from Jenn Menendez of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

The Penguins spent much of the first half of this season searching for their identity.

Nearly 20 games with Mike Sullivan at the helm, there is a clear blueprint of who they are. Now, it’s matter of executing consistently.

“I think our players have enough evidence in front of them to know how we have to play in order to give ourselves a chance to win, regardless of who our opponent is,” Sullivan said. “We’ve shown ourselves in, I think, a fairly consistent manner when we have success. We’ve also had instances where we don’t play the game the right way and how it impacts our ability to get the outcome that we want.”

Sidney Crosby would agree.

“I think we know what our game looks like as far as our identity and how we want to play,” Crosby said. “We’re getting used to that. It has to become a habit. It’s not something you can just turn it on and off. I think that we’re gradually getting to that point where we’re a little more consistent and know what it looks like. [But] we can still improve in that area.”

The Penguins have made subtle changes in the offensive zone that has helped with puck possession and increased their shooting and scoring chances.

continued