Penguins Preseason Record Under Sullivan

The Pittsburgh Penguins are just days away from training camp. Preseason action is right around the corner, with the team's first contest on September 21 against the Buffalo Sabres.

Meanwhile, head coach Mike Sullivan is back to lead the squad for his ninth consecutive season, even though the team has missed the postseason for the last two campaigns. 

As the club's longest-tenured bench boss (671 games) and their winningest one (375), there are no guarantees he'll be back for next preseason, despite his new three-year extension kicking in this past summer.

So, with that in mind, let's review how successful Sullivan's teams have been in preseason action since his first full campaign in 2016-17.

Despite boasting a .616 win percentage in the regular season and a .537 win percentage in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Sullivan is just .454 in preseason competition.

Surprisingly, the Penguins have had only one season with a winning record in preseason action, and that was 2021-22. They did have four years with a .500 record, but it's unusual to see the sixth-winningest regular season team piece together a mediocre preseason.

Of course, these early games, right after camp and before opening night, don't mean a lot, and superstars like Sidney Crosby don't skate every minute of every game. 

Rookies and players on PTOs also get a long look in these contests, which means it's not the best-on-best competition we are used to seeing throughout the year.

But, as a head coach, it's a time to tweak systems and introduce new game plans that will lead to success in the spring.

However, it's clear the Penguins and Sullivan don't place a huge significance on preseason action since the franchise has had a winning record every year under his watch despite the results in September. 

Statistics for NHL preseason action are available at ESPN. 

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