The Pittsburgh Penguins look defeated, but the players still have high hopes for a postseason push.
PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins have lost nine straight games to Metropolitan Division opponents and their last three overall.
With numbers like that, it seems like the Penguins are in a bit of trouble and are going to have a much tougher time making the playoffs.
Their most recent loss to the New York Islanders pushed them out of the wild card in the Eastern Conference and they sit on the outside looking in.
Despite their standings position, and a 27-20-9 record, the players in the room are still confident and are doing their best to fend off negative feelings.
“We understand every game is important,” Evgeni Malkin said. “[Tristan] Jarry's back. Just stay focused. Stay positive. Support each other. It's not over. We need to win a lot. I think we'll be fine."
The Penguins are a team growing further away from their back-to-back Stanley Cup runs in 2016 and 2017, but it’s still a team loaded with guys who knows what it takes to win.
Malkin is one of those players; through his entire 16-year NHL career he’s never missed the postseason.
"We should play the same if we lead by two goals or one. Don't wait, try to win," Evgeni Malkin said. "Stay moving, play the same game, try on the forecheck. The last couple games, we feel pressure, you know? We need points.”
Bryan Rust is another one of those players who has been around a winning culture his whole career.
It may seem like Rust is on the younger side of the locker room, but he’s turning into a veteran leader closing in on 31-years-old.
“There’s plenty of games left,” Rust said. “We’ve got a lot of real good players in here who have seen a lot of things. Not worried about it.”
According to Rust, fending off the negativity and maintaining a level of confidence has to come from within.
“Everyone knows what they bring to this team,” Rust said. Their strengths, their weaknesses. Everybody’s got to focus on bringing that and bringing their game.”
Jarry is getting back into the fold after missing a significant amount of time with a lower-body injury.
As Jarry works his way back into a regular gameplay routine, he believes he will see improvements in himself.
“I felt good from the start,” Jarry said. “I think it was what I wanted. It can only get better from here.”
Head coach Mike Sullivan admitted Jarry wasn’t perfect, but will work his way back into form with some time.
“I think when he's at his best, he probably doesn't give up the goals the goals late,” Sullivan said. “But to his defense, he hasn't played in a while. We got to give him a chance to get his feet under him here, and I think he'll get better with every game that he plays.”
The Penguins are currently out of a playoff spot and from the outside look like they are coming undone at the seams.
Inside, however, they still feel good about their group and are confident in their abilities to get where they want to be.
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