Was Mike Sullivan Outcoached? The Penguins Coaching Breakdown | PHN+

TORONTO — There were more than a few bystanders and Pittsburgh Penguins fans who asked the question. And more than a few pundits who laid more than a thimble full of blame for the Penguins embarrassing series loss on head coach Mike Sullivan. Was the Penguins boss outcoached?

Let’s start with a couple of guardrails before we delve into the meat of the topic. It’s much easier to coach a team that has players who are willing and able to play systematic hockey. And, to be outcoached, that means one side made better adjustments, and the other side made wrong adjustments that didn’t work or played into the strategy of the other.

As we reported between the end of Phase 3 training camp, there were those inside the organization who felt Tristan Jarry had a much better camp than Matt Murray and pushed for Jarry in goal.

But coaching is more than a goalie decision.

So, enough beating around the bush. Was Sullivan outcoached?