In these playoffs, when Matt Cullen misses a wide-open net, or loses the puck on a breakaway, he has to hear about it from his toughest critics.
No, not Penguins coach Mike Sullivan.
His three sons, Joey, Wyatt and Brooks, ages seven through 10.
"It's mostly how to score," Cullen said. "They like to tell me what they would've done if they had the opportunity and what I should've done. It's a lot of that."
For the Penguins players with children old enough to appreciate the experience, this year's Stanley Cup run has been another unforgettable ride. Cullen's kids, along with Chris Kunitz's 8-year-old son Zachary came into the locker room after the team's Game 7 win against Ottawa in the Eastern Conference final.
"For me, it's just another year where I pinch myself as a dad being able to bring the boys around the locker room, be around the same group of guys," Cullen said. "It just doesn't get any better than this."
Zachary was even kind enough to give his dad some credit _ for, you know, scoring the double-overtime goal that kept the Penguins' season alive _ before, like a good budding hockey player, getting back to work on his own game.
"He just gave me a big hug and said 'Congrats,' " Kunitz said. "Then he was off to go shoot pucks. He's excited. Kind of like me, doesn't like to say too much."
Cullen's kids don't seem to have that problem, giving their dad _ and his teammates _ pointers where they see fit.
"They've got their opinions and their advice for just about everything for me," Cullen said. "Now they know the guys well enough, they're starting to share their opinions and advice with some of the guys."
Defenseman Trevor Daley's son, 8-year-old Trevor Jr., is playing in his own hockey tournament this weekend but will be back for Game 1 Monday night against the Predators.
"He's pretty pumped," Daley said. "He's been asking questions about the other team and the guys they have, trying to scout them. It's been fun. It's really special having a son that is involved in the game and wants to be a part of it. It's pretty cool."
So what does Trevor Jr. have to say about the Predators?
"He tells me you've got to watch out for P.K. (Subban)'s shot," Daley said. "He knows James Neal, so he's like, 'Make sure James Neal doesn't score.' He says we'll be all right if we concentrate on those two things."
If the Penguins do shut down Subban, Neal and the rest of the Predators, the kids will get to see their dads lift the Stanley Cup for a second time.
An accomplishment which, given all the help they've dispensed over the past few months, they might understandably want some credit for.
"I think I've always pictured trying to play as long as you can so that your kids understand what you did and they have a little piece of memory," Kunitz said. "It's not a memory somebody told them, but they have their own memory of what happened."
