How Penguins coach Dan Muse built a family culture and sparked an NHL playoff berth

AtlanticBruinsCanadiensLightningMaple LeafsPanthersRed WingsSabresSenatorsMetropolitanBlue JacketsCapitalsDevilsFlyersHurricanesIslandersPenguinsRangersCentralAvalancheBlackhawksBluesJetsMammothPredatorsStarsWildPacificCanucksDucksFlamesGolden KnightsKingsKrakenOilersSharksScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsFantasyNHL OddsNHL PicksPlayoff projectionsNHL Draft rankingRed Light NewsletterNHL Regular First-year Penguins coach Dan Muse has made an incredible impact on the team's culture and performance. Josh Lavallee / Getty Images Share full article1ST. LOUIS — A few days ago, Sidney Crosby sat at his locker, shaking his head while grinning at Ben Kindel. “He always forgets something,” Crosby said of the 18-year-old rookie center. “Usually it’s his mouth guard, but it’s something, always.” Crosby’s dad energy was perfectly telling: The Pittsburgh Penguins feel like a family again for the first time in quite a while. It’s an argument as old as sports themselves: Does a team create chemistry because it’s good, or does that chemistry transform a team into being good? Though we didn’t know what the on-ice results would be at the time, it was clear from the very beginning of training camp: This team’s atmosphere and quiet determination are just different. I’ve been covering this team for 17 years, and this is probably the most likable, engaging Penguins team I’ve seen. It goes back to the whole family thing. More than anything, it goes back to Dan Muse. Muse was an obscure coach when Penguins president/general manager Kyle Dubas made the very surprising hire in early June. Standing behind the bench of an NHL team when you’re a relative no-name sounds daunting enough, but it’s even more so when you consider that the Penguins roster is littered with future Hall of Famers. Some of those players are nearly the same age as Muse, who is 43. The guy who was brought in to work with young players is also riding a seamless wave with the old guys. A few quick snapshots from this season tell a more complete story. It was only a few days into training camp, and, as always, an army of Penguins fans was taking in the action at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. After practice, Muse waited in line with a bunch of fans at the snack bar to buy himself lunch. Never mind that, behind the curtains, the Penguins have catered food available to them whenever they please. Then, in a moment I’ve never witnessed before, the Penguins head coach began introducing himself to fans waiting in line and thanked them for their loyalty to the franchise. It quickly occurred to me that it was sincere and that there was nothing phony about Muse. Everything started so well for the Penguins, who were the league’s feel-good story early in the season. Then, they crumbled in December, blowing leads as if their lives depended on it. It was so disastrous that it was almost comical. In their final game before the holiday break, the Penguins were destroyed in Toronto by a very bad Maple Leafs team. Muse looked like he had seen a ghost after the game. Still, after the game, though he could’ve been in a justifiably foul mood, he wished the media a Merry Christmas and a safe journey home, which he does after every game. That showed his kindness. But I also wondered at the time if he would be able to turn around what felt like an inevitable plummet to the bottom of the standings. The Penguins hit their stride in the second half of the season and went from disaster to legitimate playoff team in the blink of an eye. They also learned to overcome adversity. Their coach’s positivity played a big role. Not since Bob Johnson have the Penguins employed a glass-half-full coach like this. Perhaps their most crucial win of the season came in late March against the Ottawa Senators. Playing on the road against a very good team in a venue the Penguins rarely enjoy, disaster struck when Crosby left the game with a knee injury. Yet, the Penguins somehow found a way to win. As players departed for the team bus after the game, Muse sprinted down the hallway to catch up to Rickard Rakell. He told him what a great game Rakell had played and how much he appreciated the winger switching positions to center. It was quiet, but the Penguins were very pleased with themselves for earning a playoff berth last week in New Jersey. Muse stopped at each player’s locker, one by one, to shake hands. He had an extra-long conversation with Bryan Rust, a true leader who willed his way to the NHL and to a very good career. Rust assured Muse that the fun was just beginning. Rust is a realist, and he deeply believes in this team. Muse’s positivity has absolutely played a role in that. As these moments show, the Penguins do feel like a family again. Kindel is the mature kid everyone loves. He was afraid his mom would be mad if he didn’t come home to Vancouver during the Olympic break. Instead, he let veteran forward Kevin Hayes talk him into joining the team in the Caribbean for a week. Kindel could get away with calling Crosby or Malkin “unc,” and they would like it. Hayes and Erik Karlsson are the relatives you’d like to party with. Kris Letang is the curmudgeon you can’t help but love. Throw in the likable Stuart Skinner, the charismatic personalities of Ryan Shea and Connor Clifton and the quiet fourth line that goes about its business every night, and you’ve got the makings of a special group. “Bunch of misfits,” Hayes said. Misfits find a home when the right person is in charge. If Muse takes time to personally greet fans at practice, you can imagine how attentive he is with his players. They’ve experienced it, and they’re inspired by it. We’ll see how far this team can go in the playoffs, but it’s clear that the right man is in charge. The Penguins’ culture will always be healthy with Crosby as captain, but Muse is special, and the team has responded to his positivity. Day after day, fans tell me they haven’t liked a Penguins team this much in a long time. They can’t articulate exactly why, but they know it’s not just the team’s record. I can tell you this much: It starts at the top. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Josh Yohe is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. Josh joined The Athletic in 2017 after covering the Penguins for a decade, first for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and then for DKPittsburghSports.com. Follow Josh on Twitter @JoshYohe_PGH