PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – There was a time when winning playoff games and series seemed habitual for the Pens. Now the team's calling card are playoff losses. The 5-3 defeat in game 6 to the Isles marked the 15th loss in their last 19 post-season games.
"Up and down the lineup it's a team that definitely can compete for the Stanley Cup," said forward Jeff Carter. "The hunger is still in that room. That comes from the top guys. Those guys want to win. They want to go out. They want to get back to the top. You can see that. There's some really disappointed guys in that room. This year was a really good opportunity for this group. Unfortunately we came up short."
"We did a lot of good things this year," said captain Sidney Crosby. "You can look at every year and analyze it differently. This year I felt like we had a good group. We did a lot of good things. We easily could have made a run. I feel pretty confident about this group and saying that. The way we were trending. The way we finished the year."
"It's disappointing," said head coach Mike Sullivan. "Obviously you have high expectations when you go into the season. You work so hard all year long for the opportunity to compete for the Stanley Cup. That's what we are all in for. That's why it stings because we care so much."
OK, they care and they tried hard and had a great regular season. Bottom line, it's 4 wins in the last 19 post-season games. Is it time to break up the Big 3 of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang?
"The three of us want to win and will do whatever it takes to try and compete to do that every year," Crosby said. "There is zero doubt in my mind that the group that we have is a really good group. We had an opportunity here and that's why it stings so much."
"I believe in the core," Sullivan said. "This is the best core group of players I've ever been around. Bar none. They are a passionate group. They're generational talents. They still can compete at an extremely high level and they've shown it game in and game out."
"I couldn't have been more proud of the season that we had as a team. I said to the players after the game that I was so disappointed for them because I know how hard they worked. Some of the adversities that we fought through throughout the course of the year to give ourselves an opportunity to compete in this position."
"I know how much these guys care. I couldn't be more privileged to coach a group of players like this group of players. They are high character people."
Sullivan said they will have discussions in the future about the formation of the roster for 2021-22. He does believe, despite another early playoff exit, they have the group to win another Stanley Cup.
"It hurts," Sullivan said. "That's the nature of pro sports. There's a lot of good teams. There's a fine line between winning and losing. When it's a total investment of all of your efforts from everyone involved. That's why it's as disappointing as it is."
"It didn't go our way this series. We will take a look at it and reflect on this and see what we can take out of it."
