Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan is accomplishing a rare feat. Sullivan is now the 21st coach in NHL history to coach 700 games with one team, per the Penguins. The coach has 386 victories in Pittsburgh, which is good enough for seventh on that list of coaches.

Sullivan reached game 700 in a contest for the Pens against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Pittsburgh defeated Toronto Saturday, 5-2. The victory clearly made a special occasion even sweeter for the veteran coach.

“I am so privileged to have the opportunity to coach here in Pittsburgh. It's a first-class organization,” Sullivan said, per NHL.com. “Been through a couple of ownership groups. Both groups bring such a first-class leadership to what we do here.”

Sullivan had been frustrated with the team's play as of late, including in a recent loss to the New York Rangers.

“What a difference a day makes,” Sullivan said about his team's performance, per TribLive. “I thought we were a different team tonight from the drop of the puck. It might have been the most complete game that we’ve played all year from start to finish. A lot of it, for me, was just the right intentions, a willingness and a commitment to play the game the right way. And doing the mundane or the ordinary things consistently, shift and shift out. When we do that, we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win.

“When we put a game like that on the ice, we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win a lot of nights.”

Pittsburgh is now 12-13-4 on the season, following the victory over Toronto.

Penguins looking to reach the NHL postseason once again

Pittsburgh Penguins center Philip Tomasino (53) is congratulated at the bench after scoring against the Boston Bruins during the third period at TD Garden.
Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh had a dynasty going in the NHL for awhile. The Penguins won three Stanley Cup championships from 2009-2018, but the club hasn't had as much success in recent years. The Pens last won their division in 2021.

This season, Pittsburgh struggled out of the gate on defense. The Penguins rotated a few different goaltenders in net to try and stop opposing offenses. While Pittsburgh is still hanging around .500, the Penguins are on the mend. Pittsburgh has won six of their last 10 games, and tied in another of those contests.

Despite the losses, the Penguins have a lot to celebrate. Not only is Sullivan reaching a milestone, but center Sidney Crosby also celebrated a special honor this season. The long-time Penguins captain reached 1,600 career points earlier this year, when he posted an assist in a contest against Buffalo.

Crosby accomplished yet another feat in the Maple Leafs game on Saturday. An assist from the future Hall of Famer tied Crosby with Gordie Howe for fifth place in most assists with one franchise. Crosby and Howe sit at 1,023 in that category.

The Penguins next play the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, with Sullivan getting a chance to pick up yet another victory.