Sullivan hopes struggling Penguins 'do some soul searching' over break

The Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves stumbling into the NHL's three-day holiday break.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions were shut out by the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, giving them five losses in their past seven games. The Penguins also sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division, one point up on last-place Philadelphia.

It's not the way head coach Mike Sullivan envisioned kicking off Christmas.

"It's disappointing. We were hoping we'd get some traction from (beating the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday)," he said, per Pens Inside Scoop. "But it didn't work out that way. We all as a group, our coaching staff included, have to do a better job of being ready for games at the drop of the puck."

Sullivan added the group as a whole needs to take a collective look in the mirror and figure out how to be better, and his wish is for everyone to get some quiet time over the break.

"I hope over the next couple of days we'll do some soul searching and come back re-energized," he said.

Pittsburgh will be back in action in Dec. 27 when it hosts Columbus, who it recently beat in a shootout. The Penguins' only wins in regulation this month have come against the Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes, giving Sullivan reason to be concerned.