Dan Muse Calls Out Penguins’ Costly Turnovers After Capitals Loss

Dan Muse Calls Out Penguins’ Costly Turnovers After Capitals Loss originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh.
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Dan Muse isn’t interested in chalking up the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ latest mistakes to one bad bounce or one bad decision.

The Penguins’ head coach sees a bigger issue developing with the team’s puck management, particularly when players don’t have enough support around them.

Pittsburgh gave the Washington Capitals several opportunities off turnovers Wednesday night, and Muse acknowledged after the 5-3 loss that the Penguins need to clean up those mistakes before they become a bigger problem.

Muse said the mistakes weren’t all the same, but the Penguins repeatedly put themselves in difficult positions.

“There’s times that we’re vacating too early, or we’re not providing the support that’s necessary,” Muse said. “And when you don’t have options, that’s what’s going to happen.”

The Penguins’ problems were particularly noticeable along the blue line, where several turnovers gave Washington chances to attack with speed.

Muse said Pittsburgh’s defensemen need to do a better job recognizing where pressure is coming from and understanding when to make the safe play rather than trying to force something.

“Sometimes it’s a little bit of just that feel at the line,” Muse said. “And then I think sometimes, especially when plays are bobbled, it’s a rolling puck, you just got to live to fight another day.”

Instead of forcing a pass or trying to make a play under pressure, Muse wants the Penguins to put the puck into an area where they at least have a chance to recover it.

The goal is to avoid turning a difficult situation into an immediate scoring opportunity for the opposition.

“So now, it’s just going to be about putting it into an area where maybe it is a 50-50 puck, but it’s in an area there where we have a chance to get it back, and it’s definitely in an area where they’re not going to be coming at us with speed,” Muse said.

The turnovers also contributed to Pittsburgh spending too much time defending dangerous chances. Muse said goaltenders Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov have battled through those situations, but the Penguins can’t continue to leave their goalies facing that quality and volume of chances.

Muse also pushed back on the idea that Pittsburgh’s defensive issues were simply the result of a shortened preseason. He believes the Penguins have already shown they can execute within their structure.

The bigger issue, he said, is consistency.

That consistency will need to improve quickly as the Penguins look to clean up their mistakes and avoid giving opponents opportunities that don’t need to be there in the first place.

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