Pittsburgh Penguins: So Close to Repeating and Making History

May 26, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly (L) presents the Prince of Wales trophy to Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Chris Kunitz (14) and center Sidney Crosby (middle) and center Evgeni Malkin (71) after the Penguins defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Eastern Conference Championship in game seven of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Penguins won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
May 26, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly (L) presents the Prince of Wales trophy to Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Chris Kunitz (14) and center Sidney Crosby (middle) and center Evgeni Malkin (71) after the Penguins defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Eastern Conference Championship in game seven of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Penguins won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Penguins are just seven games away from repeating as Stanley Cup Champions.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will face the Nashville Predators in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight, and the team should be extra determined to win this year.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins

I mean, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are chasing their third rings. One could say that this victory shouldn’t be as special as the other two. But I’m telling you this one might be the most special. Why? Because we have the opportunity to repeat.

Sidney Crosby and Mario Lemieux

Let’s think back for a bit. Mario Lemieux brought the Pittsburgh Penguins our first Stanley Cup in 1991. Then, he did it again the very next year.

Let’s face it, Sidney Crosby and Mario Lemieux will go down as the two greatest Penguins of all time. They both have two Stanley Cups as players, but one has a special accomplishment. Lemieux is a repeat champion after he won in 1991 and 1992.

If Crosby can do that this year, he will also achieve this accomplishment and maybe even be considered more successful as he gets his third ring.

20 Years in the Making

Taking a look at past Stanley Cup winners, the last time a team won back-to-back Cups was in 1997 and 1998. The Detroit Red Wings did it last then and no team has repeated the feat.

Well the Penguins may be able to accomplish just this. And if they do, they may arguably be the most dominant team in the league. I mean, the Los Angeles Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks have both won Cups two years apart. And the Blackhawks have even won three Cups in six years. But one thing they haven’t done was dominate the league two years straight.

This could be the outcome for the Penguins if we win. We should be trying to make history in the modern day era by repeating.