Inside Scoop: Final Training Camp Scrimmage

Thoughts, musings and observations from the Penguins' fourth and final intra-squad scrimmage of their Phase 3 training camp that took place on the FedExRink at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.

• Sidney Crosby did not participate, instead skating on his own over on the Covestro Innovation Rink. He did speak with the media afterward, saying he's hoping to practice with the team on Monday but will ultimately take things day-by-day. The full update is here.

• This was our last look at the Penguins before they leave for Toronto on Sunday to begin Phase 4, which will feature an exhibition game against Philadelphia on Tuesday before Game 1 against Montreal on Saturday.

"I think our guys have had enough of playing against themselves," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said with a grin. "I think they're excited about playing against an opponent. That is the next step when we get to Toronto. To this point the coaches are pleased with the progress that we've made."

He's happy with their conditioning - saying they did a good job of working on that in the Phase 2 informal skates - and feels like they had sufficient scrimmage time to address game situations.

"As far as the combative drills and tight-area spaces and those aspects of the game, we tried to give them enough opportunity to get themselves in those situations," Sullivan said. "Both from a physical skill standpoint and getting used to the subtleties of making those small plays in tight spaces."

• Team Black staged a third-period comeback with five unanswered goals to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 5-2 lead, which stood as the final score. Patric Hornqvist scored twice while Bryan Rust, Patrick Marleau and Jared McCann also found the back of the net for Team Black. Brandon Tanev and Anthony Angello scored for Team Gold. They used the same lineups as they did on Thursday:

Team Black:

Zucker-Malkin-Rust

Marleau-McCann-Hornqvist

Poulin-Varone-Miletic

Dumoulin-Letang

Riikola-Ruhwedel

Joseph

Murray

DeSmith

Team Gold:

Guentzel-Rodrigues-Sheary

Aston-Reese-Blueger-Tanev

Johnson-Lafferty-Angello

Pettersson-Marino

Johnson-Schultz

Czuczman

Jarry

Larmi

• Things got heated late in the second period after Brandon Tanev stood up Jared McCann as he drove to the net. After he picked himself up, McCann skated to the bench and let Tanev know that he didn't like that, and they nearly dropped the gloves before the coaching staff stopped it.

I think it's good to see that kind of competitive fire from the players considering the situation. They will have just one exhibition game (Tuesday against Philly) to get a feel for the intensity and passion of a real game before jumping into their series against Montreal. The more they could mix it up - within reason, of course - in these intra-squad scrimmages only helps prepare them. And don't worry - McCann and Tanev made up as they went to the locker room at the end of the period.

"I think it's an indication of their investment into this process and this opportunity," Sullivan said. "I think our guys are excited to play and they're trying to get themselves game ready. You always walk that fine line when you're holding inter-squads - trying to play the game hard and play the game the right way and being physical when you have an opportunity, but making sure that you're respectful of your teammates. I thought our guys did a real good job in that regard."

• I mentioned this on Thursday, and I'll mention it again: I really like the swagger and confidence that McCann has brought to this camp. He looks more than ready to handle the third-line center role, an incredibly important one for the Penguins in the playoffs as teams look to shut down Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

You have to love how much that third line has been on the scoresheet in these scrimmages. Even though Hornqvist had to miss the first week of training camp, he's an absolute specimen when it comes to his physical fitness and conditioning, and it shows. He immediately got into game shape, scoring twice today and once Thursday, and just playing the same way he always does.

And speaking of the word specimen, that's the one Marcus Pettersson used to describe Marleau this training camp, and it's certainly applicable. The 40-year-old has looked fantastic.

• Going off that, the primary role of Pittsburgh's 'fourth line' - which consists of Tanev, Teddy Blueger and Zach Aston-Reese - is clear. They're hard to play against, strong defensively and create momentum. Sullivan trusts them to go up against other teams' top lines and shut them down, which they do with aplomb.

But the trio has been vocal about how they want to capitalize offensively when they get the chance, and they did that all of training camp. Blueger had scored a couple of times coming into this game, while Tanev scored once today on an impressive individual effort and nearly potted another that ended up getting waved off. Not to mention they did that while matching up against the Malkin line.

• Don't let the final score fool you - I thought this was the best the goalies have looked all camp, which is a good sign going into the bubble. Team Gold tilted the ice for much of the game, but Murray was up to the challenge, coming up with save after save. I thought he did a good job of tracking the puck and then holding onto it, negating any second-chance opportunities.

Not to be outdone, Jarry literally did a cartwheel at one point to make a delightful windmill glove save at the end of the second.

"Both goalies are tracking the right way," Sullivan said. "They both had moments in all of the inter-squads where they made some big saves."

Sullivan declined to divulge their plan for the goalies on Tuesday, saying they would share that after arriving in Toronto.