In the sliver of wall between the tops of the lockers and the ceiling, Heinze found space for 14 smaller signs.

The floor is not ignored. It has 23 small logo-bearing mats, one at the foot of each player’s locker. The middle of the narrow room is dominated by a large rug with a Penguins logo, as it would be in their home locker room.

Much of the décor is clearly new: The team’s 50th anniversary logo is used on the main rug and elsewhere, as is a league emblem for the 2017 playoffs. There is also a series-specific sign, with the word “HUNT” accompanied by the Capitals’ alternate eagle logo lined up in a sniper’s cross hairs.

“I think it helps us build our team spirit, our camaraderie,” Penguins Coach Mike Sullivan said. “It gives our players and our coaching staff a certain comfort level. We really appreciate the attention to detail and the effort that our equipment guys put in to try to make it feel like home.”

Heinze does decorating on the road during the regular season, too, but he has intensified his efforts after the Penguins’ road record of 19-15-7 paled in comparison with their stellar home record of 31-6-4. Pittsburgh has won three of four road games during the playoffs, against Washington and the Columbus Blue Jackets, two of the best home teams in the league this season.

“It certainly makes you feel more like home, and our record at home is good,” Cole said of the decorations. “So even if it’s a little bit, every little bit counts, especially in the playoffs, when the margin for error is so small. We’ll take all the help we can get.”

Cole and many other players said nothing in their playing careers could compare with playing a road game for the Penguins.