Penguins want to have fun, but need a win in the Winter Classic

BOSTON — It was a fairly ordinary practice for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.

The formal portion of it lasted for about 45 minutes. They worked on puck retrievals and their transitions from the defensive zone.

There were rushes for the line combinations and the defensive pairings and drills for each special teams unit.

And, as usual, it all came to an end with a stretching session at center ice.

There were two notable differences, however.

First, they were outside at Fenway Park, a location that happens to be one of the most famous sporting venues on Earth, preparing for a matchup with the Boston Bruins in the NHL’s Winter Classic event Monday.

Also, business gave way to fun.

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Cycling in the corners gave way to children as those on the roster with offspring enjoyed a family-wide skating session under the lights.

Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin brought his young son, Nikita, onto the ice. Afterward, Malkin asked head equipment manager Jon Taglianetti if there was any eye black for his son. Malkin and several of his teammates donned the greasy applicant to cut down on the glare from the stadium’s lights.

And because it looked cool.

“He (was) excited,” Malkin said of his son’s exploits on the rink. “But too many people on the ice. He didn’t have much room.”

Malkin’s quip about his son’s time and space on the ice noted, the Penguins pledge their attitude will be less jovial Monday.

After all, there is an actual hockey game to be played, despite the NHL’s efforts to inflate this spectacle into a mostly nugatory and obnoxious event.

And considering the Penguins enter Monday’s contest on a four-game losing streak, they need the two points at stake.

“It’s our job,” Malkin said. “(Coach Mike Sullivan) talked before practice today. We needed a good practice today. Tomorrow is a new day. Back to work. We’ve lost the last (four) games. We need to come back and play hard. It’s an important two points. Tomorrow, no more fun.”

As one of the NHL’s premier franchises for the past decade and a half, the Penguins — several of them, at least — are used to being involved in a tent pole event such as an outdoor game. This franchise has played in five of them already.

In 2008, they played in the first Winter Classic — and the NHL’s second regular season outdoor game — and defeated the Buffalo Sabres at Ralph Wilson Stadium in snowy Orchard Park, N.Y.

“We’ve been part of these multiple times,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. “When we played the first one in 2008, didn’t know if you’d ever play in another one. Didn’t know if it was a one-off or if was going to become a yearly thing.

“To see how they’ve grown … it’s definitely something that everybody’s excited for.”

Four of the five outdoor games the Penguins have participated in featured some sort of precipitation. Monday’s affair is expected to be dry and clear, though a bit breezy with temperatures peaking in the 50s. Sunday’s conditions were almost identical to those forecast for Monday.

Bruins backup goaltender Jeremy Swayman, a native of Anchorage, Alaska, suggested the climate was similar to what he might find during late August or September in the Last Frontier.

“This weather was perfect,” Swayman said. “I could sweat enough, and I wasn’t overheated. And I wasn’t standing around where I was too cold. I thought it was perfect.”

Still, outdoor ice, even under an optimal climate, is rarely perfect and much choppier than what is found on most indoor rinks.

Adjustments must be made.

“It was definitely different than a normal rink,” Penguins rookie defenseman P.O Joseph said. “But that creates the fun of it.

“It’s definitely a little bit different. You’ve got to expect it with events like that. It’s definitely exciting. It’s going to be a little bit of a challenge to play with this ice. But if it’s hard for us, it’s hard for them, too.”

The Penguins are having a hard time finding success as of late.

On Monday, they plan on enjoying this unique atmosphere. But not at the expense at what’s most important.

“We know it’s not easy, but it’s fun,” Malkin said. “I hope we have a good game tomorrow. … It’s not an easy game. We play against Boston. They’re the best team in the league, I think. We know that.

“We (will) work for two points tomorrow.”