The Penguins held an early morning practice - well, early by some standards, this morning when they hit the ice shortly after 8 a.m. It was a good session to, as players were upbeat and seemed to enjoy the early start to the day.
Coach Hynes said he moved the practice time up in order to give his players a longer recovery period before tomorrow's morning skate.
I think it's going to pay off with a win tomorrow as well.
Why?
Well, the day before the last Penguins win on Dec. 22, they ended practice feeling good. Players joked around in their locker room and Hynes and the coaching staff were pretty jovial themselves. They weren't thinking about the previous losses and they were eager to face Syracuse.
There was a positive vibe all around.
It was the same feeling today. Players gathered around the television to watch the world juniors tournament and cheered when a goal was scored. I talked to several and they were all optimistic about the Binghamton matchup.
Even Hynes was in a talkative mood - not that he never is, but he was just more upbeat.
The mental part of hockey is just as important as the physical side. If a team is feeling good about itself, no matter what kind of a streak they're on, it usually shows on the ice.
The Penguins felt good going into Syracuse on Dec. 22 and they won.
They felt good today as well.
Look out Binghamton.