Slumping Penguins vow to utilize their lengthy break

In mid-November of 2015, word had leaked out that the NHL was considering adopting a three-on-three format for its All-Star Game, which had grown into a stale display.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby — ever mindful that, as the face of the league, his words carry immense weight — offered a predictable reaction.

“I like it,” Crosby said in a mundane fashion.

Then, Crosby was asked about the caveat the NHL offered to players for agreeing to the new format.

A bye week.

“I like that a lot,” Crosby said, grinning with almost no restraint. “It’s a nice luxury to have.”

After Saturday’s squalid 6-4 home loss to the San Jose Sharks, the Penguins are embarked on that luxury as they enter their bye week, then follow that with a few more off days thanks to the NHL’s All-Star break on Friday and Saturday.

In total, they will have nine days between games and an opportunity to recharge after a less-than-impressive January in which they went 5-5-3.

But even independent of on-ice performance, the prospect of having time away from the thresher that is the NHL schedule is welcomed by just about every player in the league.

Whether they’re going somewhere south to enjoy the sunshine or simply staying home to be with family, the Penguins, almost to a man, spoke to the benefits that their break will present.

“The schedule, there’s so many games in the season and the schedule is so intense that you don’t get that opportunity often,” defenseman Marcus Pettersson said. “You’ve got to make sure you really take advantage of it, spend time with your family, your loved ones.”

Unlike a lot of his teammates, Pettersson isn’t going anywhere tropical and will remain in slate-gray Western Pennsylvania as his wife, Beatrice, is 37 weeks into her pregnancy.

Across the dressing room, forward Bryan Rust is going, in his words, “to the warmth.”

“Going down to Florida,” Rust said. “My son is a big Mickey Mouse fan, so we’re going to Disney World. We’re just going to try to enjoy some sun and relaxing.”

The rest can do an obvious world of good for ailments typical of the rigors associated with professional hockey. But the mental break, particularly for a team that has lost three of its past four games, could be of even greater significance.

“The mental break might be more important to some people than the physical break,” Rust said. “Obviously, everyone handles the grind of it all a little bit differently. Guys who play more minutes or earn bigger roles might be a bit more physically. Then there’s the mental grind of it all, too, where some guys put so much pressure on themselves or guys who aren’t having great years are kind of gripping their stick a little too tight. Getting that mental break is really good.”

That break is only temporary, however. The Penguins are scheduled to resume their season with a home contest against the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 7, and there is plenty of room for improvement given their largely inconsistent play through the first 49 games of the season.

Through Saturday, the Penguins have a tenuous stake on the final playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.

“It’s important to let things go, breathe, enjoy it, rest,” defenseman Jeff Petry said. “Because the (final) stretch here is going to be an important time of year where every game matters.”

After Saturday’s unappetizing result, the Penguins realized they need to accomplish something with their downtime, even if they largely do nothing during it.

“We have a break coming up,” defenseman Kris Letang said. “Hopefully, we use it well.”

Note: The Penguins assigned rookie forward Jonathan Gruden and goaltender Dustin Tokarski to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Sunday.