CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Brian Dumoulin is not what one would consider a natural goal-scorer. He has scored just once this season and eight times in his four-plus NHL seasons. So when the defenseman drove to the net unimpeded to score a gorgeous backhanded goal during 5-on-5 drills Tuesday in practice, a small celebration ensued.
However, at least one person wasn't so pleased.
"What are you doing!?" boomed a familiar voice with a New England accent.
Needless to say, the drill was immediately stopped. The celebration, too.
Perhaps the only thing more impressive than Dumoulin's goal was that Mike Sullivan's voice could be heard above the din and echoes inside the cavernous Lemieux Sports Complex.
But anyone who was expecting a bag skate, the second coming of Bataan or even a glimpse at the Penguins' new-look power play units would have gone home disappointed Tuesday. A day after the Penguins' humbling 6-3 loss to the Devils, the nearly hourlong, on-ice session was more a day for instruction. A rare one, too, after a lengthy layoff and with a crowded game schedule ahead.
"I thought the pace was good," Sullivan replied when I asked. "I thought guys were paying attention out there. I thought we were focused. We pushed the pace. We competed. And that's got to be habitual for our group."
But as their recent four-loss-in-five-game slide has shown, the Penguins have gotten into some really bad habits, none more potentially fatal to their playoff hopes than allowing shorthanded goals. Brian Boyle's shorthanded goal in the second period on Monday was the league-worst 11th that Sullivan's team has surrendered. Following the game, he hinted strongly that he could be breaking up the team's No. 1 power play unit, which typically features Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist and Kris Letang.
That still might happen and it could still happen as soon as tomorrow night's game against the NHL-leading Lightning at PPG Paints Arena.
"We've had discussions with what we're going to do with each unit," Sullivan said. "We've left nothing off the table."
Curiously, there was no sign of that change during Tuesday's practice. The Penguins not only didn't unveil a new-look power play, they didn't even practice it -- a rarity in the Sullivan era.
"We usually work on it daily," Sullivan was saying. "It's an important part of our team. It's a part of our game that's won a lot of games for us. But, certainly, I think we're all well aware of the amount of goals we've given up, we can't continue in that vain and expect to win consistently. Those goals on the power play are hard to recover from. Not only does it make it difficult because you have to score another goal, but it takes away from the energy and momentum that your team is trying to gain over the course of a hockey game.
"It's such a game of momentum and handling those swings is important for a team's ability to have success. When you get the power play, the hope is that if you don't score, it gives you juice, and the next couple shifts they can build off the momentum that the power play gains. When we get scored against, it has the opposite effect. We're all well aware of that."
During their season-best, eight-game winning streak between Dec. 19 and Jan. 4, which included a four-day Christmas break, the Penguins had just three full practices. They also went 10-for-22 (45.4 percent) on the power play during that span. That said, Sullivan stated when the Penguins get practice time, they have to maximize it. He says it's where the "foundation is formed."
"I'm not one to think that because we have success when we're playing virtually every night and had very little opportunity to practice, I'm not so sure that would be a good game plan for the rest of the season," Sullivan said.
• After leaving Monday night's game early in the third period with an undisclosed injury, Jack Johnson reported that he is fine after practicing in full Tuesday. "Nothing major, feeling OK," Johnson told me. "Plan on playing (Wednesday)."
• Derick Brassard didn't hear from the NHL's Department of Player Safety after receiving a five-minute major for elbowing the Devils' Sami Vatanen in the third period Monday.
Brassard said he was OK with the call, but ...
"The game goes 100 mph. I wasn't coming fast at all," Brassard said. "I would have been mad if the game was on the line or a one-goal game or something like that. The game was out of hand a little bit. It is what it is. I was just hoping he would be OK."
• As they have done in recent weeks, Justin Schultz (leg) and Zach Aston-Reese (hand) skated on their own.
• The lines and pairs used Tuesday:
Guentzel-Crosby-Simon
Rust-Malkin-Kessel
Pearson-Brassard-Hornqvist
Sheahan-Cullen-Wilson
Dumoulin-Letang
Maatta-Riikola
Johnson-Pettersson
(Ruhwedel-Gonchar)
