Therrien is tough on Penguins

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- It will take more than just a week for new coach Michel Therrien to mold the Pittsburgh Penguins into his image. But that doesn't mean the Penguins who take the ice against the Philadelphia Flyers tonight will not be a different team than one that played under Eddie Olczyk.
One week might not seem like a lot of time to transform the last-place Penguins (8-18-7), but it's a lot more than the 24 hours Therrien had before Pittsburgh played the Buffalo Sabres in a home-and-home series last weekend -- both Penguins' defeats.
High expectations
"We had a great week of practice here," the Penguins' Sidney Crosby said. "Everyone has been pushing themselves. We have high expectations of ourselves to come and play 60 minutes [tonight]."
Much has been made of the intense and structured style of Therrien, hired Dec. 15 to replace Olczyk. He has scolded his players on the bench and run them through several grueling practices this week.
"It was a tough week, and that's what happens when you don't win," forward Matt Murley said. "Now we know if you don't do it during the game, you'll pay for it all week."
Michel Ouellet played last season and most of this season under Therrien for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who had the best record in the American Hockey League when Therrien was promoted.
Ouellet said Pittsburgh's two losses last weekend played a part in all the hard skating.
Getting used to work ethics
"I think it gets guys used to the work ethic for the work we need to do for 60 minutes in the game," Ouellet said. "The way he starts showing it is, if you work hard in practice, you'll work hard in the games."
Some of the team's younger players -- such as Murley, Ouellet, center Erik Christensen, winger Thomas Surovy and defenseman Ryan Whitney -- are familiar with Therrien due to their days together in Wilkes-Barre. While they would be expected to easily adjust to the coaching change, Therrien said he has been pleased that some of the team's veterans have appeared just as comfortable.
"They're really receptive as a group," Therrien said. "And that's a a good sign. The group wants to be better. They want to improve and they want some structure and they know that they've got to make sacrifices regarding their conditioning. It's a good thing I stepped into a good group."
On the whole, the players have welcomed the more intense workouts and strict systematic play. Perhaps sitting 14 points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot has necessitated a desire for change -- any change.
"On and off the ice we've been doing a lot of workouts," forward Ryan Malone said. "It actually made us a much closer team, when you're working hard together on the ice and then get together off the ice."
Must start winning
The Penguins maintain an almost eerie confidence for a team that has lost 10 of its last 11 games -- but that cannot last if they don't start winning.
"We just need to win, whether it's ugly wins or pretty wins," Whitney said. "We had a long week of getting the system in place. There's no excuses anymore. Everyone knows the system now; everyone knows their jobs."
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