Penguins veteran Scuderi calls out teammates for trying to play like the Harlem Globetrotters

A season ago the Pittsburgh Penguins play without the puck was a major problem, and was exposed to a great extent by a hard-nosed Boston Bruins club in the Eastern Conference Final. This season the Penguins are, generally speaking, improved defensively. 

Despite a myriad of injuries to key contributors up and down the lineup, but along the blue-line in particular, the Penguins have prevented shots against at even-strength at a top-five rate this season. They're also among the best penalty-killing teams in the league, although that success is likely to prove ephemeral over the balance of the season.

Despite Pittsburgh's improved defensive play this season, veteran defenseman and two-time Stanley Cup winner Rob Scuderi called out his teammates style of play on Friday night following the club's 4-3 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers. "If you're going to try and play hockey like the Harlem Globetrotters, you're going to get burned," Scuderi told Trib sports reporter Josh Yohe. 

"We continue to make the same mistakes, go for the same highlight reel plays," Scuderi continued. "That might look good on the highlight reels every now and then, but it's not a formula for winning."

Scuderi absolutely knows what suffocating defense looks like; so these criticisms come from a credible, respected, veteran source. On the other hand can you really blame a team like the Pittsburgh Penguins for playing like the Harlem Globetrotters when they're facing the Washington Generals?