Rangers and Penguins Open NHL Season
The Rangers and Penguins, both of whom had coaching changes in the offseason, took center stage for the NHL’s opening night this past Tuesday.
Mike Sullivan, the new head coach for the Rangers, made his return to the bench at Madison Square Garden. Unfortunately, it was marked by a tough 0-3 loss against his former team, the Penguins.
“It’s obviously, well, not the result I wanted,” Sullivan admitted. “I had a feeling it would go this way, but I’m really looking forward to working with the group here. There’s a lot of potential,” he added somewhat cautiously.
Sullivan last coached the Rangers back on May 25, 2013, during the playoffs in Boston. That was during his fourth season as an assistant on John Tortorella’s team, and the Rangers lost that game 1-3, leading to changes in the coaching staff just days later.
Coincidentally, the Penguins tapped Dan Muse, a former assistant with the Rangers, to fill Sullivan’s previous role.
Muse had spent the last two seasons working in New York under former coach Peter Laviolette, and they shared three seasons together in Nashville as well.
Throughout his interview process in Pittsburgh, Muse frequently consulted with Laviolette and plans to rely on his insights moving forward. “Wherever I go, there’s always something new to learn,” he reflected, looking back on his time with the Rangers. “I’m grateful for the experience and enjoyed working with fantastic players and great teammates. It’s kind of funny being back here for my first game against them.”
Sullivan also made comments about rookie Noah Laba, who logged 13:40 minutes on the ice. “I thought he brought good energy. His skating ability is impressive. He played with conviction. Still, there are areas where we want him to improve, especially with puck management,” Sullivan noted. “But it’s all part of the learning curve. For his first NHL game, I think he did quite well.”
This match marked the fourth time the Rangers have faced the Penguins in a regular-season opener in their history.
