VORHEES TOWNSHIP, N.J. — The Pittsburgh Penguins had reason to celebrate Friday.
They scored a goal.
During the final stages of a lengthy practice session that lasted approximately one hour — perhaps their longest such session in months — the team’s top power-play unit scored a goal.
As goaltender Stuart Skinner lay on his left hip, he was unable to recover to his skates as members of that unit — forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust, along with defenseman Erik Karlsson — stood over Skinner, hounding him while giving each other a playful, mock group hug to celebrate their accomplishment.
Make no mistake, the Penguins practiced in a dutiful, attentive and crisp fashion. After all, they are down 0-3 in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series to the Philadelphia Flyers. They need plenty of refinement in all areas of their game.
But they are having fun while trying to work out their malfunctions.
“Today is great,” Malkin said from an auxiliary dressing room at Flyers Training Center on the east side of the Delaware River. “I love it. We understand (the) situation. It’s not easy. It’s tough. But it’s not over. We can’t be (in a) bad mood. Because it’s not a help to us. We have a great practice. Worked hard. Ready for tomorrow.”
Game 4 is scheduled for some time after 8 p.m. — likely closer to 8:30 p.m. because of national television interests — at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
The likelihood of the Penguins winning the next four games is slim. In the NHL’s 108-year history, of the 213 best-of-seven series in which one team has claimed a 3-0 lead, only four of them have managed to lose the next four.
The Penguins aren’t preoccupied with the next four games. Just Game 4.
“Being in this position, you can’t look too far ahead,” Crosby said. “You’ve just got to look what’s in front of you, and that’s tomorrow and making sure we put our best game on the ice.”
The somewhat jovial nature of Friday’s practice despite the circumstances was desired.
“It’s important,” coach Dan Muse said. “It’s really important. There’s that balance. You want the intensity that’s necessary to have a good practice today. But you also want it to be where you’re not gripping the stick too tight. Or you’re not getting too tight. Practice is important. You don’t get a lot of these this time of year, especially at this point in a series. For us to have that balance, I thought the guys did a good job with it.
“It’s what you want to see. It’s what I wanted to see today.”
Everyone with a vested interest in the Penguins would like them to win Game 4. That would extend their season by at least one more game.
And Malkin’s future with the club, even if just incrementally.
A pending unrestricted free agent who will turn 40 in July, Malkin reiterated his desire to remain with the only NHL club he has known in a 20-year career.
“I hope it’s not over,” Malkin said. “I hope we’re still fighting. My future, again, I say the same thing. I want to be here. I want to be part of the team next year too. I want to be retired in Pittsburgh. But it’s not my choice. It’s (Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas’) decision. It’s (the) new owners, probably, too.
“Again, I just play my game tomorrow. I hope it’s not over, and we’re back to Pittsburgh. We want to play (in front of) our fans too. They deserve that we play at home again.”
For now, the Penguins only have to win Game 4.
“It’s just one game,” Malkin said. “We have a great year, and we have a good team. We understand what’s going on. It’s not easy, of course. Nobody believes (in) us. But we believe (in) ourselves. And I believe (in) my team.”