Sidney Crosby explains what sparked the Penguins' extra motivation after friday's collapse
Photo credit: NHL.com
The Penguins collapsed in their first game in Sweden on Friday, and Sidney Crosby revealed what sparked the motivation to come back very strong on Sunday.
The Penguins finished their Global Series Sweden trip with a split result against the Nashville Predators, taking home three out of four available points.
The result that got away on Friday could have been different if Nashville had not tied the game toward the end and emerged victorious in overtime
What Sidney Crosby said the devastating loss on Friday led to
This heartbreak influenced how they proceeded two days later when they arrived ready to fix what didn't work on Friday and take back something positive with them on their way to their next game, Sidney Crosby said.
"I think we were pretty motivated coming off the last game, the way it finished," Crosby said after Sunday's win, via NHL.com. "Didn't feel like we played our best, and to have it finish the way it did, I think we were just motivated to bounce back. I thought it showed."
This was apparent from the very start. Pittsburgh stormed out to a 3-0 lead after the first period on Sunday and dominated the game from start to finish.
The Penguins' rookie goaltender Sergei Murashov turned in a flawless performance, stopping all 21 shots to register his first-ever shutout in the National Hockey League.
Why Sunday's game was so much better for Pittsburgh
The overall resistance shown by the group, combined with better play and a more polished defensive showing, indicated a stark difference from what occurred on Friday. Erik Karlsson agreed with Crosby's assessment.
"I don't think as a group we performed the way that we wanted to (on Friday)," Karlsson said. "I think everybody felt that. Our first period was huge, being able to capitalize on a few chances and get an early lead. And I think for the rest of the game, we did a good job at managing the situations out there."
They managed the puck well, reduced opportunities against, and seized opportunities early to keep Nashville from setting the tempo.
The win improves the Penguins' record to 10-5-4 overall and third place in the Metropolitan Division. They will look to continue their positive play on Friday when they face off against the Minnesota Wild.
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