Sullivan: Penguins weren't willing to play defense in loss vs. Kraken

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan criticized his team's defensive effort after Tuesday's 4-2 loss against the Seattle Kraken.

"What needs to change is a commitment to play defense," Sullivan said postgame. "That's what I think. And we weren't willing to play defense. We didn't spend a lot of time in our end tonight, but the time that we did, we weren't committed to play the right way.

"They score two goals in the third period on non-event scenarios. It wasn't like we were under siege. It wasn't like they were coming at us in waves. It was none of the above. It was two scenarios that, in my mind, were non-events. But we didn't pay attention to detail, we didn't stop, we didn't protect the good ice, we didn't get stops in the corners, win puck battles, block shots. It boils down to details. We weren't willing to do it tonight."

The Penguins led 2-1 entering the third period Tuesday, but Seattle scored twice in under a minute to take a lead they wouldn't surrender. Pittsburgh has now lost three straight games and seven of its last eight.

Sullivan doesn't believe the solution is a simple one.

"If I had the answer, I'd fix it," he said. "We simply have to do a better job defending in our end zone. And that falls on me. I gotta do a better job coaching these guys on our play in our own end, defending away from the puck, and making sure that we're on the same page there."

The Penguins are four points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Despite the issues, Sullivan said he isn't worried about the mental impact the losses could have on his group.

"No, I'm worried about making sure that we play defense," Sullivan said. "If we play defense, we'll win games. ... We've gotta be harder to play against. We've gotta find a comfort level in playing in our own end. That boils down to details and commitment. And that's what we gotta do."