Winter Classic blog: Pierre-Olivier Joseph

Pierre-Olivier Joseph of the Pittsburgh Penguins will write a blog for NHL.com leading up to and after playing the Boston Bruins in the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park in Boston on Monday.
In his first installment, the 23-year-old defenseman writes about wanting to turn the page after the Penguins went 0-for-9 on the power play in a 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Friday. He also describes the discussions he's had with his brother, Ottawa Senators forward Mathieu Joseph, who played with the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Nashville Predators in the 2022 NHL Stadium Series at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Feb. 26, 2022.

I think playing games like that against the Devils, you have to be better on special teams when you have a chance to come back in the game.
Our power play has been pretty good lately, but when you're going like this, you just want to keep your power play simple. We had chances and we played a pretty good game.
I think it's all about forgetting about this one and looking forward to the Winter Classic coming up. I didn't want to think about it too much. I just tried to push it away as much as I possibly could. It was on the schedule. We were practicing with the gear and stuff, so getting excited for the game.
RELATED: [2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic coverage]
Now, seeing that the next game's going to be in an environment like that, it's really exciting. I think everyone here is super excited for that. The memories you're going to create will last a lifetime. We feel really fortunate that we have the chance to be in this event and in one of the most iconic places in the world.
I'm just really excited to get there and practice, see the setup. I think it's going to be important just to take it all in. The environment, the fans, everything.
I did talk with my brother after his outdoor game. He reminded me of when we were kids, just going outside and playing on the pond for hours and hours until you don't feel your feet anymore. So it's definitely something that I'm looking forward to. He's excited for me, and I was excited for him. I was able to watch that game. He played a pretty good game. I think he's going to be watching.
But definitely with the game, including the excitement of playing outdoors and the fun that everyone will have at the same time, I think it's good for the chemistry of the team, too. It just brings the guys back together.
It's not everyone that gets the chance to do something like that in their career, so we're really lucky that we have the chance to be a part of it. I'm sure the older guys are happy to go back in this environment as well since they've already played in a couple.
It's really exciting and we're really looking forward to the event.