PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s been pondered for the last week plus, how is it the Pens got back into a playoff race they appeared to leave two weeks ago?
“Winning games and other teams not, is the simple answer to that,” said Pens defenseman Erik Karlsson Wednesday with a smile.
That is not just an obvious statement, but one of fact. The Flyers have come crashing down from a near double-digit lead over the Pens for the final playoff spot in the division to now trailing them. The Devils have fallen and the Capitals struggled recently although got a big win Tuesday night over Detroit. The Red Wings aren’t playing their best hockey either as they visit here on Thursday.
Karlsson added it was a good practice on Wednesday at PPG Paints as the team worked through a lot of power play drills and you could notice the confidence of this group before the game Thursday.
“I think everybody right now is feeling good about their game,” Karlsson said. “I think it’s a collective thing. We have been getting our energy back as of late and that helps. It makes things easier on everyone. It’s a group thing. With that comes individual stuff as well.”
“It’s guys in this locker room who believe,” said former and Stanley Cup champion Bryan Rust. “They believe we have a chance to do something special, hope to make a run. Guys in here kinda came together and buckled down. Obviously, it would have been nice if it would have been a little earlier in the year, but trying our best now.”
“I think just playing a solid game overall, in every area giving ourselves a chance to win every night,” said Pens captain Sidney Crosby. “They haven’t all been perfect games by any stretch. Whether it’s special teams or a big play offensively/defensively, a save. There are a lot of details that go into winning. Our details have been pretty good and we haven’t beat ourselves. We feel like we’re doing a lot of good things and we need to keep that same mentality.”
Why has it finally shown up now when the team two weeks ago had a 2% chance to make the postseason?
Crosby says desperation plays a part in that, they have simplified and their stars, led by Sid, are bringing their best games. Pens head coach Mike Sullivan said if he had the full answer, it would have happened much earlier. But he did say that teams, coaches and players, often go through ups-and-downs of the seven-month season.
“I think what has led to the consistency, I give the players a lot of credit for their commitment and intentions when they go into the game every night,” Sullivan said. “I think they are playing an inspiring game, to a man. When we do that, we’ve shown that we can compete with any team in the league.”
“I feel like we've been simplifying a little bit more,” said Pens defenseman Marcus Pettersson. “You can tell our desperation in the game when we work for each other and desperation in front of the net I think has been a huge key to our success.”
“We are competing hard. I think a lot of success comes from just going to the net and finding ways to score dirty goals and we are defending hard,” said Pens forward Drew O’Connor. “We are giving ourselves a chance to win.”
“Never wanted to lose sight of our goal to get in the playoffs, obviously we were in a tough spot for a while. We just found a way to stay in it and winning games.”
“I think they are committed to playing the game right now a certain way,” Sullivan said. “I think playing the game the right way on both sides of the puck. It’s a team effort. It’s not isolated effort by one player or two players. I always use the phrase when the five players on the ice have the same heartbeat. It’s a whole lot of fun being a part of it”
“We are going our best here to continue to give ourselves a chance.”
The Pens are tied with their opponent on Thursday, Detroit, just a point behind Washington for the final Wild Card spot and three points behind the Islanders for third place in the division. They have battled back to this point.
The next three games are a home, what will they do with this opportunity?