His Penguins coaching career began with four consecutive losses. His team was outscored, 15-4, in those games. It was 15-14-3 and going nowhere fast in the Metropolitan Division standings. He appeared to be no better than the fired coach he replaced in December 2015, Mike Johnston.
Look at Mike Sullivan now.
Sullivan became the winningest coach in Penguins history Saturday night with a 5-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks and old friend Marc-Andre Fleury. He has won two Stanley Cups. He will coach the U.S. team in the 2022 Beijing Olympics. He is headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Take one more good, long look at Sullivan.
You are seeing a great coach at work.
"I could have never envisioned this," Sullivan said outside the Penguins' locker room, moments after Sidney Crosby presented him with the game puck from his record win. "I couldn't be more grateful. I couldn't be more excited. I couldn't be more humbled. Coaching this team and then to coach the Olympic team is the honor of a lifetime ...
"There's been a lot of really good coaches over the history of this organization. I'm fortunate enough to be here at a time when the players are so good. This core group of players is so accomplished. They certainly make my job a lot easier."
The win against the Blackhawks was Sullivan's 253rd regular-season win with the Penguins. That broke a tie with Dan Bylsma for the most in franchise history. This win was one of the easiest of the Sullivan era. The Penguins sent Fleury to the bench just 11:25 into the first period by scoring on four of their first 10 shots to take a 4-0 lead. They are off to a 2-0-1 start this season despite not having Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the first three games. Jake Guentzel also didn't play in the first game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Bryan Rust missed the game against the Blackhawks.
The irony of the record win coming against Fleury was not lost on Sullivan. Fleury played a huge role in Sullivan's two Cup titles, especially the second one.
"I have so much respect for Flower and the legacy that he's built in this league," Sullivan said. "He's a world-class goalie who has been so good for so long. He's a terrific player, first and foremost. He's a terrific teammate. He's a great person. I can certainly empathize with him tonight."
Those two Cups seemed to be a million miles away when Sullivan took over the Penguins. He remembers that early four-game losing streak as if it were yesterday.
"I'm not sure what I was thinking at that point," Sullivan said. "I was excited and scared to death, probably in the same breath.
"I don't want to say I had doubts. I was so locked into the moment, just trying to move this team in the right direction. When I think back, those were tough times. The team, from a mindset standpoint, was in a real fragile state.
"I looked at this roster and was so excited about the potential that it had. I was excited about the opportunity. It was a big challenge. It's hard to win in this league."
Sullivan's first win with the Penguins came against the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-2, behind two goals each from Malkin and Phil Kessel.
"I'll tell you what stood out. There was a sense of relief," Sullivan said. "The first few games, we felt like we were making progress, but we weren't getting the results. Sometimes it takes a little time before the tide turns."
The Penguins never looked back after that first win, rolling to a 32-12-5 record the rest of the way. The team then beat the New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Lightning and San Jose Sharks to win the franchise's fourth Stanley Cup. The fifth Cup would come the next season.
Sullivan was on top of the hockey world. He had waited a long time for a second chance as an NHL head coach, since June 2006, when he was fired by the Boston Bruins after just his second season.
"I wasn't sure if I would ever get the opportunity again," Sullivan said. "I had my doubts. It's a privilege to coach in this league. There are a lot of really good coaches. I was an assistant coach, grinding year after year, trying to become a better coach and develop my coaching skills. You just never know."
Things haven't gone so well for Sullivan or the Penguins since the two Cup wins. After they won his first nine postseason series, they have lost four in a row. They are 3-11 in the playoffs in the past three years, getting bounced each time in the first round.
A lot of hockey people think the Penguins' best days are over. Crosby is 34. Malkin is 35 and could be a free agent after the season. Kris Letang is 34 and also is unsigned beyond this season.
Sullivan doesn't share in the gloom and doom.
"We believe we have enough in our lineup each and every night to compete in this league even with the guys that we have out."
The good news for the Penguins is Sullivan is signed through the 2023-24 season. One of the best moves former general manager Jim Rutherford did was give him a four-year extension in July 2019.
New bosses Brian Burke and Ron Hextall were lucky to inherit Sullivan. He might not be "their guy," if you will, but he's a winner.
It's nice to think Sullivan will be adding to his record wins total for years to come. It's also nice to think the franchise will add to its collection of five Cups.
I know this:
Sullivan will do his part to give the Penguins their best shot.
