Focus on constant commitment to defense

The Penguins were the 12th-worst defensive team in the NHL before games Monday night. It could have been worse.

After all, they are allowing an average of 34 shots per game — third most in the league — as they prepare to face Florida tonight at PPG Paints Arena.

That’s up from 29.7 during the 2015-16 regular season and from 28 in their playoff run.

Although scoring chances are more important — and more subjective — than shots on goal, coach Mike Sullivan said Monday that “of course” there is a correlation between the two.

“We talked about it quite a bit [Monday],” center Matt Cullen said. “It’s something we have to be extremely conscious of, especially coming off of last season. We need to get our game tightened up.”

Sullivan characterized the defensive deficiencies this season as “a ‘we’ thing,” and Cullen said their problems reflect an occasional lack of focus and commitment.

“Our attention to detail is not what it needs to be,” he said. “We’re not playing the right way with the puck. We’re playing loose with the puck.

“And, up until now, we haven’t competed consistently enough. We’ve had periods where we competed hard and played well, but we haven’t strung that together in a 60-minute period where we’re happy with the way we played.”

Sullivan said he is “confident in this group, that we have what it takes not only to cut the chances-against down,” and echoed several players who suggested the Penguins would benefit from spending more time in the offensive zone.

There are, of course, 76 regular-season games remaining, and the Penguins (3-2-1) hardly are in danger of having their season go sour. Not yet, anyway.

“We’re not panicking,” defenseman Justin Schultz said. “But we need to figure it out.”

All about goalies

Florida goalie Roberto Luongo is expected to have tonight off — Panthers coach Gerard Gallant announced that James Reimer will start against the Penguins — and it’s pretty clear he has earned a break.

Luongo, 37, has earned 439 career victories, good for sixth place on the NHL’s alltime list. He is 3-1, with a 1.99 goals-against average and .922 save percentage this season. He leads active goalies in victories, games-played [930] and shutouts [72].

Marc-Andre Fleury of the Penguins hardly is a novice — he is 31 and ranks 18th on the all-time victories list (360) — but acknowledged that Luongo is someone he has looked up to for a long time.

“I have a picture at home from a hockey school in the summer,” Fleury said. “He was a teacher, demonstrating the drills. He was in junior, so he was already pretty good.”

Murray nears return

Matt Murray, who hasn’t played since breaking his hand in the Canada Cup tournament last month, suggested Monday that his return to active duty might not be that far off.

“Getting closer and closer every day,” the goalie said. “Make a decision here, hopefully, soon.”

Murray has resumed practicing with his teammates and said that, thanks to some demanding bike-riding and skating while he’s been out, “my conditioning is pretty top-notch right now.”

Tip-ins

The Penguins are 32-6-4 in their past 42 home games, including playoffs. … Prospect Daniel Sprong, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, skated on his own Monday in Cranberry.