Dan Muse Takes Blame For Penguins Blowing Four-Goal Third Period Lead

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Muse is putting the blame on himself for the team’s blown third-period lead.

Anthony Mantha gave the Penguins a 5-1 lead at the 5:25 mark of the third period against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. However, San Jose scored four unanswered in the third to force overtime, which the Sharks ended up winning for a thrilling 6-5 win.

Following the loss, Muse spoke to reporters and said he and the entire team have to be better after blowing another game.

“The common thread is that we get away from what works,” Muse said on Saturday postgame. “Sometimes, it’s a little structurally. We get away from what works. Sometimes, we just put ourselves in bad positions. Sometimes, we take in poor penalties at inopportune times, giving them momentum, and we haven’t done nearly a good enough job of gaining that momentum back. We then look like a different team. I’ll take responsibility for this, too. Believe me, it’s all of us.

“We have to be better with it on the ice. I have to clearly be better, because it’s happened a number of times now. And we’ll find a way to. It’s just costing us too many points already, and obviously, it has to stop. And there’s not one thing other than the way we fall away from what works at those critical points.”

It’s a frustrating loss for the Penguins, who are in a playoff battle, as Muse knows that’s a game they should have gotten two points in.

Yet, Muse believes the loss will be a learning experience, and the Penguins will only improve.

“There’s no question in my mind that this group can be much better than we are,” Muse added. “We have to get there, though. We have to be working with them. And so, like I said, it’s happened enough times, too. I’ll look in the mirror first.”

Pittsburgh is now 14-8-8 and outside of a playoff spot. The Penguins will return to the ice on Sunday at home against the Utah Mammoth.

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