Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Muse wants to turn down the volume during Penguins games.<\/p>\n
Not the goal horn. Not the PA microphone. Not even the constant banging of Iceburgh\u2019s \u201cLet\u2019s Go Pens\u201d drum.<\/p>\n
Muse isn\u2019t bothered by any of those things.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the constant buzzing of opposing players around the net, the ringing of iron off the cage and cries of tension by the fans whenever the other team has the puck in the Penguins\u2019 zone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe quality is too high,\u201d Muse said of opposing scoring chances lately. \u201cIt\u2019s just too loud.\u201d<\/p>\n
Muse may have been using a sonic reference to paint a visual image after Tuesday\u2019s 6-2 loss to Colorado. But it sure does get the point across.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not chances where it\u2019s to the outside,\u201d Muse said. \u201cIt\u2019s plays into the slot. Guys are open there. Some of them are odd-man rushes, whether it\u2019s a breakaway, or some of the other ones that we\u2019re giving. We\u2019ve got to do a better job there in terms of cleaning that up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Calling this play The Pitt because it was SURGICAL ???? pic.twitter.com\/zTrRQ1KYLz<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 24, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n He\u2019s right. Things have been way too noisy in Pittsburgh\u2019s end of the ice recently, and he\u2019d like to pump up the volume on the offensive end a little bit as well.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth sides of the puck, we\u2019ll keep looking at the quality (chances) that we\u2019re creating, and what we may be doing better to convert on those, and quieting down some of the chances we\u2019ve given up,\u201d Muse continued.<\/p>\n The coach isn\u2019t alone in his assessment. His players\u2019 ears are ringing too.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019re giving up more (chances) than we have in the past. I think some of the plays we are giving up are the big plays,\u201d forward Justin Brazeau said after Tuesday\u2019s loss. \u201cIt\u2019s such a good league, if you give guys like that opportunities, they are going to capitalize.\u201d<\/p>\n In the case of Tuesday night specifically, it\u2019s guys like 46-goal scorer Nathan MacKinnon and 34-goal scorer Martin Necas who ended up burying some of those good looks. In the case of Necas, he did so twice.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a fair assessment,\u201d winger Bryan Rust said. \u201cFor the majority of the games we are playing well, but when we do give up chances, they\u2019re really, really good.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of the numbers underscore Rust\u2019s point. Since the Olympics ended, the Penguins have been allowing an average of 27.8 shots on goal per game. Over the Penguins\u2019 most recent stretch where they have dropped three of their last four, they\u2019ve allowed 31.3<\/p>\n That\u2019s an increase, but not a dramatic one \u2014 especially when you consider two of those games went to overtime.<\/p>\n However, the team has allowed 5.3 goals against in that time, as opposed to 3.7 per contest since the Olympic break and 3.03 on the season.<\/p>\n Granted, the goaltending needs to be better. Neither Arturs Silovs nor Stuart Skinner has been good enough lately, but they aren\u2019t getting much help either.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not one thing. It\u2019s not how I\u2019m seeing it,\u201d Muse said. \u201cWe\u2019re in the offensive zone. We\u2019re trying to make a play. They pressure. They get it. They get a breakaway. Sometimes those types of things will happen. I think it feels like they\u2019re happening too often.\u201d<\/p>\n Pocket = Picked \u2014 x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 24, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Right now, Muse seems to be trapped in a remake of \u201cSpinal Tap.\u201d Every team the Penguins face has the amps \u201cturned<\/a> up to <\/a>11.<\/a>\u201d And with only 11 games left in the season, it\u2019d be nice if the team could make its playoff push without having to deal with such a bad case of tinnitus.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Corner = Picked
MacKinnon = HIM pic.twitter.com\/R0p7RnC5cq<\/a><\/p>\n