In the midst of two straight losses, the Penguins stick to the process
CRANBERRY TWP.无毛视频� Going into Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday, many Penguins players used the word 无毛视频榙esperate无毛视频� or something similar to describe the team无毛视频檚 mentality after two straight losses. Now that the Predators have tied the series, making it a best of three going forward, that mentality and sense of urgency only makes sense.
Mike Sullivan prefers to refrain from using that word. The Penguins coach believes that the word 无毛视频榙esperate无毛视频� comes with a connotation of hopelessness, and at this juncture, the team is far from feeling that way.
Beyond a 4-1 loss in Game 4, the Penguins saw some positives. They saw a misleading score, one that wasn无毛视频檛 indicative of the scoring chances they were getting. In fact, it was the first game of the series that the Penguins had more scoring chances than the Predators 无毛视频� 34 to 29 无毛视频� and that alone, the team believes, shows that their play is heading in the right direction.
无毛视频淭his is a long series and the fact that we无毛视频檙e starting to play better and get more chances is a good sign,无毛视频� Penguins winger Conor Sheary said. 无毛视频淛ust because we didn无毛视频檛 get the result doesn无毛视频檛 mean too much. It无毛视频檚 a three-game series now, we无毛视频檝e just got to win the next one.无毛视频�
The difference between the first two games of the series and the last two games can be boiled down pretty easily. In the first two, the Penguins made good use of their scoring chances with nine total goals, and Predators goalie Pekka Rinne was doing far from his best to stop those chances. When the series shifted to Nashville, the Penguins stopped burying their chances, in large part due to Rinne无毛视频檚 uptick in play.
无毛视频淚 thought we had a lot of chances last game, they just didn无毛视频檛 go in. Their goalie played well, obviously,无毛视频� Penguins winger Phil Kessel said. 无毛视频淚 think if we get the same shots again it could be a different story.无毛视频�
With that in mind, Sullivan has preached to his team to stick to the process. Just continue to work at improving, continue to generate chances and the results will come, the Penguins believe.
In that regard, there无毛视频檚 been some promising progressions that could bear fruit soon. Like Kessel, who hasn无毛视频檛 scored a goal in six games, but came close in Game 4. As Kessel put it, 无毛视频淚 always get a chance or two, I无毛视频檝e just got to make them count.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚f he无毛视频檚 getting those looks, I like the chance of the puck going in,无毛视频� Penguins center Sidney Crosby said. 无毛视频淲hen he shoots, good things happen. Whether it无毛视频檚 him scoring or (creating) for other guys. He无毛视频檚 got a great shot. It无毛视频檚 hard for goalies to handle.无毛视频�
Then there无毛视频檚 the power play, which is 1 for 16 in the series, and 0 for 13 in the last three games, but showed progression in Game 4 with three shots, 11 shot attempts and seven scoring chances in three power plays.
无毛视频淚 thought our power play really looked good. We didn无毛视频檛 score, but the movement, the momentum it got for our team I thought was where it needs to be,无毛视频� Sullivan said. 无毛视频淛ust focusing on controlling the process, those guys are moving in the right direction.无毛视频�
With the uptick in chances, the Penguins had two fewer shots than the Predators, their smallest deficit of the series. They also had more shot attempts than the Predators, which is indicative that they无毛视频檙e getting more zone time.
无毛视频淚f we play the same, we无毛视频檒l score more, for sure,无毛视频� Penguins center Evgeni Malkin said.
In the process, though, there are some things that are lagging behind. The defense still isn无毛视频檛 quite up to par, and the team isn无毛视频檛 getting into its transition game as well or as frequently as it would like. But the Penguins believe those things will come along, too, if they stick to the plan.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e just got to play our game and things will work out,无毛视频� Kessel said.