Only two teams in the Eastern Conference have fewer points than the Pittsburgh Penguins, but head coach Mike Sullivan's job doesn’t appear to be in jeopardy.

Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas gave Sullivan a vote of confidence on Monday despite the Penguins being without a win in four games in December.

“I'm certain that Sully's the best person to help us,” Dubas said, via Chris Johnston.

Dubas took over as Penguins GM before this season and decided to retain Sullivan, who signed an extension through the 2026-27 season before last season.

Sullivan is in his ninth season as the Penguins' bench boss and perhaps that tenure is helping his case to remain in charge. Recent results matter most to fans though and after Pittsburgh missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006 last season, this is not the start they wanted in 2023-24.

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There are several concerns for the Penguins but the biggest may be their struggles on the man-advantage. Pittsburgh has the third-worst power play percentage in the league, scoring on less than 10 percent of its opportunities.

Though the Penguins have lost four in a row and have three wins in their last 12 games, they've been in almost every game. Five of the nine losses during that stretch were by one goal, including three in overtime or a shootout. There's been a lack of goal-scoring as of late though, with Pittsburgh scoring only one goal in three consecutive games.

If results don’t improve soon, something has to give for the Penguins. Regardless of Kyle Dubas' comments, Mike Sullivan would be the logical scapegoat if the Penguins want to make a significant change.

For what it's worth, Pittsburgh won the Stanley Cup the last time they fired a coach midseason, with Sullivan the one leading them there.