Hlinka knows Penguins need to shore up defense

Ivan Hlinka has seen enough of what he likes to call the 'everywhere and nowhere' approach that's too often employed by Penguins forwards to know that it isn't going to get them anywhere in the long run.

'Sometimes, our forwards, they like to skate a lot, you know• They don't like to stop too much. They like to be everywhere,' Hlinka said. 'But ... if you like to be everywhere, then you are nowhere.'

Certainly, you're not where you are supposed to be.

And you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing.

And when that happens, the opposition gets too many turnovers, too many odd-man rushes and too many shots, and too many pucks wind up in the Penguins' net.

That was the case Saturday night at the MCI Center. The Washington Capitals launched a season-high 46 shots at Rich Parent. They spent a season-high 27 minutes, 48 seconds on the attack in the Penguins' end. And the Capitals used a couple of third-period goals to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 victory.

'Everywhere and nowhere' can lead to offensive explosions, as well, and often does when the Penguins are at their 'everywhere and nowhere' best. But with the playoffs looming and responsible, defensive hockey about to become a staple of survival for those intending to last longer than a round or so, Hlinka would like to see his Penguins tighten up.

He wants to see a different Penguins team in tonight's rematch with the Capitals at Mellon Arena, one that features the forwards working in concert with goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin and the defensemen, rather than hanging them out to dry.

'They know exactly what they have to do in our zone,' Hlinka said. 'Sometimes, especially our players, they like to play more open hockey. They like to skate everywhere, but we have to start thinking about our defense.

'We have to talk about it. We have smart guys on the team. They have to take responsibility.'

That means forwards helping out in the defensive end. That means forwards being careful and avoiding turnovers at the blue and red lines. That means forwards dumping the puck when there's no play to be made at the opponent's blue line, rather than trying to get too cute and forcing a play, which too often results only in a fast break the other way.

'It's so important to play good defense as a team, and that means everybody,' Mario Lemieux said, 'not only the defensemen and the goalie, but also the forwards coming back in good position.

'If we do that the last month of the season and go into the playoffs playing well, I like what we can accomplish.'

'It's making the right decisions,' forward Kevin Stevens said. 'If you get a 3-2 lead and you get to the red line, get it in deep. It's about being responsible.

'Sometimes, we don't do that around here.'

Lemieux intends to set a standard along those lines, and expects the Penguins' other high-profile gunners to follow suit.

'It's important for myself and Jags (Jaromir Jagr) and (Alexei) Kovalev to show the example,' Lemieux said. 'If we do, then the other guys don't have a choice.'

The Penguins have embraced such a style, and with success at that, at times in the 1990s and at times this season.

It's just that sometimes, it takes a little convincing and a lot of concentration to get everyone motivated to do what must be done.

'I think we can do it,' Lemieux said. 'We have the talent that we had in the early 1990s. It's just a matter of getting everybody on the same page and thinking 'defense' first. If we can do that, we can surprise a lot of people in the playoffs.'

'Our experience, from the beginning (of the season), if we are really concentrating on our defense, especially on the road, then we can get success because we can score off the rush (in transition),' Hlinka said. 'But the first thing is be responsible back in our zone, and then be patient and wait for a mistake, not to be everywhere and nowhere.'