After being humbled a week ago on Saturday night with a 6-0 defeat at the hands of the New York Rangers, it was gut check time for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“For all intents and purposes, we’re in the playoffs right now,” coach Mike Sullivan said after that defeat. “That’s how we feel. We’re in the playoffs right now. We’re playing with our backs against the wall.”
With that sort of messaging coming from the coaching staff, the Pens did increase their intensity this week to match the desperation of their positioning. On paper, the Pens went 2-2-0 this week, which on the surface alone doesn’t draw attention.