Fresh out of bye week, Sullivan urges players to turn the page taken in Cranberry, Pa. (Penguins)

DEJAN KOVACEVIC / DKPS

Penguins players on the ice for practice Sunday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa.

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Right after the whistle blew signaling the start of Penguins practice here at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex on Sunday, Mike Sullivan took a moment to address his squad coming out of the bye week.

Sullivan's message to the group was simple: Turn the page and trudge forward.

"One of the things we said to the guys on the ice before practice started, is this is a great opportunity for us to hit the reset button," Sullivan said. "We still have control of our own destiny, we still have the ability to influence our pathway moving forward. Whether we were, as individuals, pleased with the first part of the season or not, or a little bit of both, we can acknowledge it, but also understand that this is a great opportunity just to hit the reset button and start fresh here."

That mindset, Sullivan explained, is a product of being a forward-thinking group, something he's always been a believer in.

"This is a great opportunity for us," Sullivan said. "I think there was great energy in the practice today, I think guys were excited to get back at it, I think guys are excited about the opportunity that’s in front of us. But, as we always say to these guys, nothing’s inevitable in this game, we’ve got to go out and earn it every night. It starts in practice. I thought we had a pretty good practice today, we’ll try to build on it tomorrow, then we’re right back at it."

The Penguins still find themselves in playoff position, holding the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, but they stumbled into the bye week, winning just two of their last six games. Sullivan is looking for a better and more consistent showing from the group in the stretch run of the season.

"We’ve talked about our volatility as a group all season," Sullivan said. "We have to find ways to bring a more consistent game to the table game in and game out, period in, period out. We’ve fallen victim of that a number of different ways throughout the course of the year. It’s incumbent upon all of us that are inside that locker room to make that happen, and that’s what we’re trying to do.

"A lot of it boils down to consistency of effort and execution, and it starts in practice. We’re hopeful that we’re gonna get a number of practices here coming up that we can continue to build on some of the good habits that we have developed. When you look at our practice schedule the last few months, we haven’t had a whole lot of practice time. And I think that, over the course of time, does have implications. Now that’s not a challenge that any other team in the league doesn’t face. That’s one of the demands of playing an NHL schedule. But I do think, with this group in particular, that’s an important aspect of building consistency, is building the right habits and working on those daily. That’s a daily endeavor, and I believe strongly in that and we’re going to work at that."

MORE FROM PRACTICE

Ron Hextall spoke with the media Sunday about his plans for the upcoming trade deadline. I've got all of it covered in a separate story here.

Tristan Jarry (upper-body injury) did not practice with the team Sunday, but he did skate on his own beforehand and took shots from goalie coach Andy Chiodo. His status is day-to-day, and Hextall does not anticipate him missing much more time.

Jan Rutta (upper-body injury, long-term injured reserve) didn't practice with the team, either, but skated prior to the group session. His status is day-to-day.

• Both Kasperi Kapanen (undisclosed injury, injured reserve) and Josh Archibald (lower-body injury, long-term injured reserve) practiced with the team and did so without any limitations. Sullivan suggested they are trending toward being game-time decisions when the Penguins return to action Tuesday night against the Avalanche at PPG Paints Arena.

• The Penguins rocked some new-look lines, featuring Jeff Carter back at center while Danton Heinen and Drew O'Connor found themselves out of the top 12:

Jake Guentzel - Sidney Crosby - Rickard Rakell
Jason Zucker - Evgeni Malkin - Bryan Rust
Brock McGinn - Jeff Carter - Kasperi Kapanen
Ryan Poehling - Teddy Blueger - Josh Archibald

(Danton Heinen rotated in with the first and second lines)

Brian Dumoulin - Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson - Jeff Petry
P.O Joseph - Chad Ruhwedel
Drew O'Connor - Mark Friedman
skated as a fourth defense pairing

• Kapanen returned to the second power-play unit with Heinen looking like he's slated for the press box Tuesday night. Here's the personnel for both units ...

PP1: Crosby, Guentzel, Rakell, Malkin, Letang

PP2: Carter, Zucker, Rust, Kapanen, Petry 

• When Hextall spoke with the media, he had nothing but great things to say about the season Malkin is having. Sullivan, too, had nothing but great things to say with Malkin nearing 1,200 points for his career.

"It’s remarkable," Sullivan said of Malkin's season. "There aren’t a lot of players that have come into this league that have been able to accomplish that. I think he’s put himself in elite company. … We grow accustomed to it because we have him on our team, and they’ve accomplished so much here in the time that they’ve been Pittsburgh Penguins. 

"What have I seen from Geno? I see a driven hockey player. I think he’s playing extremely hard. He’s not a perfect player by any stretch, but he’s an elite player. He still has the ability to dominate games. That’s what I see. There’s nights when the puck just follows him around, it seems. And that’s when he’s at his best. 

"I think Geno’s quietly been one of our more consistent players. He brings it every night. He’s engaged, he’s invested. You can see it in his emotion. We’re trying to work on certain aspects of his game, we’re trying to cut a little bit of risk out of his game, but understanding that he brings something special that most players can’t bring."

• Really funny moment when Sullivan arrived for his post-practice availability. He was asked if he missed the media over the team's bye week, to which he responded with a devilish smile before offering his honest answer: "Like a toothache."

• The Penguins practice again on Monday here at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Taylor Haase will have your coverage.

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