Sully Says: The Pens Have to Pick Themselves Up and Get Back in the Fight

Heading into Thursday's matchup with Edmonton, the Penguins felt like they had been playing pretty well, and just weren't getting the results.
That wasn't the case against the Oilers, as the Penguins got thoroughly outplayed in their 7-2 loss, which was their fourth straight setback.

After Kris Letang opened the scoring just 1:05 into play, Pittsburgh just couldn't get to its game from there. It didn't help that they gave Edmonton's red-hot power play three chances in the first period, with the Oilers converting on two to take a lead into the intermission.
The Penguins were still in it from a scoreboard perspective going into the second… but then the Oilers took over, tallying four times in that period to take a 6-1 lead into the third. Casey DeSmith led the Penguins out for the final frame, replacing Tristan Jarry, playing in just his second game after being sidelined for nearly a month with an upper-body injury.
Connor McDavid got his second goal and fourth point on a penalty shot to make it 7-1, before Letang scored again to make it 7-2, which stood as the final score.
The Penguins (57 GP) dropped into fourth in the Wild Card race with 63 points. Ahead of them are Florida (60 GP, 64 points), Detroit (57 GP, 64 points), and the Islanders (61 GP, 67 points) with Buffalo and Washington behind them with 62 points apiece.
"There's lots of season left, and we're fighting for a playoff spot," Sidney Crosby said when asked how unfamiliar this situation felt. "Ideally, we'd be in a better position. But we still have a chance to make the playoffs. I mean, it's not easy to make the playoffs. I think we all realize that. But there's lots of hockey left, so I'm not going to talk about this position.
"It's the NHL, you gotta compete and earn your way into the playoffs. We're not in a spot right now, but we have an opportunity to make it. I'm not going to talk about it that way, because that's not the situation. We can control our own destiny here."
Here's what head coach Mike Sullivan had to say after the game.
On why he's been very patient with a lineup that hasn't done a lot of winning lately, and if he's running out of patience at this point: "Well, our roster is our roster, right? So, we have what we have. And we're trying to put the best combinations on the ice that we think give us the best chance to win. That's the criteria that I've always utilized with our coaching staff. We ask that question every day. We drill down into details, and we put the lineup on the ice that we think gives us the best chance to win. We've had numbers of different combinations out there. But at the end of the day, you know, we've got a group here that we believe in. We've got to find a way to get this thing going in the right direction. Tonight, for me, was a step backwards. I don't think all the results most recently are a reflection of how the team has played, for the most part. But tonight, without a doubt, was a step backwards."
On how they get it to move forward when there is a step backwards:"Well, I gotta digest this one first. But the reality is the solutions are inside the room, and we've got to rely on one another, we've got to stick together. I think it always starts with an attitude and a certain resilience to our group. And that's how we have to look at it. What the reality is, is we're still in the heat of the battle here, and we still have control over our own destiny. We just got to make sure that we put a game on the ice that gives us the best chance to be successful."
On if he's worried about the team's mindset as the losses mount, and how they rebound psychologically from a stretch like this:"I think coaches are always worried about the team's mindset. I don't know if that ever goes away, whether you win or lose. I mean, obviously, when you lose a few games, there's an element of fragility where you're concerned about certain players that haven't scored a while, squeezing their sticks - it's human nature, right? So, are we a little bit concerned about that? Sure. Do we talk about those things? Absolutely. But at the end of the day, pro sports isn't for the faint of heart. We've got to grab ahold of it, we've got to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and get back in the fight. And that's the message. Nobody's going to feel sorry for us. We've got to make sure that we just bring the right attitude tomorrow, and we work to get better."
On if the gap in speed tonight is because the Oilers are a fast team, or if he's worried the Penguins might be slowing down:"I just don't think we played well. They're a fast team, without a doubt. They've got some trailblazers on their team. I think Connor McDavid has the ability to make a lot of people look slow. But I just don't think our team played well. I don't think that was the case at all. We have the ability to play a speed game. Most of the league is playing that way. It's hard to have success in this league playing slow. That I know. So, we've got to make sure that we try to work on the game that we think gives us the best chance to win."
On if he heard the booing and the chants, and if that impacts him at all:"I didn't really pay any attention to it, quite honestly."
On what happened after Letang's goal that made the score as lopsided as it was from that point onward: "I just think we got outplayed. They played better than us. The other games that we played in most recently, there was a significant amount that we liked about our game. I'm not sure we liked a whole lot about our game tonight."
On his assessment of Jarry, and if Tristan is still working his way back:"Yeah, I think he's working his way back. This was a tough one for all of us. We knew the circumstance that Tristan is in. It's not a perfect scenario. In a perfect world, you get lots of reps and practice. But the reality is we don't have the luxury of time right now. So he's trying to work his way into it into the top version of himself through a combination of practice, and some of it is just simply going to have to be through the games."
On switching up the top-six: "I just didn't think we had a whole lot going on, so I was trying to be a little bit proactive and see if I could spark some energy. So that was more of a decision tonight on based on the circumstance. I'm not sure what we're going to go with moving forward."