Sully Says: "I Think The Group Feels Good About Our Game"

The Penguins were hoping to build on their terrific all-around effort from Wednesday in Colorado on Thursday in Dallas. And while they did have another great performance, they didn't come away with the result - falling 3-2 to the Stars.
"Back-to-back like that is never easy. But I think we showed some determination tonight by playing hard like we did," said defenseman P.O Joseph, who got on the board for Pittsburgh along with captain Sidney Crosby. "There's a lot of good things that we can take from this game."

They still have a one-point lead on the Panthers for the second Wild Card spot, as Florida lost to Toronto earlier tonight. And overall, the Penguins feel much better about themselves heading back to Pittsburgh compared to when they left, having lost four in a row at that time - including two tough outings in New York.
"After the Rangers games, we understand that we can't play like this," Evgeni Malkin said. "We need everyone, not just first line or goalie - every line, every player, we need to keep going. We understand every game is important right now. We have played great. A little bit of luck next game and we'll be fine."
The Penguins outplayed the Stars for a lot of the evening, and had the edge when it came to scoring chances. But they entered the second intermission with the score tied 1-1, as Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger made difficult saves look easy.
Down at the other end, Casey DeSmith got the start in goal, while Tristan Jarry did not dress as the backup. He's out with a lower-body injury, with head coach Mike Sullivan saying there's no timetable yet. Dustin Tokarski was called up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, driving from there to Newark, where he flew to Dallas and arrived at American Airlines Center in time for the final frame.
The Penguins gave the Stars momentum with back-to-back power plays in the third period, with Joe Pavelski converting the second to give Dallas a 2-1 lead. Just over 90 seconds later, Jamie Benn put them up 3-1 when he buried a rebound.
To Pittsburgh's credit, they continued to fight, with Joseph cutting the deficit to one before they got a man-advantage of their own with 1:08 left in regulation. DeSmith went to the bench for the extra attacker to make it a 6-on-4, and while the Penguins pushed, they couldn't get any of their chances to fall.
"I think for us, if we play like that, we're gonna win more games than we lose and we're going to get some points here down the stretch," winger Bryan Rust said. "I think we got to learn that from this game, but we also got to learn that it can only take a minute or two for a game to be lost."
Here's what Sullivan had to say after the contest.
On how it seemed like they might have deserved a little better result tonight, and what's the feeling after that type of game:"I think the group feels good about our game. I thought we played well enough to win. We didn't win. The other team is a good team as well. It was a competitive hockey game. There was a lot to like about our overall game on both sides of the puck. We just got to continue to keep fighting here. You know, there's a fine line between winning and losing. We didn't get it tonight. But in my mind, we played well enough to win."
On how well Casey Smith has played the past two months, and if they move forward with him as their guy with Tristan Jarry's injury situation: "We're going to put the goaltender in that we think gives us the best chance to win. That's really the criteria. So, we'll make decisions on a game-by-game basis based on where Tristan is at and where Case is at. But I know we've got we've got two capable guys."
On what he likes about Casey's game lately: "I think he's competing hard. He's tracking pucks. I think he's playing a more patient game. He's letting the game come to him a little more. He's not chasing it. I think that's when Case is at his best."
On how he would assess the blue line's play over the last a few games, with four regulars out: "I think they're competing hard out there. We're not perfect by any stretch, but they're working hard. They're competing hard. Their intent is in the right place. I think they're doing an admirable job, you know? They're being asked to play more significant roles than they're accustomed to. They're outside their comfort zone, so to speak. These guys, they're competing. So, we just got to keep fighting. You look at the last handful of games, we've really liked our overall team game on both sides of the puck. We've just got to keep building."
On what he likes about the Mark Friedman-Taylor Fedun pairing, specifically: "They're two of the guys I'm talking about. These guys are competing hard out there. They're playing within themselves. They're making simple plays. They're joining the rush when they have an opportunity. They're battling at the net front. They're doing all the things we're asking of them. So, I think they're doing a good job for us."
On if Saturday night's humbling loss to the Rangers was a wakeup call: "I'm sure to a certain extent, it was a wakeup call, just because it was a humbling experience. None of us like to go through that. I think that the team has certainly responded, and once again, that's just a testament to the leadership that we have. These guys lead the charge for us."
On Rust being hard on himself for a missed scoring chance early in the third, and how he would assess his game:"Well, I think he's playing hard. Other than a little bit of finish, I think he's playing hard. He's good on that line. He can play with Geno and Zuck. We can move that right side around as best as much as we can, just based on circumstance and which combinations give us the best chance to win. But he uses his speed. He's tracking pucks. He's on the puck. He's around the puck. I thought Sid's line was terrific tonight, once again. And I think Rusty was a part of that."
On the Dallas Stars: "Well, they're real good team. They're big, they're strong, they're fast. They got a real good power play. Their goaltender is really good. They got a mobile D core. They're one of the better teams in the West, without a doubt, based on what I've seen. They're well coached, they play a structured game. They're hard to play against. They have all the makings of being an elite team. There's a reason they are where they are in the standings. Having said that, I thought we competed pretty hard against them today."