Penguins focus on getting back to what they do well for Game 7
CRANBERRY TWP. 鈥� As the course of a series plays out, there鈥檚 a strategical back and forth that unfolds. Over the first six games of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Penguins and Capitals, that chess match was apparent, like when the Capitals moved Alex Ovechkin to the third line in Game 5 for more lineup balance, and the Penguins responded the game after by switching up their lines to try to even the matchups.
But as the Penguins prepare for the seventh game of the series on Wednesday after consecutive losses, there aren鈥檛 really any more moves for them to play. There isn鈥檛 a new countermove. The teams know each other too well. Instead, the Penguins鈥� focus going into the final game of the series is on themselves, and getting back to what they did well in their 11 playoff wins.
鈥淭he mindset has to be worrying about ourselves in here. We know we鈥檙e a really good team and we know we can win this game,鈥� Penguins winger Conor Sheary said. 鈥淚 think we just have to focus on getting back to what we鈥檙e good at.鈥�
Unlike other postseason practices, there seemed to be a heightened focus in practice Tuesday. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan barked out directions at a tone and frequency that was more apparent than it鈥檚 been throughout the rest of playoffs.
鈥淲e worked on one aspect of our game just to try to clarify and heighten awareness,鈥� Sullivan said. 鈥淚t isn鈥檛 anything new that we worked on today, as far as team concept or tactical strategies.鈥�
That aspect, Sullivan said, was in relation to establishing more of an offensive attack so his team can have more options in 鈥渃ertain areas of the rink.鈥� Though Sullivan was intentionally vague in describing it as 鈥渙ne aspect,鈥� it would be reductive to say that the Penguins have only one thing to work on. Bettering the offensive attack is one of those things, but that has layers, like being better defensively and making cleaner zone exits.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e definitely done a good job of dumping pucks in, forechecking, also carrying pucks in. They鈥檝e created some plays off the rush. Obviously, that鈥檚 something we need to clean up,鈥� Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin said.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a lot of things that you can point to that we can do better all over the ice. I鈥檓 not going to be able to single out just one thing. There are a lot of things we can do better,鈥� fellow defenseman Ian Cole added.
The Capitals have effectively been able to use their defense to create offense. Sullivan said the best way to neutralize the Capitals鈥� defense and forecheck is for his team to use its speed and move the puck quickly to take advantage of the Capitals鈥� aggressiveness. Beyond speed, though, Sullivan and the players agreed that making better decisions in their own zone and the neutral zone will be crucial in establishing more of an offensive attack.
鈥淚 know we can be a whole lot better with our execution and the decisions we make with the puck,鈥� Sullivan said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e getting isolated pressure on it, as opposed to cooperative pressure. I think that鈥檚 the important message. We鈥檝e got to do a better job with our placement and how we manage the puck through the neutral zone.鈥�
Though exiting the neutral zone is more about nuance and execution, once they exit it, the Penguins believe they can do a better job of scoring goals just through sheer quantity of shots. Though the Penguins鈥� preference of quality over quantity has often paid off in the playoffs, Game 6 was an example of it working against them. The Penguins put only 18 shots on goal and scored their two goals in the final four minutes of the 5-2 loss.
鈥淲e鈥檝e just got to continue to put pucks on (Capitals goalie Braden) Holtby and create some rebounds,鈥� Dumoulin said. 鈥淚 think some of the times we鈥檙e looking to pass more than shoot. I think we鈥檝e just got to get back to playing simple hockey.鈥�
All told, there are several things the Penguins are working on for Game 7, and there are several ways they can attack them.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to make our adjustments game to game to try to find some solutions to the challenges that we鈥檙e faced with,鈥� Sullivan said. 鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 personnel based, sometimes it isn鈥檛. Sometimes it鈥檚 tactical. All possibilities are on the table for us.鈥�