Pittsburgh Penguins: Cautious Optimism the Theme for 2015
June 12, 2009, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan – Pittsburgh Penguins 2 Detroit Red Wings 1.
It’s perplexing to think that the aforementioned result happened over six years ago. The Pittsburgh Penguins were coming off of back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals with two legitimate superstars and a core of players all on entry-level or similarly affordable contracts.
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No one could have pictured in their wildest dreams the disappointment that would follow over the next six years. On that calm summers evening all eyes were on the present and the perceived glorious future. Could the future of those Pittsburgh Penguins follow the path of the great dynasties of the 1980’s in Long Island and Edmonton? How many banners would the Pittsburgh Penguins raise to accompany their back to back championships of 1991-92? How long until Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin took their places among the all-time greats?
Its been written many times that those who do not know history will be doomed to repeat it; however, spending time delving into playoff loss after playoff loss will accomplish nothing but reopening ugly wounds. In reality, what has happened over the last six years was like something out of a horror novel.
Pittsburgh Penguins – High Expectations, Rock-Bottom Results
We really don’t need to think about Travis Moen going around Sergei Gonchar like he was a traffic cone and scoring a shorthanded goal to completely ice the Penguins in 2010. Do we really need to spend time expanding upon the virtues of an AARP member, Dwayne Roloson, stonewalling the replacement Pens in 2011? Don’t even attempt to try to explain the clown car actions of the quickly unraveling 2012 Penguins in their institutional breakdown against the Flyers. Should we spend a moment to look back at the Bruins series in 2013? If we do take a brief moment to do so, that would be longer than the Penguins held a lead in the series, bowing in four straight.
How about blowing a third game-seven at home in five years? Check 2013-14 off your books there. Did anyone in the Greater Pittsburgh area believe that the Penguins were going to win game seven against King Henrik Lundqvist and his Broadway Blue Shirts? Before the puck dropped, everyone who pulls for the black and gold and everyone who roots them forward knew, it was a forgone conclusion, the Penguins were toast.
That brings us to last year. What started as a season of such promise was nearly the most epic collapse witnessed in Pittsburgh since blowing at 3-0 series lead to the Isle’s in the 70’s. The last few games of the season were a microcosm of what ailed the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, from blowing a multiple-goal lead in Ottawa with a chance to clinch a playoff berth and losing in overtime, to squeaking out a win against a Buffalo Sabres team that was outwardly trying to lose. The 2014-15 Penguins were a house of cards waiting for the collapse, going out with less of a bang than a party popper.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. The Penguins were not supposed to become bridesmaids. They had the two best players in the game at the apex of their power. Only the Penguins could lose both players to season-ending injuries and still manage to stake themselves to a 3-1 series lead before falling asleep at the wheel. Only the Pittsburgh Penguins could outscore fourteen out of sixteen teams in the first round of the playoffs and still manage to lose soundly and decisively in 6 games to their most hated rival. And, only the Pittsburgh Penguins could, for the second time in 20 years, put together the best team money can buy to only peak in the last two weeks of the regular season and flame out at the hands of David Volek and Tuukka Rask. Only the Penguins ….
Optimism, or More of the Same?
This offseason the Penguins again made a splash, this time acquiring Phil Kessel. The big trade has pushed the Penguins closer again to the salary cap which is always a concern with such a superstar laden roster but has given an opportunity for more scoring here in Pittsburgh. The lack of scoring down the stretch was a concerning issue and Jim Rutherford has addressed this with his offseason moves filling out the roster with as much depth as possible.
Sep 22, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Phil Kessel (81) on the ice against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Penguins won 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Surprisingly, picking up “Phil the Thrill” did not completely bare the cupboard, leaving blue chip prospects Olli Maatta, Daniel Sprong and Derrick Pouliot after the departures of Kasperi Kapanen and next year’s first round pick. The Penguins also moved out perennial whipping boy Brandon Sutter and replaced him with Eric Fehr and Nick Bonino. Some roster doctoring has also occurred on the defensive end with new blood likely to see significant time at the NHL level this season in Adam Clendenning and Brian Dumoulin .
A possible influx of new players, combined with Penguin veterans, has some renewed albeit guarded optimism in the Burgh.
The question is whether the region is buying into this team. Has the fan base dealt with losing enough game sevens at home to lower seeded teams and seen enough freak injuries to begin to disconnect? There is always hockey buzz here at PensLabyrinth.Com but with the success of the Pirates and the Steelers, are the Pittsburgh Penguins losing their market share? Are the Penguins one more concussion, tumor or cases of the mumps from having a collective region just give up?
It seems that the fan interest is high but optimism isn’t what it has been in the past. Could an exciting first half build to an ultimate crescendo or will a case of smallpox befall one of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015-16? I know I bought in early on leprosy so don’t blame me.
Next: 5 Valuable Trade Assets for 2015-16