Playing to level of opponent would help, not hinder, Penguins against potent Lightning

After suffering a decisive 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Monday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins lamented their abysmal 1-7-1 record against last-place teams this season.

There’s another side to that coin, though, and it’s one they hope will sustain them through some of the tougher dates on their upcoming schedule.

Coming into Wednesday night’s game against Tampa Bay, the Penguins were 5-2-1 against the four teams currently in first place in the NHL’s four divisions: the Islanders, Lightning, Winnipeg and Calgary.

Widening the scope beyond first-place and last-place teams, the Penguins are 15-8-3 against the 15 teams that came into Wednesday night in playoff positions and 11-9-3 against the 15 teams on the outside looking in.

The way the Penguins seem to play to the level of their competition, either up or down, has been a source of consternation for coach Mike Sullivan for most of the year.

“When we play the game the right way, we can compete against any team in the league. We have shown that time and time again,” Sullivan said. “We just have to make sure we bring it night in and night out regardless of who our opponent is.”

A partial explanation for those records lies in the theory that styles make fights. The Penguins will struggle against certain teams and thrive against others regardless of where they are in the standings because of the way they play the game.

New Jersey, for instance, is a team that clogs up the neutral zone effectively and has energetic forwards who backcheck religiously. This makes it difficult for the Penguins to score off the rush, which is a core element of their offense. Thus, they’re 0-3-0.

Winnipeg, conversely, is a big, physical team that can be susceptible to the kind of quick counter-attack that the Penguins like to terrorize opponents with. Therefore, the Penguins are 2-0-0 against the Jets this season, including a 4-0 home victory Jan. 4 that ranks among the team’s most impressive performances of the season.

A better explanation, though, probably lies in between the ears of the Penguins.

That’s what Sullivan thinks, anyway.

“A lot of games are won and lost before the puck’s dropped,” Sullivan said. “It’s about a mindset going in and a readiness and a certain level of urgency and a certain level of purpose to your game that is required to win in this league regardless of who your opponent is.”

NHL players, as a rule, are loath to admit that they’re more motivated to play against some opponents than others. It requires an admission they don’t always give 100 percent effort.

But faced with the overwhelming evidence so far this season, Penguins players have little choice but to admit they’re not treating all opponents with the same pregame respect.

“These are games that are a little easier … I don’t want to say easier to get up for, but I think you get amped up to play these guys,” forward Riley Sheahan said. “I think it’s an important time of the year, so these games are crucial. We have to figure that out and bring our best to every opponent. I think if we do that, we can have some success.”

The topic was something the team discussed in a players-only meeting before Tuesday’s practice, Evgeni Malkin said.

“We understand every night, it doesn’t matter the team, each team wants to beat us,” Malkin said. “We’re a great team, and everyone plays like 200 percent against us. It’s not just skill. We need everything. It’s small things too, like blocking shots. Work. Only work is important right now.”

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Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jonathan at jbombulie@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BombulieTrib.