Mike Sullivan addresses Tuesday’s collapse with Penguins but vows team has moved on

Less than 15 hours after a meltdown like few in franchise history, the Pittsburgh Penguins were subjected to what had the look of a de facto team meeting before Wednesday’s practice in Cranberry.

Similar to how they would during a typical practice, players gathered around coach Mike Sullivan near the bench that sits in front of the entrance to the team locker room at their facility. But this time, Sullivan was not standing by the boards or marking up a dry-erase board. He was speaking in the middle of a semi-circle of players.

With NHL coronavirus protocol all but eliminating the opportunities for closed-door team meetings in virtually any other setting, Sullivan went to the ice with his message a day after the Penguins allowed six third-period goals during a 7-6 home victory against the New Jersey Devils.

On Tuesday night, the #Penguins made history. Just not in a way they wanted to.https://t.co/LlSYIoCT2S

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) April 21, 2021

“Obviously, a lot went wrong in the third period,” Sullivan said Wednesday during a video conference call with media after practice. “So we had a discussion with the players on our thoughts and just how we can improve and how we can learn from it so that type of circumstance doesn’t happen again.”

A winning team being outscored by five goals in the third period was unprecedented in NHL history. Regarding the content of his quasi-speech, Sullivan divulged to media only typical platitudes: playing the right way, paying attention to details, managing the game, making it hard on the opponent. Each of the players who were made available to media declined to offer specific content of Sullivan’s message.

“I think that’s something that coach Sullivan can share if he’d like to,” defenseman Mike Matheson said, “but if not, I think that’s something that can stay within the group.

“Obviously, we were not happy with the way the game went.”

Said wing Kasperi Kapanen: “I just feel like we should never let the opponent score five or six goals in the last period. It’s something that we realize and (will) just move forward.”

After the conspicuous discussion, practice Wednesday proceeded not unlike many others have this season or would on any other typical between-games day. The team did line rushes, worked on special teams and broke up into small groups for drills. It even gathered over by the bench near the dry-erase board for it to be used by Sullivan and by assistant Todd Reirden.

“There was a number of things that occurred in that third period, and for me it’s more symptomatic of the mindset than anything,” Sullivan said. “That’s really the most important aspect, and that was part of some of the discussion we had with the players.”

Out since March 24 because of a suspected left leg injury, Kasperi Kapanen wore a regular black jersey — indicating there were no “no-contact” restrictions on him — but did not take a regular shift during line rushes. https://t.co/mi1lRXFasu

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) April 21, 2021

The Penguins have the same opponent for each of the next two games, adding an extra layer to the intrigue of how they respond to what is one of the most bizarre and unfulfilling victories in franchise history. The Penguins led 6-0 at the second intermission and held a 7-3 lead with 8 minutes left.

For perspective, the Penguins had allowed as many as six goals in a game only twice in 45 previous outings this season.

“After the game, you could tell that no one was pleased with the way things ended there,” wing Jeff Carter said Wednesday. “We talked about it this morning, and I think it’s a learning experience for sure. You think about what you could have done different, and then you learn from it and you’ve got to move on because we’ve got a big game (7 p.m. Thursday) … (Tuesday’s third-period collapse) is in the back our or minds, (making sure) it doesn’t happen again.”

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