The Penguins are currently going through arguably the toughest stretch of their schedule in 2021-22.
And, despite the team going just 10-9-2 over the last 21 games, there seems to be a sense of comfort in way the team is playing.
Tuesday night, in a rematch of Saturday’s loss to Colorado, the Penguins got more of the same, losing 6-4 at PPG Paints Arena.
“We’re scratching and clawing and doing our best to put our best game on the ice to try to win games,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said afterwards. “When I look at the last handful of games, I think the team has played pretty well.”
The Penguins recorded 45 shots on goal, including 20 in the first period — one being a tying goal by Bryan Rust.
But Colorado, which had jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a goal from Nathan Mackinnon, responded with two in the third.
“We gave a quite a few odd-man rushes,” said forward Evan Rodrigues, who cut the game to 3-2 late in the second period. “It’s a dangerous team off the rush, and they capitalized.”
The Avalanche, which reached the 50 win mark Tuesday, again answered with a third period from just 1:01 in. Colorado added two more goals in the frame and the Penguins got late tallies from Jake Guentzel and Mike Matheson.
Despite thee six goals allowed, Penguins players don’t feel far away from playing the game they will need to when the games matter much more at the end of the month.
"From a compete standpoint, I think our team is competing very hard,” Sullivan said. “I like the fight in our game.”
“We’ve played a lot of really good hockey,” said Rust. “But when you’re playing good teams, there’s a fine line between winning and losing. And those mistakes can add up.”
The mistakes are adding up. It’s a tough run here for Pittsburgh, with games against top teams like the New York Rangers, Minnesota and the pair against NHL leading Colorado of late.
But the Penguins have lost three of their last four games, and five of seven. It’s a trend that the team hopes to right come Thursday when it travels to New York for a third meeting with the Rangers since March 25, a game in which New York embarrassed Pittsburgh, 5-1.
“Huge game,” Rust said, bluntly. “For us, obviously that last one at MSG, we’d all like to forget about it. It’s all going to be in the back of our minds that we need to play better than that.
“There’s a decent chance that we’re going to see a lot of them in the future. We’ve got to come out and establish ourselves and show them who we are.”
Thought Rust views the meeting with New York as more significant, Sullivan is trying to keep it in a bit more perspective, as hiss team still has ten games after Thursday’s showdown.
“They’re all big,” he said. “By nature of less games, we’re down to the sprint. Every game is big, every game is important.”