Sullivan wary even with red-hot Penguins surging

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The message is greater than six years previous at this level. And no much less important.

From the day he took the Pittsburgh Penguins head teaching job in December 2015, Mike Sullivan has identified he’s accountable for a uniquely gifted group, one that may generally fall in love with its personal appreciable potential.

The trick for Sullivan is to verify Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and firm can constantly decipher the distinction between dazzling and dumb. It’s why the vitality with which he delivers his private mantra — “play the best manner” — has hardly ever waned.

It was there on Sunday within the aftermath of a 3-2 win over Winnipeg that boosted the Penguins to a outstanding 26-10-5 mark on the season’s midway level, adequate for second within the hotly contested Metropolitan Division.

Certain, Sullivan’s staff had recovered from a two-goal, third-period deficit to drag off its fifth straight win. Certain, All-Star goaltender Tristan Jarry turned apart 27 photographs, together with a handful of odd-man rushes within the first two intervals because the Jets efficiently lured the Penguins right into a monitor meet. Certain, Crosby’s deft flick of the wrist within the shootout pushed Pittsburgh’s report to 16-2-0 in its final 18 video games.

Nonetheless, a message wanted to be despatched. Too usually of late the previous habits — those Sullivan has been attempting to rid his staff of because the day he took the job — have crept in. The dangerous cross. The lackadaisical backchecking. The temptation to offer the spectacular play as an alternative of the easy one.

So whereas Sullivan is happy with the way in which his staff has competed throughout an eventful first half by which Crosby missed a month, Malkin missed three and COVID-19 made its manner by way of a substantial portion of the dressing room, he made a degree to reiterate the method is usually extra essential than the consequence.

Requested if the dip in consideration to element of late — even amongst all of the wins — is the mere byproduct of a heavy workload and the malaise that may set in in the course of the center of a six-month grind, Sullivan politely bristled.

“We’re not in search of excuses,” he mentioned. “We’re attempting to realize excellence daily. Our expectation is excessive in that room. And all of us have a accountability to dwell as much as that commonplace of what it means to be a Pittsburgh Penguin.”

A typical that has helped the Penguins attain the playoffs for 15 straight seasons, the longest energetic streak in main North American skilled sports activities. Barring a collapse, a sixteenth journey to the playoffs awaits in April, and Sullivan is aware of what occurs this spring stays the last word arbiter. It’s why he’s urgent even now, together with his staff among the many hottest within the NHL.

Winnipeg Jets' Kyle Connor (81) has a shot blocked by Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry in the course of the first interval of an NHL hockey sport in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022.

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“Nobody goes to rationalize sloppy play for any explicit motive, fatigue or in any other case,” he mentioned. “It’s our problem to search out methods to handle our sport by way of it.”

It wasn’t a difficulty early within the season. Minus two of the sport’s most dynamic gamers, the Penguins hung round behind Jarry’s steadiness, All-Star ahead Jake Guentzel’s chic hockey IQ, and the sudden emergence of ahead Evan Rodrigues.

Inspired to shoot extra early within the 12 months whereas filling in on the highest traces, the 28-year-old Rodrigues has morphed from position participant to legit scoring menace. His 15 targets are a profession excessive, although he’s additionally gone scoreless over his final eight video games, seven of them coming after Malkin’s long-awaited return to the lineup following offseason knee surgical procedure.

The 2 aren't straight associated, however Malkin’s arrival places the Penguins practically at full power. It additionally provides Pittsburgh the wiggle room offensively it lacked early within the season. It’s a blessing but in addition, in a manner, a curse.

The Penguins are 6-1 since Malkin’s acquainted No. 71 hopped over the boards for the primary time since final 12 months’s playoff loss to the New York Islanders, however they’ve additionally discovered themselves enjoying the form of up-and-down hockey Sullivan loathes.

It wasn’t simply Sunday. Pittsburgh is permitting 33.8 photographs per sport with Malkin within the lineup, an uptick from the 29.3 it surrendered within the 34 video games with Malkin watching from afar. There are way more components concerned than Malkin’s presence and the trickle-down impact on the lineup. And sure, the Penguins are hovering in the intervening time.

Sullivan, nonetheless, will not be centered a lot on the current as he's on the long run. The model of hockey his staff is enjoying is entertaining to make certain. It’s additionally harmful, and Sullivan is aware of it.

“I do know our staff may be very succesful, and after we’re at our greatest we do an actual good job with the risk-reward issue,” he mentioned. “I believe most just lately it’s been somewhat extra risky than we’d like.”

Not less than the Penguins are absorbing these classes in victory. Two targets in lower than 10 seconds on Sunday in opposition to the Jets tied the sport and erased 40ish minutes of shaky decision-making.

“For this staff, to return again in a sport doesn’t take a lot,” defenseman Kris Letang mentioned. “Now we have the expertise and talent.”

That’s by no means been the difficulty for a roster boasting a handful of future Corridor of Famers. The important thing because the Penguins head into the second half shall be discovering the best stability between dazzling and diligence.

“It’s onerous to attain your strategy to championships,” mentioned Sullivan, who led Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017. “The possibility-for-chance sport will not be a components for constant success and I believe our gamers know that.“

And in the event that they overlook, Sullivan is there with a reminder. Each single day.

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