Penguins coach Mike Sullivan signs three-year extension

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan. (Lynne Sladky/AP)

PITTSBURGH — Mike Sullivan’s arrival in Pittsburgh last season provided the spark that turned the Penguins’ listless season around.

The franchise rewarded its fiery head coach with a three-year contract extension on Monday that will keep Sullivan with the team through 2019-20.

The 48-year-old Sullivan took over for Mike Johnson last December and guided the team on a spirited run that finished with the Penguins earning their fourth Stanley Cup. Sullivan is 55-24-10 with Pittsburgh, the second-best point total in the NHL over that span.

General manager Jim Rutherford said Sullivan "did the best coaching job in the NHL last season." Sullivan has kept the momentum going. The Penguins, who play in New Jersey on Tuesday, are currently second in the Metropolitan Division, one point behind Columbus.

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