Nedeljkovic pipes up after latest pathetic home performance
JUSTIN BERL / GETTY
Utah's Dylan Guenther scores past Alex Nedeljkovic in the third period Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena.
Alex Nedeljkovic isn't one to keep his thoughts to himself. Whether it's his love for the Cleveland Browns or how he feels about the team's play, you're going to get honesty and insight.
After the Penguins' 6-1 loss Saturday night to the Utah Hockey Club, Nedeljkovic was standing up at his stall in the locker room, waiting for the opportunity to speak.
"It sucks," he began. "This sucks. I mean, I don't know. The only other way I can maybe say it is, like, if we want to stop feeling like this after games, if you want to stop getting embarrassed at home, do something about it. I don't know, pay a price. Do something. Feel something else. Anything else feels better than whatever that was tonight, and what we've been putting out there as a whole this year."
No, Nedeljkovic wasn't at his best -- 24 saves on 30 shots -- but he was far from the biggest problem. The Penguins came out flying but couldn't sustain that for more than eight minutes, and Utah took a 2-0 lead before first intermission. Even when Sidney Crosby's 600thgoal in the second brought new life, a struggling penalty-kill soon gave momentum back with the first of three Utah power-play goals. And that was it. The Penguins were done. No push, as always.
"We've had good efforts lately," Nedeljkovic said. "The game was right there was in striking distance, and then the third period just wasn't it. We can't let it unravel like that."
Do the Penguins have the roster to compete with the NHL's top teams?
Probably not. But they sure have the personnel to be better than the 30th-best point percentage in a 32-team league. They have personnel to at least make these games seem competitive.
"It doesn't take a lot to play the right way, play smart, play with some detail," Nedeljkovic said. "It doesn't take talent. Doesn't take skill. You don't have to be the strongest guy, the smartest guy, the most fit, whatever all it is. Is just an attitude and a mindset. And I think we have that at times. We've shown it at times. I think we just need it more consistently."
Sure, some of the Penguins' issues come down to just straight execution, and at least part of it is related to the personnel at hand. But the larger trends, albeit not an issue in this specific game -- the inability to hold onto third-period leads because of the passive play, or the lack of focus at the start of games that put them at a deficit early -- are just about a mindset.
How do you fix the issue of a mindset, especially on a team with as many Hockey Hall of Fame players as it does? Trades could certainly provide that jolt. If this continues long enough, obviously one has to take a look at the head coach. But there's nothing stopping the players already in that room from finding the answer themselves.
They've got to do something.
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THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
7:01 am - 11.24.2024PPG Paints ArenaNedeljkovic pipes up after latest pathetic home performance
JUSTIN BERL / GETTY
Utah's Dylan Guenther scores past Alex Nedeljkovic in the third period Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena.
Alex Nedeljkovic isn't one to keep his thoughts to himself. Whether it's his love for the Cleveland Browns or how he feels about the team's play, you're going to get honesty and insight.
After the Penguins' 6-1 loss Saturday night to the Utah Hockey Club, Nedeljkovic was standing up at his stall in the locker room, waiting for the opportunity to speak.
"It sucks," he began. "This sucks. I mean, I don't know. The only other way I can maybe say it is, like, if we want to stop feeling like this after games, if you want to stop getting embarrassed at home, do something about it. I don't know, pay a price. Do something. Feel something else. Anything else feels better than whatever that was tonight, and what we've been putting out there as a whole this year."
No, Nedeljkovic wasn't at his best -- 24 saves on 30 shots -- but he was far from the biggest problem. The Penguins came out flying but couldn't sustain that for more than eight minutes, and Utah took a 2-0 lead before first intermission. Even when Sidney Crosby's 600th goal in the second brought new life, a struggling penalty-kill soon gave momentum back with the first of three Utah power-play goals. And that was it. The Penguins were done. No push, as always.
"We've had good efforts lately," Nedeljkovic said. "The game was right there was in striking distance, and then the third period just wasn't it. We can't let it unravel like that."
Do the Penguins have the roster to compete with the NHL's top teams?
Probably not. But they sure have the personnel to be better than the 30th-best point percentage in a 32-team league. They have personnel to at least make these games seem competitive.
"It doesn't take a lot to play the right way, play smart, play with some detail," Nedeljkovic said. "It doesn't take talent. Doesn't take skill. You don't have to be the strongest guy, the smartest guy, the most fit, whatever all it is. Is just an attitude and a mindset. And I think we have that at times. We've shown it at times. I think we just need it more consistently."
Sure, some of the Penguins' issues come down to just straight execution, and at least part of it is related to the personnel at hand. But the larger trends, albeit not an issue in this specific game -- the inability to hold onto third-period leads because of the passive play, or the lack of focus at the start of games that put them at a deficit early -- are just about a mindset.
How do you fix the issue of a mindset, especially on a team with as many Hockey Hall of Fame players as it does? Trades could certainly provide that jolt. If this continues long enough, obviously one has to take a look at the head coach. But there's nothing stopping the players already in that room from finding the answer themselves.
They've got to do something.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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