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Pittsburgh Penguins players reveal what will drive their motivation on two-game road trip
The Penguins begin their mini two-game road trip tonight in Ottawa, before heading to Montreal on Saturday, and the players outlined what will motivate them.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are seeking a turnaround following a problematic stretch. The Penguins finished their five-game homestand with a record of 0-2-3, allowing leads to slip away in the third periods of games, and departed Wednesday for a pair of games in Ottawa and Montreal.
What is causing this road trip to get personal for some Penguins players
This travel also has a personal element, as several fathers of participating players and staff members are going on this trip.
Their presence could give some form of boost to the boys, who would not want their dads to see another meltdown on their lap.
"It's been a difficult past week and a little bit of a tough stretch. I think the timing couldn't be better," Penguins coach Dan Muse said of the dad's trip.
- Dan Muse
- Dan Muse
Outside of having their families there to support them, the Penguins are left to rely on their toughness and their confidence in themselves as a hockey team.
After practice on Wednesday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the Penguins were quick to exit the locker room, but it was probably to spend some time with their dads before departing for the airport.
The players and coaches are adamant that their current struggles are not due to a lack of talent or schemes, but rather issues with their mindset and making mistakes.
"It's going to happen throughout the season," said 18-year-old forward Ben Kindel. "It's a long year. There's going to be ups and downs, so just sticking with it and trust the process.
"Nobody's panicking. There's a general sense of calm and poise. It's going to help make us stronger as a team, I think. We're going to get out of this little slump, and it will help us in the future."
- Ben Kindel
"Nobody's panicking. There's a general sense of calm and poise. It's going to help make us stronger as a team, I think. We're going to get out of this little slump, and it will help us in the future."
- Ben Kindel
Why players are convinced that better days are ahead
Only a short time ago, Pittsburgh got five out of a possible six points on their three-game trip and were 4-1-1 before their current home stand. Even some of their youngest players are convinced that better days are ahead.
"Sometimes those homestands don't go the way you want, but I think we've got a good mindset going into Ottawa," Wotherspoon said. "It will be good, too, our dads are on the trip, bring a good spark there."
- Parker Wotherspoon
- Parker Wotherspoon
Although the current downturn is quite uncomfortable, the Penguins are looking to turn the page and regain the momentum that at one point had them among the premier performers in the NHL.
The hope is, of course, that whatever adversity lies in the future will be far more easily dealt with than the disappointment of the last home stand, as the Penguins look to hit the reset button on the road.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 18 | 92 ANSWERS Pittsburgh Penguins players reveal what will drive their motivation on two-game road trip Will the Penguins win their next two games on the road? | ||
| Yes | 19 | 20.7 % |
| No | 49 | 53.3 % |
| Just one win | 24 | 26.1 % |
| List of polls | ||