Penguins Update: Reflecting on Sully

I was reading an article on the Tribune Review yesterday when I came across a profound thought. Tim Benz wrote something to the effect that the key to coach Mike Sullivan’s early success was that he treated stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Phil Kessel the same way he treated the rest of the players. He held them to the same standards and got them to play the same way. The right way.

“It’s the biggest challenge—getting your top players to buy into whatever you’re selling,” Sullivan said at the time. “If you get them on board, then you have a chance to win.”

It’s part of what has made him so unique and special as a coach—his ability to handle divergent talents and…