Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan’s assessment of his team’s play during overtime of Tuesday’s game was not kind.

“I didn’t think we were very good at all,” Sullivan said after a 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders. “I just thought our details were brutal.”

So with the same opponent on the schedule two days later and only one practice in between, the Penguins devoted a portion of an hourlong session in Cranberry to playing 3-on-3.

“Going back to last year, it’s been one of our weak points,” forward Zach Aston-Reese said after practice. “Just sorting it out and trying to stay man-on-man in the D-zone is what we were working on.”

But over the past 14 months, they've been mediocre, at best.

“We’ve got to get better at three-on-three. ... For whatever reason, it’s just a struggle for us right now."https://t.co/lIGqRNoZpn

— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) November 20, 2019

Aston-Reese said no one scored during the several minutes of 3-on-3 at practice Wednesday. That was probably the goal after the Islanders needed 125 seconds to outshoot the Penguins, 5-0, and get the winning goal Tuesday.

“We’ve just got to be tighter,” forward Jared McCann said. “We’ve got to tighten up defensively. We can’t give them time and space. They are skilled players, and they can make can make you pay.

“(Three-on-three) is almost like pond hockey. If you play with your boys back home, that’s what it is. You have to stay with your guy. You can’t give him time and space. Obviously you have to respect him and respect his speed and things like that, but you have got to be prepared to jump and take advantage of their plats when they mess up.”

Keep up with the Pittsburgh Penguins all season long.

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