PITTSBURGH — It might be mid-February
Colts Braden Smith Jersey , but the Pittsburgh Penguins can feel spring — which means playoffs — right around the corner.
Going into a game Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators (19-26-9), the Penguins (31-22-4) already have been winning and now feel as though they are
playing a style conducive to the stretch run. They point to their 1-0-1 weekend
trip to Dallas and St. Louis, when they gave up a total of four regulation
goals, as proof.
“This time of year, I think it’s important to learn how to win games like that — closer to the end, and being able to take advantage of your
opportunities
Cheap Royce Freeman Jersey ,” Pittsburgh goaltender Matt Murray said Monday. “As we saw those last two games, there’s not much (room on the) ice out
there, teams are checking a lot harder and it’s maybe not as risky of a game.
It’s more of a tight-checking game. If we’re going to get to where we want to
be, we’ve got to learn how to win those games.”
Article continues below ... The Penguins also need to win, period, in the tight Metropolitan Division. Despite going 12-4-1 since the start of the calendar year
Authentic Armani Watts Jersey , they remain four points behind first-place Washington and five points ahead of Carolina, which sits in the second wild-card
spot in the East.
“It’s great to score goals, but you want to make sure you’re keeping your goals against down,” Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby said. “We did a pretty
good job of that in the two games. (Murray) definitely did make some saves, but
I think we were pretty committed defensively. You’re going to give up chances
sometimes but as long as the mentality is that you’re going to defend first,
then we’re going to create offense.
“We get points wherever we can. We had a good road trip. We want to follow that up.”
The Penguins are opening a three-game homestand and have won eight straight at home.
Against Ottawa at PPG Paints Arena
http://www.greenbaypackersteamonline.com/jaire-alexander-jersey , Pittsburgh has won four in a row, is 6-0-1 in the past seven meetings and 9-1-1
since the building opened in 2010.
The Senators have struggled to win anywhere, against anyone. They sit behind every team except Buffalo in the East — and the Senators are only five points up
on the Sabres.
So instead of looking ahead to the postseason, Ottawa is eyeing the NHL trade deadline in less than two weeks and wondering if the team will be broken up.
“Anytime you’re closing in on the deadline and you’re not in a good situation as a group, there’s always those thoughts in the back of your head,” defenseman
Mark Borowiecki told the Ottawa Sun.
Senators coach Guy Boucher wishes that wasn’t the case.
“Here’s the reality about the NHL: (The trade deadline) is a constant distraction from Day One until the end of the year
Cheap Rasheem Green Jersey ,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to live with it, and there’s days that are easier than others.
“There are things that are said out there that sometimes you don’t hear so they’re easy, or sometimes you hear them indirectly and all that. It’s just part
of it. You don’t just have to live with it; you’ve got to seize the opportunity
to be where you are every day and do well. Whether the date is coming, for us,
it doesn’t change what we’ve got to do. That’s our everyday focus.”
Injured Ottawa centers Nate Thompson (lower body) and Gabriel Dumont (undisclosed) skated Monday but are not expected to return
Tuesday.
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