Happy Hump Day.
It probably won’t be so happy for the Penguins when they gather for practice today. Not only did they again blow a 2-0 lead in their overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning last night, but coach Mike Sullivan looked and sounded like a man who’s had enough.
If a couple of decades covering this team have taught me anything, it’s never to place too much importance on what happens directly after a game. Whether comments or actions, coaches and players need a lot more time than they’re given to cool down after a rough night.
There are occasions when the postgame scene is worth reporting on, and last night falls into that category.
The dressing room was opened to the media earlier than usual. When that happens, it’s never an accident.
It happens to ensure some players are around to face the heat.
But only three players — Crosby, Marcus Pettersson and Tristan Jarry — stuck around to take questions. Rickard Rakell re-entered the room only upon request from Penguins communications staffers.
In my two decades on the beat, the room opening early usually coincides with a game that reveals itself to be a fork-in-the-road moment for the team.
Still, I thought maybe last night was just a bad day for the Penguins until Sullivan started talking. Three things stood out:
1. He didn’t take long to show up. Usually, Sullivan needs some time to gather himself before fielding questions in front of cameras. Sullivan walked in hurriedly, his face looking flush. His answers were direct. He was professional but also visibly agitated. He’s usually the coolest dude in the room. Last night was different.
2. He didn’t mince words. His answers left no room for interpretation. While calling for players to “compete harder” and “take pride in playing defense,” Sullivan raised his voice but did not yell. His tone and pitch rarely fluctuate when answering questions. Last night was different.
3. The entire session spanned about a minute and only three questions. Sullivan exited the room quickly, head bowed, without acknowledgment. Last night was different.
What does any of this mean? I can’t say.
But for as bad as things have been for the Penguins this season, last night was different.
Don’t miss
• A big-name coach has already been fired in a market where contending is the expectation, and a lot of people want to know if Sullivan will go the way of Jim Montgomery in Boston.
How hot is Sullivan’s seat?
I don’t get the sense Sullivan is in danger of being fired. I may be too close to the forest to see the trees, but the forest is under the stewardship of Fenway Sports Group — and its head honchos seem to view Sullivan like a long-living red oak.
But I’m no arborist.
• The Athletic’s latest NHL player poll has dropped. It’s anonymous, but many Penguins participated. I was a fan of the questions about rule changes and expansion. For any bosses reading, if the NHL goes to San Diego, consider this my application for that gig.
Touch passes
• Kris Letang skated again yesterday but missed his third consecutive game with an illness.
He hasn’t had his finest season, but his absence is noticeable — and not in the same way as Ryan Graves, again a healthy scratch. The Penguins are worse when Letang doesn’t play and better when Graves doesn’t. It’s a night-and-day difference between what those two defensemen do for this team.
• At some point, Kevin Hayes and Blake Lizotte will return from injuries, but I don’t know if that’s a good thing. In their absences, Sullivan has moved Drew O’Connor to center a third line with Jesse Puljujarvi and Sam Poulin as the wingers.
That line has been a bright spot in the past few games. In the big picture, the Penguins would benefit more from keeping that line together than re-inserting a couple of veterans.
• Crosby nearly scored his 600th goal a couple of times last night. It’s going to happen soon enough. It’ll be a relief to him when it does.
History n’at
Happy birthday to former Penguins winger Tom Roulston, born in 1957.
He played parts of his final two seasons with the Penguins, scoring 11 goals and 28 points in 58 games from 1983-84 through 1985-86. He was a minus-32 in those games.
Those early-to-mid-1980s teams were a special kind of deficient on defense. They also lost a lot.
You might think you’re watching rock bottom with these Penguins. You’re not.
It’s not even close.
As always, a stick tap to our friends at PittsburghHockey.net for the historical information.
(Photo: Justin Berl / Getty Images)
