Sidney Crosby, Mike Sullivan call out Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins have landed on tough times, currently ranked 5th in the Metropolitan Division, having dropped four of their past five contests and suddenly seeing a handful of teams dangerously close in their rear view mirror in the standings. 

They've even set an unfortunate distinction of leading the rest of the National Hockey League with eight losses after having initially enjoyed the lead at the second intermission. Oh, and there's also the matter of having dropped nine straight games against divisional opponents. 

So, what is the solution to get them back on track with the NHL Trade Deadline quickly approaching? According to Sidney Crosby, it's simply a matter of working harder and playing smarter. 

“It’s just a matter of working a little bit harder,” the longtime Penguins captain explained after practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex Wednesday. “A little bit smarter.”

Head coach Mike Sullivan has characterized the Penguins issues as lapses in game management, which is particularly troublesome for a squad that is still filled with veteran players who know what it takes to close out games. 

“We feel like we’ve carried the play for significant periods of time, even in the third periods,” Sullivan said. “It’s not like we’re under siege. I think — and this is a conversation we’ve had with the players — that it’s just critical moments, or breakdowns at the wrong times, and they’ve ended up in the back of our net, most recently.

“I would (characterize) that as ‘game management,’ and that’s the area where I think we can improve. … I think that’s an important part of learning how to win — managing the game at particular moments that have a tendency to swing the outcomes.”

The Penguins currently enjoyed 16 straight trips to the Stanley Cup playoffs, the longest active streak in the League. But if they don't fix their problems that has seen them slide in the standings, it has a real chance of coming to an end this spring. 

Pittsburgh is next in action tonight at PPG Paints Arena against Connor McDavid and the high powered offense of the Edmonton Oilers.