Penguins not panicking heading into Game 4 against Capitals

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Sidney Crosby wasn't required to skate Wednesday. He did anyway.
Crosby was one of 12 players present for the Pittsburgh Penguins' optional practice one day after
losing 4-3 to the Washington Capitals in Game 3
of the Eastern Conference Second Round. The Penguins trail the best-of-7 series 2-1, and Crosby chose to work on his game.

"It's good to be out there, especially after a game if there's things you want to work on," the Penguins captain said. "If you have a lower number of guys practicing], you get to do a little bit more out there sometimes."
***[RELATED: [Complete Capitals vs. Penguins series coverage]*
Crosby has 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in nine games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs entering Game 4 at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TVAS, SN).
Jake Guentzel, Crosby's left wing, leads the NHL with 19 playoff points (eight goals, 11 assists) and also practiced Wednesday.
The fact others chose not to may show the Penguins aren't panicking.
"I don't think anything concerns us," Crosby said. "There's always things that you have to clean up and get better at] as the series goes on. So there are things we definitely want to improve on, but I think that's pretty typical for any series."
There were no line rushes, starting goaltender Matt Murray didn't skate, and practice ended about 15 minutes after its scheduled start time of noon ET.
Carl Hagelin, who played left wing on the second line before missing three games with an upper-body injury, practiced in a regular yellow jersey and a face shield but did not take contact. He will be a game-time decision, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.
Rookie forward Zach Aston-Reese
[sustained a broken jaw and concussion
after taking a hit from Capitals forward Tom Wilson at 9:47 of the second period in Game 3. How the Penguins will make up for losing their third-line left wing remains unknown. Wilson was suspended three games by the NHL Department of Player Safety for an illegal check to the head.

One reason the Penguins aren't panicking is because they have been in this situation before. They trailed the Ottawa Senators 2-1 in the 2017 Eastern Conference Final before winning the next two games, losing 2-1 in Game 6 and winning 3-2 in the second overtime of Game 7. In 2016, the Penguins trailed the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in the conference final and won the final two games by a combined score of 7-3.
"I think we have lots of experience to draw on in circumstances," Sullivan said. "It's hard to win in the playoffs and you're going to go through ups and downs, and emotional highs and emotional lows. It's all about how you handle those and how you react and respond."
Murray, the Penguins' 23-year-old goaltender who won the Stanley Cup twice as a rookie, has struggled at times in these playoffs. In his third postseason, Murray is 5-4 with a 2.48 goals-against average and .906 save percentage, and allowed four goals on 22 shots in Game 3.
"I felt really good the first two games [of this series], shaky last night," Murray said. "One save could've got the job done at the end. So still right there, still feel pretty good overall."

The Penguins would like to see Murray return to form, although they have other concerns.
A majority of their offense comes from the first line of Crosby centering Guentzel with Patric Hornqvist at right wing. One of those three scored Pittsburgh's three goals in Game 3.
Phil Kessel has moved between second-line and third-line right wing; Derick Brassard was bumped from third-line center to the same position on the fourth line Tuesday. Each has one goal in nine games.
Pittsburgh is hoping Evgeni Malkin will spark the rest of the lineup. The second-line center returned in Game 3 after missing three games with a lower-body injury and had an assist.
"Overall I think everybody played pretty good," defenseman Kris Letang said. "Everybody had chances last game, so it doesn't matter who scores. At the end of the day, we just want to win the game."