The Penguins have been adamant that they liked a lot of things about Game 1 in their qualifying-round series against Montreal, with the final score -- 3-2, in the Canadiens' favor -- being the most conspicuous exception.
One thing they clearly did well was to limit the number of power plays Montreal had, giving the Canadiens just two chances with the extra man. (That total does not include the penalty shot Jonathan Drouin was awarded in overtime.)
Of the 20 teams that played on the first two days of this postseason, Columbus, which was assessed a single minor during its 2-0 victory against Toronto Sunday, is the only one to be assessed fewer penalty minutes than the Penguins. (The New York Islanders also were shorthanded for just four minutes during a 2-1 victory over Florida Saturday.)
Staying out of the box figures to be a priority again when the Penguins and Canadiens meet in Game 2 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto sometime after 8 o'clock tonight.
"There seems to be a fair amount of penalties being called throughout the course of the playoffs to this point," Mike Sullivan said today. "So I thought our team did a pretty good job in Game 1 of being responsible with their sticks. It's something that we always talk about with our team, our stick discipline."
Tomas Tatar, who led Montreal with eight power-play goals during the regular season, did not record a shot on Matt Murray -- who will get the start in Game 2 -- Saturday, but linemates Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault did.
Often.
Gallagher threw a team-leading nine at Murray and Danault, who is Montreal's best defensive forward, was second with five.
Both assisted on Jeff Petry's overtime game-winner, but that was the only time either showed up on the scoresheet.
Damage control against those two, and Tatar, remains high on the Penguins' defensive to-do list.
"They're a very good line," Sullivan said. "They're a good 200-foot line. They play on both sides of the puck. They defend hard. They're competitive guys.
"I thought the guys who were on the ice out there against them did a pretty good job, but certainly, they're a real good line. We're going to have to be aware when they're on the ice."
• Penguins coaches, like their peers across the league, make a point of breaking down video after games, and the opener of the Montreal series was no exception. Sullivan, though, said they didn't notice anything about either team that hadn't been apparent during the game. "It played its way out exactly how we thought it would," he said. "Montreal's a good team. They have good structure, they play hard, they're good competitors. From a tactical standpoint, I think both teams are prepared for what each team is trying to do, and how they're trying to go about accomplishing scoring goals. I don't think there were any surprises."
• Sullivan, on the Penguins' reaction to being behind in the series: "I think our players understand where they're at. It's a series; it's not a one-game scenario. We have to control what we can. We're a forward-thinking group. We're going to try to learn from the experience that we went through in Game 1 and when the puck drops tonight, we're going to have to make sure that we stay in the moment. That's an important part of being successful at this time of year."
• While the circumstances of this postseason are unlike any other in NHL history, Sullivan said that his players have not been fazed by things like the condition of the ice when they're playing the third game of the day in the arena and the "canned" crowd noise being pumped into building during play. "I think they've done a great job," he said. "We don't even discuss that stuff. We talk about the things we can control. I think our guys have done a great job at keeping the focus where it needs to be, and that's on the hockey."
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