'We Have To Be A Team That's Harder To Play Against': Penguins Look To Turn Page After Tough Loss

CRANBERRY, Pa. — After a heartbreaking 4-3 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth, the Pittsburgh Penguins got to work during their practice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex Friday.

After trailing 2-0 in the first period during Thursday's game, the Penguins roared all the way back, as a Ben Kindel goal with 24 seconds remaining in regulation nearly sealed the deal and handed them a comeback victory. But Pittsburgh native Logan Cooley had other plans, as his literal last-second goal - his hat trick goal - tied the game and forced overtime, where the Penguins were defeated. 

Unfortunately, surrendering late leads is something that happens all too often for the Penguins. In fact, a similar thing happened last season against the Anaheim Ducks to secure their second loss in a row, which then spiraled into an eight-game losing streak.

Of course, this year's team is different, and the Penguins are under an entirely different set of circumstances. But they understand the importance of moving on before a loss like this could spiral into something worse.

"History is in the past, so we did what we had to do this morning," defenseman Sam Girard said after Friday's practice. "Did some video. I think we need to focus on what we can control today."

He added: "So, put that one behind us, and thankfully, we got one point out of it. But, yeah, we all know we can be better than that, so just gotta be better."

"Being better" sounds simple enough, but the Penguins' inconsistencies in being able to execute are understandably concerning, especially on the defensive side of the puck. And, while there are 11 teams in the league that have given up more goals than the 44 they have, the timeliness of those goals as well as the costliness of them are what have come back to bite them. 

Momentum is a funny thing in the game of hockey, and so far this season, the Penguins have not been able to manage heavier swings of momentum against the league's better teams. 

"I think it's something each, to a man in the room, you have to bear down when you feel that momentum change. Good and bad," center Blake Lizotte said. "After a goal for or a goal against, that next shift's really important, so I think just staying focused on the moment and really taking advantage of those shifts for and being able to limit when it's going the other way."

So what have they done well in their full 60-minute efforts against the Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, and Nashville Predators to avoid reacting poorly to the peaks and valleys of the game? 

According to Lizotte, it all comes down to the details in those games. 

"I think we're just staying connected to close support and playing together, and I think, ultimately, if we play within our structure, we're a really good team," Lizotte said. Sometimes, we get a little loose, and I think that leads to a lot of chances against. But, also, too, it's just staying focused for 60. Because, even in games when we don't have our best, when we are disconnected, we show spurts of the game where we're on and we're playing connected and playing well. So, I think just finding a way to stay focused through all 60 is important." 

Consistency is also a prevalent theme with this team. The Penguins can deliver complete efforts, but they struggle to do that on a more oft-occurring basis. Even if there are lessons they can pull from their good games, there are going to be times when they are getting caved in their own zone or outplayed by a formidable opponent. 

And, in those instances, they are working to hunker down and prevent opportunities from turning into high-danger ones. 

"We've got to figure that out," head coach Dan Muse said. "We have to be a team that's harder to play against. I just think that there's too many of these chances that we're giving them that are preventable, whether it's from out positional play, whether it's from some of the details within the defensive game, whether it's structural, we all have to.

"I have confidence that we can be much better in those areas and we can limit some of the chances that we're giving up. But, we're 13 games in. So, we've got to get there."

Pittsburgh's next tilt comes on Halloween against the Montreal Canadiens, who are beginning to surge after a slow start to the season. Like Utah, it's a fast team with a lot of youth. 

And Girard reiterated that they have the means to be able to play with these teams, but it all comes down to the commitment in their own zone. Better defense leads to offensive opportunity, and that's something that the team is trying to make sure they commit to as the games continue to roll on. 

"We know we have a lot of talent," Girard said. "We have to play very good in the d-zone. And I feel like every game we play good in our d-zone, that just brings us on the other side, you know? Brings us in the o-zone. We know we can do better. We know what we have to do better, so just have to be ready for tomorrow's game."

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!