NHL Slow start has been Penguins' downfall

Pittsburgh has only scored first in four games and is 3-0-1 in those games.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins have not lost a game in regulation this season when they score first. Too bad for them that this has only happened in four of the team's first 19 games.
While much has contributed to the Penguins' pedestrian 5-8-6 record, slow starts are chief among the reasons Pittsburgh finds itself in last place in the Atlantic Division heading into tonight's contest in Philadelphia against the Flyers.
"It's tough enough to play in this league," coach Eddie Olczyk said. "And when you get down and get behind, to play five-on-five makes it difficult. We need to get off to a better start than we have been."
The Penguins are 3-0-1 when scoring first and 2-8-4 when an opponent does so. In the first period of games, they have been outscored 24-16 and outshot 211-178.
Against the New York Islanders Monday, a lethargic Penguins team was dominated for two periods. The Islanders held a 2-0 lead and 25-12 advantage in shots on goal.
Third period energy
But the Penguins came out in the third period with what appeared to be renewed energy, eventually tying the game before ultimately losing in a shootout.
"We were buzzing out there pretty good," said rookie Sidney Crosby, whose goal with 14 minutes to play started the comeback. "We came out and really wanted it in the third. That's what it came down to. We have to play like that for three periods."
Crosby acknowledged that the Penguins, like many teams, receive a momentum boost after scoring a goal and a wake-up call after falling behind.
Need better start
And while he said the Penguins would fare much better if they played each game like that from the opening faceoff to the final whistle, Crosby said the team is not able to artificially replicate the kind of immediacy created by the two-goal, third-period deficit they faced Monday.
"I don't think you can match that kind of desperation," Crosby said. "You can come out prepared all you want, but the reality is it is 0-0 to start the game and you are not down 2-0. You can't match that."
Olczyk encourages his team to seize the momentum of, say, a power-play goal or a penalty kill. But he stressed the importance of players challenging themselves to play with vigor and a sense of urgency even when ahead or tied to start a game.
"It's a 60-minute game," Olczyk said. "It's not 25, or 25 plus a shootout."
Not limited to scoring first
The Penguins said the issue is not limited to scoring the first goal. Olczyk and Crosby each spoke of the need to skate hard, forecheck and keep feet moving.
Earning a 1-0 lead is important, but establishing strong play early in a game is all Olczyk asks for.
"You can come out ready and play a great first period and be down 2-0 because of power plays," Crosby said. "That's the reality of things. I think if we come out and play a strong first period, that's the most important thing."
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