Penguins Thrive in Playoff-Like Atmosphere
The postseason isn't here yet, but the Pittsburgh Penguins look like they can handle the pressure.
PITTSBURGH - It wasn’t a clean regulation win, nor was it a perfect game, but the Pittsburgh Penguins looked like a really good team against the New York Rangers.
For the first time in a long time, the Penguins looked like a team that could do real damage in the NHL and have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.
Following the victory, everyone noted that the game had the feel of a playoff game, and that was obvious from puck drop.
The Penguins and Rangers combined for 89 hits, there was never a two-goal lead, and the heat between the two teams was as high as ever.
Maybe the fact that they face off two more times this week added to the atmosphere, but the Penguins looked like a solid team in the first meeting.
“This is playoff hockey no matter who we play down the stretch,” Jason Zucker said. “We have to be ready for it.”
With the importance of each game on the rise for the Penguins, they hope they can parlay the intensity into their best performances.
“It had a playoff feel,” Sidney Crosby said. “Hopefully that’s something that brings out the best in us.”
From behind the bench, head coach Mike Sullivan knows that sometimes the games aren’t going to go in the Penguins favor, but they have to react accordingly.
“These games have a playoff feel to them,” Sullivan said. “We’re going to be in a lot of close games. We’ve got to find a comfort level. It’s understanding and handling the adversities that are inevitably going to come our way.”
The Penguins had a prime example of that against the Rangers when Vincent Trocheck caught Evgeni Malkin with a high hit from behind.
The Rangers went down and scored while Malkin was still on the ice in pain, but the Penguins weren’t shaken by the missed call.
“Obviously you want a call when something like that happens,” Tristan Jarry said. “You can’t get down and discouraged.”
With 16 games remaining, each contest will not only be important, but should bring a similar playoff-like atmosphere.
It’ll be up to the Penguins to thrive in those opportunities and hit the right stride at the right time of the season.
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