CRANBERRY, Pa. -- "I saw a guy coming at me and a guy on the wall. So I tried to put it up the middle and then he picked it out of the air and was able to get a shot off. And it went in."
That's how Tristan Jarry described Josh Bailey's game-winning, double overtime goal from Game 5 when I asked him what he saw on the play after the Penguins' practice Tuesday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Jarry was asked afterward what he'd do differently on the play, now that he has the benefit of hindsight.
"Uh, stop it," he responded with a bit of a smile.
Jarry was then asked what he'd do differently on the attempted pass specifically.
"I'm not sure," he said. "Maybe leave it."
Jarry's answers might read as cold over text, but listening to him speak, he just seemed to be displaying the same even-keel attitude that he's had throughout his career, whether it's a win, loss, or off day:
With the Penguins now on the brink of elimination, it's crucial that Jarry doesn't dwell on the loss and comes into Game 6 on Long Island with a strong mindset. Being able to rebound from a bad game is something Jarry has shown throughout the season, and even earlier in this same series. After a tough overtime loss in Game 1 of the first-round series with the Islanders, Jarry responded by stopping 37 of 38 shots faced in Game 2.
Jarry spoke about what has led to that ability to rebound after tough games.
"I think just working with the coaching staff," he said. "I think they've done a great job just preparing me, preparing my mind. That's the big thing in this league, just being able to bounce back and be better than you were the next day. I think Mike Buckley has done a great job just being able to prepare me and get me better every day."
Mike Sullivan said after Game 5 that the team would "rally around" Jarry. Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, the only two players to speak after Game 5, both offered words of support in their postgame interviews.
"It's a team game," Letang said when asked about the goal. "It's nobody's fault."
Mike Matheson spoke highly of Jarry after Tuesday's practice.
"He played an amazing game," Matheson said. "I think that's the toughest part about being a goalie. If you do make a mistake, there isn't somebody there to back you up. Whereas if you talk to a defenseman or a forward, we make plenty of mistakes all throughout the game, but there's people there to back you up for it, so they're not as noticeable. I think that's the toughest part about being a goalie. We have total confidence in Tristan. I think he's one of the best goalies in the league, and he proves that night in and night out. I don't think anybody has any doubt in his ability."
Jarry said Tuesday that some teammates are the type to reach out and offer encouragement after a loss like that, and some keep to themselves, but that it doesn't make much of a difference for him personally either way.
"I'm a pretty easy-going person," he said. "I think it's just going about my business and doing what I need to do to be better the next day."
The common sentiment players and Sullivan expressed after Game 5 was that they were happy with their game, they just didn't get the result we wanted.
Jarry is entering the must-win Game 6 with the same mindset.
"I think we just have to play our game, and our game will prevail," Jarry said. "We're a good team, and we've got a lot of good players. I think we've been practicing and playing all year for this. We've been in a lot of situations this year. I think we're ready and we're prepared."
UPBEAT ENTERING GAME 6
Spirits were high in the 20-minute practice, despite the tough loss the night before. There were the same big smiles during drills, same over-the-top celebrations after goals that you'd usually see.
There was a moment during the power play work when Letang lost an edge and took an awkward tumble. Evgeni Malkin was the first to rush to Letang's side to check on him, but when Letang rolled over to face him, covered in snow with a smile on his face, his teammates erupted in cheers and stick taps. Malkin laughed and chirped Letang until the next run-through of the power play.
A lot of players stayed on the ice well after the formal session ended, and just seemed to be having fun.
"We don't really have any choice but to move past that game and get ready for the next one," Matheson said of the mood. "It serves us no use to come in and feel sorry for ourselves, or anything like that. The only thing we can do is learn from last game. I think we played a really good game and deserved better out of it. That's the way it goes sometimes. We can't sit around and feel like we deserved more than we got and just pack it in. We have to realize that at the end of the day, no matter what order it comes in, it's the first team that wins four games. We still have an opportunity to do that."
Sullivan liked the mindset of his team on Tuesday.
"I think our players are well aware of the circumstance we've been in," Sullivan said. "We've been in it in the past and found ways to have success. Our guys understand the circumstance. We just have to put our best game on the ice in New York tomorrow, that's what our intent is. We had a film session this morning, we tried to learn through last night's experience. We're going to look to the next game and try to find a way to have success."
MORE FROM PRACTICE
• Casey DeSmith didn't practice and has yet to skate on his own yet. He will not make the trip to New York for Game 6.
• Jason Zucker didn't practice either. Sullivan called his absence a "maintenance day." Colton Sceviour filled in on the second line.
• Rust also missed practice. Sullivan said that Rust was excused to spend time with his family after his first child, a son named Hunter, was born on Sunday. Evan Rodrigues filled in on the top line in his absence.
• Everything else remained the same in the configurations:
Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Evan Rodrigues
Colton Sceviour-Evgeni Malkin-Kasperi Kapanen
Jared McCann-Jeff Carter-Frederick Gaudreau
Zach Aston-Reese-Teddy Blueger-Brandon Tanev
Brian Dumoulin-Kris Letang
Mike Matheson-Cody Ceci
Marcus Pettersson-John Marino
• Without Rust, the top power play unit remained the same, with Jeff Carter filling in for Rust.
• The second unit was John Marino, Matheson, Rodrigues, Kasperi Kapanen, and Jared McCann.
• In the Islanders' availability, Barry Trotz said that he didn't have an update on forward Oliver Wahlstrom, who was injured in a collision with Matheson in Game 5. He added that if Wahlstrom is unable to play in Game 6, Travis Zajac would likely be the next man up.
Matheson was asked about the play that injured Wahlstrom.
"I hope he's doing OK," Matheson said. "I saw the replay after the game and it just looked like he got tangled up. I never want to see anybody get hurt from my perspective going into that play. They have a hard forecheck and so there was a loose puck. I just tried to play hard and gain position onto that puck. It just seemed like he got tangled up a little bit. I hope he's doing OK."