, caller Penguins manager Dan Muse earned a triumph against his. Muse was an adjunct manager nether Laviolette for 2 seasons successful New York and reportedly interviewed for their vacancy earlier Sullivan was hired. Crosby was blessed to get him the win.

"Every squad volition archer you, particularly aboriginal successful the season, it's not going to beryllium perfect. You're conscionable trying to beryllium connected the aforesaid leafage arsenic overmuch arsenic possible. And I consciousness similar helium prepared america good to commencement the year," the Penguins skipper said.

Pittsburgh had Crosby, Malkin and Letang successful their starting lineup, 3 players that person been connected the Penguins unneurotic since 2007.

"We had 3 guys that person been playing unneurotic for 20 years, and I thought it was important that they get to commencement the crippled together," Muse said.