Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said the experience he had coaching a budding superstar like Joe Thornton a decade ago has helped him with Penguins standouts Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Sullivan coached the Boston Bruins for two seasons, and spent the entire 2003-04 season with Thornton when both were with the Bruins.
"One of the challenges of coaching the elite players is trying to help them be more well-rounded and play away from the puck and those types of circumstances and that's what I tried to do with Joe and what I try to do with our guys here.