Mike Sullivan: 'Have To Be In A Playoff Mindset Right Now'
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) – Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan joined Chris Mueller, Josh Miller, and Jim Colony on "The Fan Morning Show" on Wednesday to talk about his team, with the All-Star break quickly approaching.
Sullivan was also asked to explain what has changed for Sidney Crosby lately, as the Penguins' captain seems to have re-discovered his scoring touch.
"It's hard for me to comment on how we played before I arrived here," Sullivan said. "But, since I've been here, I think Sid's playing with a whole lot of energy and emotion. And I think that's when he's at his best, is when he has that complete emotional investment with what's going on. And for me, that allows him to act on his instincts."
In his mind, this has allowed Crosby to put himself in a position to do what he does best.
"I think he's playing in the dirty areas of the rink," Sullivan said. "You see him around the puck in behind the net, in the battle areas. He's around the blue paint a lot, around the net, and that's where a lot of the goals are scored in today's game... Sid's a talented guy, he's got a great stick, and when he gets in those areas, he's very dangerous."
Sullivan said he and his team have openly discussed the fact that they're on the outside looking in when it comes to the Eastern Conference playoff picture right now.
"We've talked about the situation on a few occasions," Sullivan said. "I think our main focus has really been on the day-to-day process, but I think it's important that the players understand the circumstance that we're in, and the big picture, so that they bring a certain level of urgency to their job every day."
Sullivan feels that the heightened parity in today's NHL forces teams to be on their game all season long, because there are more teams in the playoff picture and fewer easy opponents.
"As a team, you have to be in a playoff mindset right now," Sullivan said. "You can't wait until March or the second half of March and build up your momentum going into the playoffs. And I think that's where we find our circumstance right now. We're in a dogfight here for a playoff spot, and the reality is, the important thing is, is that you get there. And as long as you get there, anything can happen, and I think that we've got a team that can compete with anybody in this league, and it's going to be our job here to take each and every game as it comes, to make sure we put ourselves in a position to be there at the end."
The interview can be heard here:
