Conor Sheary wasn't surprised when Penguins coach Mike Sullivan made him a healthy scratch Sunday for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final, but that doesn't mean Sheary was happy about it.
Regardless of the decision, however, Sheary recognizes that the best things he can do right now are support his teammates and prepare for his next opportunity to play.
"I was definitely upset that I wasn't in the lineup, but I think everyone kind of saw it coming," Sheary said Monday following an optional practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. "I'm obviously not playing my best hockey. If I'm not going to help the team win, I think there are lots of guys in this room that can do that. I have to have a better mindset coming into each game."
Sheary has three assists in 15 games, and he's a minus-8. He went from having a top line role to the third line to the press box while struggling to bust out of a prolonged slump. It was hardly what anyone expected from a player who enjoyed a breakout regular season, tallying 23 goals while finding a ton of chemistry with Sidney Crosby.
Now, with Sullivan adjusting his lines and the Penguins looking the best they have all season in a 7-0 rout, Sheary could have to wait a while.
"I just think I have to bring a good attitude to the rink every day," Sheary said. "This time of year you're not being a good teammate if you're going to be negative and complain about not being in the lineup. I think you just have to be a good teammate and come to the rink and work hard every day. If you get back in the lineup, bring what you can. In my case, that's my speed, my instincts, my forechecking, stuff like that. I need to get back to that."
Oddly enough, Sheary was a healthy scratch for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final against Tampa Bay a season ago.
He returned to score in the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final against the Sharks.
"If I'm able to crack the lineup going forward, maybe I could use that as motivation," Sheary said.
Like fine wine
After Sunday's win, which featured Matt Cullen finishing a Mark Streit feed in the second period, the two veterans had a postgame discussion.
And not about how the 3 p.m. start time prohibited the 39-year-old Streit and Cullen, 40, from snagging any early bird specials at area eateries.
"We talked about that after the game, two old goats connecting," Streit said. "I think that was probably one of the oldest goals scored in the history of the NHL."
Packing a punch
Sullivan juggling his lines to include one "north-south" type with each group seems to break down when looking at Carl Hagelin, Cullen and Josh Archibald. All three, theoretically, are good skaters more than anything.
But Archibald takes pride in playing a physical game that, on the surface anyway, doesn't jibe with his 5-foot-10, 176-pound frame.
Then again, Archibald's father, Jim, racked up 540 penalty minutes at North Dakota, 197 of them in one season.
"He was a tougher guy," Archibald said. "I got a little bit of that from him."
Archibald's mother, Anne, was an NCAA swimmer at North Dakota.
"Both my parents are pretty good athletes," Josh said.
The way Archibald's line has played, more physicality should soon follow, too; they've been outstanding in the two games they've played together.
Although Archibald isn't about to pinch himself over anything.
"I've thought about it," Archibald said of going from healthy scratch to key contributor. "Right now you don't really want to take a step back. You want to live in the moment. Do everything you can right now."
