Penguins Room: Simple Q, ‘What’s the No. 1 Reason for Better Defensive Play?’ (+)

By nearly any measure, the Pittsburgh Penguins have picked up their overall defensive game. Nearly gone from earlier are the stream of odd-man rushes against, blown leads and fumbles at the blue line.

We thought we would have a little fun with the players on the topic.

Since their humbling 6-1 loss at home Nov. 23 against Utah, the Penguins are 9-3-1, putting them above .500 and in much better position to make a push for a playoff spot.

During those 13 games, they have outscored opponents 53-40. There is little question the Penguins are getting on track offensively – their top line is on fire, or at least it was before the Christmas break, and more depth scoring has emerged.

However, the team’s overall defensive efforts have seemed to eliminate some of the palpable frustration from the first month-plus of the season.

So, after practice Friday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, PHN asked several players to name the top reason for the team’s improved defensive play. They could only pick one.

We asked five forwards, two defensemen and a goalie the same question.