No rest for Sullivan, staff on 'off' day back in Pittsburgh taken in Philadelphia (Penguins)

Mike Sullivan behind the bench in Game 3. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS

PHILADELPHIA -- And after the third game, they rested.

The Penguins did not practice on Monday, but they will get to sleep in their own beds in Pittsburgh. Just as they did a night earlier.

With a two-day break between Games 3 and 4, the Penguins opted to fly back to Pittsburgh following Sunday’s late afternoon game in Philadelphia. With a 45-minute flight between cities, the decision to return was an easy one, according to Mike Sullivan.

"It gives our guys an opportunity to get a day off to spend some time with their families,” the coach said during a teleconference with reporters on Monday. “We get a practice in our practice facility. I think our players have a comfort level practicing with all of the resources that we have here (at the Lemieux Sports Complex).

“We just thought it made sense. I think our players are comfortable here.”

Though his players were given the day off, Sullivan said he and his coaching staff would be breaking down film of Sunday’s 5-1 win in Game 3 which gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 series lead. The Penguins will return to practice Tuesday morning in Cranberry before heading back to Philadelphia for Wednesday night's Game 4.

On other subjects:

• You can’t say the referees have put away their whistles for the summer just because it’s the playoffs. At least in this series, the officials haven’t been shy about calling anything and everything.  Through three games, 28 combined power play opportunities have been awarded.

“I think just the amount of penalties have been called so far is an indication of how the referees are calling the games,” he said. “They’re calling it like they see it.”

• Playoffs are supposed to be tight, one-goal and overtime games, right? Not Penguins-Flyers so far. Through three games -- all blowouts -- they’ve combined for 19 goals (13 of them for Pittsburgh).

“I think teams that make the playoffs tend to be teams that defend well because it’s hard to make the playoffs,” Sullivan said. “I do think because of the importance of the games and the high-stakes environment, teams tend to be more committed to the little things that make teams more difficult to play against, like shot-blocking and physical play and finishing checks, things of that nature. So it tends to be a harder game.”

• Sullivan said he and his staff are constantly looking at ways to improve their team. Through the early stages of the Flyers series, Sullivan says the Penguins could be better on special teams -- power play included -- but he also expanded upon his team’s defensive coverage off the rush.

“I think we can improve with our rush coverages and making sure we have forward trackers, so that we don’t allow Philadelphia to get their numbers attacking on the rush,” Sullivan said. “That’s one way I think their team is very dangerous. It’s one of the strengths of their group. We have to be diligent in working in that regard. Make sure we don’t allow them to get many outnumbered rushes where their defensemen are joining the rush and forwards are getting caught too deep in the offensive zone.”

• With seven points in three games, Sidney Crosby is second in playoff scoring (two points behind Boston’s David Pastrnak, whose Bruins have played just two games) entering Monday's games. That, after Crosby finished 10th in the regular season. Sullivan said he isn’t surprised, because his captain’s 200-foot game meshes well with the playoffs. And that his game is perfected by meticulous attention to detail in practice.

“It’s not by accident,” he said. “He’s a gifted player by nature, but there’s a lot of gifted players in the league. But I think what separates Sid is his willingness to continue to work at every element of his game, every detail of his game, and I think it shows. It really comes out in the high-stakes environment, the playoff environment when those details are so critically important.” 

Derick Brassard has a pair of power play points in the series, but Sullivan said that the third-line center’s Game 3 performance was his best since coming off a groin injury which sidelined him for the final five games of the regular season. With Phil Kessel moving up to the second line, Brassard was paired with Conor Sheary on the left and Bryan Rust on the right. We’ll know tomorrow if those line combinations hold up.

Kris Letang recorded a pair of assists Sunday, but Sullivan was more impressed by his defensive play in 25:40 of work.

“He’s the one guy I think who can handle a significant workload and, quite honestly, we think he thrives on an increased workload and plays better when we give him that,” Sullivan said. “So because of that, it changes the dynamic of how we use all six defensemen back there. We really like his game right now. He plays a very efficient game.”

• The Penguins blocked a combined 41 shots in their two wins this series but just four in their one loss. Ideally, Sullivan said, the Penguins wouldn’t have to block shots but, when necessary, it’s something that has to be done.

“I think it’s a commitment on the players' part to do the little things that add up to big things and help us win,” Sullivan said.

• Two games after the fact, Sullivan said the Penguins played well enough to win Game 2, a 5-1 loss.

"I don't feel like it was a disaster as it was portrayed by some in the media,” he said.

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