WASHINGTON -- Kris Letang, a Quebec native and friend of Pascal Dupuis, believes his former teammate's critique of Mike Sullivan may have been lost in translation.
That is not how Sullivan is taking it.
One day after Dupuis stated on French-Canadian TV that he believes there is a divide between Sullivan and star forwards Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins coach gave a sharp rebuke Wednesday.
"I'm surprised, disappointed, quite honest," Sullivan said after the Penguins' morning skate at Capital One Arena. "I think it's quite irresponsible on his part. He should know better, having been in a dressing room and understanding what we go through on a daily basis. It was a pretty irresponsible comment on his part.
"All I can tell you is that my relationship with Geno and Phil has been the same since I've been here. We all go through ups and downs and challenges over the course of a season. That's part of coaching. That's part of being part of a team. That's just part of the process. But no one has more respect for those guys than me. I think there's a mutual respect that exists among us. And so, that's just part of the process and us working through challenges. On his part, I thought it was a pretty irresponsible comment."
Though they are tied for second on the Penguins with 36 points each, Malkin, in particular, has struggled of late at 5-on-5. He's scored just one goal in his last seven games, that coming Monday night on the power play vs. the Ducks. Kessel has two goals in his last six games.
They have recently been reunited on the second line but Sullivan would clearly like to see both offensive playmakers play with more of a defensive conscience. On a team who's identity is its offense and quick transition game, Sullivan admits that can be a challenge at times.
"When you look at the nature of our team, the DNA of this group is that we have elite players who are playmakers and there's an inherent risk in playmaking, and we never want to take the stick out of a player's hand," he said. "That's certainly what separates some of our guys from others. We would be foolish to not maximize the potential that exists with our group, but there are times throughout the course of a game when we have to make simple plays and have to force teams to play goal line to goal line. We talk about situational awareness and situational play often because it's such an important part of winning.
"We're trying to find the sweet spot where we can make plays and do what we do best, but also be a team that's responsible and doesn't feed a team’s transition game and has situational awareness in mind. That's an important part of winning. When we do it, we're a good team."
Neither Kessel nor Malkin spoke to the media Wednesday morning.
