Sheary reunites with Guentzel, Crosby — at least for practice
The Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Conor Sheary line ran through drills at Penguins practice Wednesday morning in Cranberry. And for Sheary, there’s a level of comfort playing on that top line.
“If I do get that opportunity,” Sheary said, “I think I just need to focus on bringing what I can and try and help make that line better by using my speed and stuff like that.”
When playing alongside Crosby, Sheary said, he gets more opportunities in the zone. But with that comes a competitive Predators defense, as everyone is trying to “match up against Crosby,” including Pekka Rinne in goal, who stood on his head the past two games, going 2-0 in Nashville to tie the Stanley Cup final at two games apiece.
“We just have to find a way to crack that and get some by him,” Sheary said.
‘Ignorance is bliss’
Guentzel doesn’t play like a rookie. The 22-year-old forward scored four goals in the past four games, earning what’s likely to be a spot on the top line Thursday for Game 5 at PPG Paints Arena.
“The fact that he’s producing is huge for our team,” Sheary said. “He’s helped us get here. Big time.”
While Sheary knows having experience in the locker room is crucial, he said the “ignorance-is-bliss” mentality works well for the rookie.
“It’s all fun,” Sheary said, reflecting on his second Stanley Cup final trip. “The second time through, you have to enjoy it. You have to realize you don’t get these opportunities every year.”
A unique group
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has been around many teams, as both a player and coach. But this group stands out among all of them, and it’s something he said the coaching staff discusses frequently.
“They have a unique chemistry,” Sullivan said. “I believe it’s a competitive advantage of our team. I think these guys really enjoy one another, and they played hard for one another.”
But with the Stanley Cup final tied at 2-2, the Penguins will have to play even harder Thursday. Guentzel knows his team can’t afford to lose before going back to Nashville.
“We know what’s at stake, and we’ll be ready to go,” Guentzel said.
“This is a long series, and the fact that we’re starting to play better and get more chances is a good sign,” Sheary said. “Just because we didn’t get the result doesn’t mean too much. It’s a three-game series now. We just got to win the next one, and we have to focus on that and see if we can bring another strong effort like we did in Game 4.”