Mike Sullivan 'parts ways' with Penguins, Bruins a possibllity?

[maust]

Mike Sullivan and the Pens have had a 'mutual parting' of the way. With all his Boston connections you'd think he's at least going to be in the conversation as a potential new bench boss. Word was he really enjoyed coaching SIL Charlie McAvoy in the 4 Nations Tournament. Sullivan is from Marshfield and Boston offers him the benefit of being closer to new grandson Rhys McAvoy. He also played a couple of years with Sweeney and previously coached Boston. There are several other Boston connections for Sullivan that make the B's a viable candidate on a pros/cons list for him.

If the Bruins are interested in him you'd have to think the Rangers would be the primary competition and they are in 'win now' mode which would be a plus for them. OTOH it's NY, they go through coaches at an alarming rate and after being in a friendly media environment in Pittsburgh the NY zoo has to be a real detriment. Also that Rangers team is almost as top heavy as the Pens were and would be even harder to put his own stamp on.

This is definitely a 'stay tuned' situation in the making.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Sully got a raw deal here back in 03-06. Sign me up.

Sign him and sack Sweeney.

 

[maust]

Sully got a raw deal here back in 03-06. Sign me up.

Sullivan was promoted to the top spot well before he was ready in '03. He was also handed a team in transition and still managed to take the Habs to 7 in the playoffs. O'Connell cut the legs out from under him in '05 with the epic failure that was the Thornton trade, a true 'raw deal' for everyone.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Sullivan was promoted to the top spot well before he was ready in '03. He was also handed a team in transition and still managed to take the Habs to 7 in the playoffs. O'Connell cut the legs out from under him in '05 with the epic failure that was the Thornton trade, a true 'raw deal' for everyone.

They won the division in 04. They should have beaten MTL that year. I was pissed.

 

[maust]

They won the division in 04. They should have beaten MTL that year. I was pissed.

Thanks for that reminder, I'm going to be pissed off all day now.

I am a Certified Habs Hater, I hate them with the intensity of a 1000 burning suns. The Canadiens are my most reviled sports rival and it's not even close. ANY game they win is a game too many. When it's a Game 7 against Boston (particularly when the B's were up 3-1 in games at one point) that feeling increases exponentially. I still hold a grudge against Raycroft for inexcusably giving up 5 in back to back games, he sucked the life out of his team. I'm ready to drive to NESN right F'n now and punch him in the face then kick him while he's down the rat bahstid

 

[RobertWeathers]

Thanks for that reminder, I'm going to be pissed off all day now.

I am a Certified Habs Hater, I hate them with the intensity of a 1000 burning suns. The Canadiens are my most reviled sports rival and it's not even close. ANY game they win is a game too many. When it's a Game 7 against Boston (particularly when the B's were up 3-1 in games at one point) that feeling increases exponentially. I still hold a grudge against Raycroft for inexcusably giving up 5 in back to back games, he sucked the life out of his team. I'm ready to drive to NESN right F'n now and punch him in the face then kick him while he's down the rat bahstid

I just looked the stats for that series.

Joe Thornton- 7 games- 0 points. IIRC correctly he was injured but c'mon.

Raycroft's stats weren't terrible but when it matted he was.

Stephone Quintal and Juneau were on that MTL team? Wow.

Saku Koivu can suck my left nut.

 

[maust]

I just looked the stats for that series.

Joe Thornton- 7 games- 0 points. IIRC correctly he was injured but c'mon.

Raycroft's stats weren't terrible but when it mattered he was.

Stephone Quintal and Juneau were on that MTL team? Wow.

Saku Koivu can suck my left nut.

I didn't look anything up but IIRC Jumbo Joe was a game time decision for games 2-7 in that series. It was what it was.
To my way of thinking no small part of being a Playoff Goaltender isn't about stats but rather the ability to come up big when it matters most. I vividly recall how ripshit I was with Raycroft taking his eyes off the prize and coughing up 5 each in games 5 & 6 backstopping a team that played its guts out defensively in front of him, inexcusably sloppy. That 03-04 team was assembled as a real team D 1st group built from the net out, the type of team that usually fares well in the playoffs. Raycroft went from ROTY to (decidedly lower case) playoff goat, neither the team as constructed or Raycroft personally ever really recovered from that collapse. His career tanked thereafter and the best thing he ever did subsequently was get traded for the rights to Rask.

 

[ViperGTS]

I'm okay with it. He's a pretty damn good coach imo and being a local guy has the Bs in his blood. He works good with younger players.

Do it, and I wonder if this isn't the plan and the Pens are doing him a solid. Too much smoke there.

 

[Sect140]

Mike Sullivan and the Pens have had a 'mutual parting' of the way. With all his Boston connections you'd think he's at least going to be in the conversation as a potential new bench boss. Word was he really enjoyed coaching SIL Charlie McAvoy in the 4 Nations Tournament. Sullivan is from Marshfield and Boston offers him the benefit of being closer to new grandson Rhys McAvoy. He also played a couple of years with Sweeney and previously coached Boston. There are several other Boston connections for Sullivan that make the B's a viable candidate on a pros/cons list for him.

If the Bruins are interested in him you'd have to think the Rangers would be the primary competition and they are in 'win now' mode which would be a plus for them. OTOH it's NY, they go through coaches at an alarming rate and after being in a friendly media environment in Pittsburgh the NY zoo has to be a real detriment. Also that Rangers team is almost as top heavy as the Pens were and would be even harder to put his own stamp on.

This is definitely a 'stay tuned' situation in the making.

First thing I thought of when I heard the news.

 

[Sect140]

Thanks for that reminder, I'm going to be pissed off all day now.

I am a Certified Habs Hater, I hate them with the intensity of a 1000 burning suns. The Canadiens are my most reviled sports rival and it's not even close. ANY game they win is a game too many. When it's a Game 7 against Boston (particularly when the B's were up 3-1 in games at one point) that feeling increases exponentially. I still hold a grudge against Raycroft for inexcusably giving up 5 in back to back games, he sucked the life out of his team. I'm ready to drive to NESN right F'n now and punch him in the face then kick him while he's down the rat bahstid

I have two teams in that category. The Canadiens and Lakers.

 

[captain stone]

So much for Sully... Laviolette or Tocchet then?

 

[maust]

So much for Sully... Laviolette or Tocchet then?

Hard pass on Tocchet. Laviolette is a good coach, not an exciting one.

 

[Boston Boxer]

Not sure who is on their list. I know there was a list mentioned but cant find it and there have been coaching hires since then.

 

[borg]

Not sure who is on their list. I know there was a list mentioned but cant find it and there have been coaching hires since then.

One potential Bruins head-coaching target could be out of the running

Bruins GM Don Sweeney told the Boston Herald that the team is starting the process of narrowing down candidates for head coach.

www.boston.com

New Candidate Unexpectedly Emerges as Frontrunner to Become Boston Bruins Head Coach

The Boston Bruins are closing in on a new Head Coach, and now, it appears as though a former Edmonton Oilers coach has surprisingly become the frontrunner.

www.yardbarker.com

 

[Steve102]

Hard pass on Tocchet. Laviolette is a good coach, not an exciting one.

Gimme Tortorella, purely for the good quotes. I mean, they aren't committed to winning, might as well be fun.

 

[maust]

Gimme Tortorella, purely for the good quotes. I mean, they aren't committed to winning, might as well be fun.

I truly hope Torts isn't on Sweeney's dance card, they'd be a **** match.

 

[RobertWeathers]

One potential Bruins head-coaching target could be out of the running

Bruins GM Don Sweeney told the Boston Herald that the team is starting the process of narrowing down candidates for head coach.

www.boston.com

New Candidate Unexpectedly Emerges as Frontrunner to Become Boston Bruins Head Coach

The Boston Bruins are closing in on a new Head Coach, and now, it appears as though a former Edmonton Oilers coach has surprisingly become the frontrunner.

www.yardbarker.com

Is it me or does Woodcroft look like Jimmy Fallon?

 

[Steve102]

I truly hope Torts isn't on Sweeney's dance card, they'd be a **** match.

Kinda my point.

 

[captain stone]

So Laviolette isn’t under consideration?

 

[maust]

So Laviolette isn’t under consideration?

The postmortem on his Rangers gig would seem to make him an unlikely fit here.