Penguins fire coach Mike Johnston, name Mike Sullivan as replacement

The Pittsburgh Penguins have fired head coach Mike Johnston and assistant coach Gary Agnew, the team announced Saturday.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan will take over at the parent club, general manager Jim Rutherford confirmed.

The Penguins find themselves outside a playoff spot despite a roster that was expected to fill nets with a vengeance.

"I felt it was time for a coaching change because our team has underachieved," Rutherford said. “Our expectations are much higher with this group of players.

"Mike Sullivan has been a head coach and an assistant coach in the NHL and we've been very fortunate to have him with our AHL club this season. He's done an outstanding job in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and he's ready to step in."

In his first season with the Penguins' AHL affiliate, Sullivan coached the club to an impressive 18-5-0 record, good enough for top spot in the Atlantic Division.

The Penguins sit 27th in the league in scoring (2.36 goals per game), while their stacked power play sits in the same spot, connecting on just 15.6 percent of its chances.

Captain Sidney Crosby continues to have the most disappointing season of his career with just 19 points through the first 28 games, while forward Evgeni Malkin stands alone as the only Penguin to tally double-digit goals this season.

Sullivan will be accompanied by Rick Tocchet and Jacques Martin behind the bench in his debut with the club Monday against the Washington Capitals.