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Erik Karlsson sends a clear message to his struggling Penguins' teammates
Penguins' Erik Karlsson is not very happy with the way things have been going for his team lately, and he took the time to send his teammates a clear message.
The Pittsburgh Penguins fell 4-0 to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, extending their losing streak to eight games. Pittsburgh is now 0-4-4 in that stretch, dropping four of those contests in overtime or the shootout.
Erik Karlsson's important message to his teammates
On Saturday, however, the Penguins struggled more than usual, and star defenseman Erik Karlsson made it clear the team must improve.
"With the way things are going right now I don't think anyone feels on top of their game," Karlsson said postgame on Saturday, via Pittsburgh Hockey Now. "You try to create a little bit more chaos in front of their net and put pucks in there at the right time so we have a chance, if it doesn't go in, we can get it back and hold onto it and wear them down a little bit more.
"I think that other teams are doing that to us and it's hard to play against. It wears you down and you get tired, and when it's your time to attack you don't have as much gas in the tank as you want to. So I think we've got to find a way to do that because I think we did a great job of that in the beginning of the season."
- Erik Karlsson
"I think that other teams are doing that to us and it's hard to play against. It wears you down and you get tired, and when it's your time to attack you don't have as much gas in the tank as you want to. So I think we've got to find a way to do that because I think we did a great job of that in the beginning of the season."
- Erik Karlsson
The loss marked another low point in a frustrating stretch for Pittsburgh, which now sits at 14-11-9 and four points outside the playoff picture.
Why things have been going wrong for the Penguins
The Penguins have been unable to generate consistent offense, and key players have yet to find their rhythm, leaving the team vulnerable in tight games.
Karlsson's message underscored the urgency: the Penguins must raise their game on both ends of the ice.
Pittsburgh will look to end the skid on Sunday when the Canadiens visit for a rematch at home. The Penguins will need stronger performances from their top players if they hope to turn the season around and climb back into playoff contention.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 21 | 85 ANSWERS Erik Karlsson sends a clear message to his struggling Penguins' teammates Will Erik Karlsson's message be heard loud and clear by his teammates? | ||
| Yes | 42 | 49.4 % |
| No | 43 | 50.6 % |
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