Penguins Players Reveal the Unorthodox Way Dan Muse Handled His First Tough Loss
Photo credit: NHL.com
Penguins players revealed that following the team's first loss of the season, Dan Muse did not address them that night, and they had to wait until the next day.
Dan Muse would not address the Pittsburgh Penguins players after their 6-1 beatdown by the New York Rangers on Saturday. That is not uncommon in the NHL, but it did provide players with a look at how their new coach reacts to adversity.
The Penguins had opened the regular season with two wins and hadn't lost until early in the preseason. Sunday, during practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, players got some insight into Muse's frame of mind.
He didn't vent or neglect the loss; rather, he focused on thinking ahead and reiterating the expectations he's been setting since becoming head coach.
"He said as soon as practice starts, it's a new day and we get better," first-year Penguins forward Anthony Mantha said of Muse's message.
Dan Muse's Primary Concern is That of Teaching and Constructing
Muse's message was straightforward: every game is a special occasion, but the process is the same. His approach is that of teaching and constructing, a testament to working with young players his whole life.
"It's more the way you go about it," first-year Penguins forward Justin Brazeau, who somewhat surprisingly leads the team with three goals, said. "They thought we had a good start and just kind of let it get away."
"Obviously, you never want to lose, but I think it's kind of the way you lose," Brazeau said. "I thought we got off to a good start (Saturday). When a couple things didn't our way, we let it get away from us.
"It's something we can learn from and build off of. We need to stick with what we're doing, stick to the process."
"Obviously, you never want to lose, but I think it's kind of the way you lose," Brazeau said. "I thought we got off to a good start (Saturday). When a couple things didn't our way, we let it get away from us.
"It's something we can learn from and build off of. We need to stick with what we're doing, stick to the process."
That message is already taking hold in a locker room that's full of veterans and rookies.
"I think every game's going to be a little different," Muse said. "I'm not just saying on losses; I'm also saying on wins. I think you've got to approach it a little bit different based on what happened during the game. But I don't think you want to stray too far (from the overall message), either."
Defenseman Harrison Brunicke, one of the team's young guns, noted that part of learning is how not to lose positively. Under Muse, he and others are being taught a crash course on how to remain calm and focused after losing.
The Penguins get some opportunity to put some of those into practice in short order when they start a road swing up and down California, their first long, extended away-from-home stretch of the season.
For Muse, it's not so much how the team reacts in victory or defeat as much as how it continues to build on its identity.
His even-keel, process-first philosophy is serving as a tone-setter for his first season in the NHL, one that's less about emotions and more about improving.
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