The Pittsburgh Penguins have been blessed over the past decade and a half, but what’s in store for the future? Is this the Pens last big shot at glory?
The blessing spoken of, was when the Pittsburgh Penguins ended up with Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and Kris Letang in just three years. Sadly, Flower is gone, but the other three remain intact. Father time is a cruel figure, and it’s only a matter of time before someone else has to steer the ship past this current era of greatness.
These once young Stanley Cup heroes are heading towards the end, but it’s not all over yet, just coming sooner than some would like to remember. This postseason spells a perfect chance for one last ride if played correctly. If we’ve taken anything from other sports, playing in front of zero fan presence has tilted the playground in favor of the more composed side—these three spew composure and at its finest.
The reason this could be the last great ride isn’t due to age at all. In fact, Sid and Geno have been relatively healthy all year, and including Tanger into the mix, you have three studs with full engines still kicking. No, that won’t be the reason at all. However, flat salary caps and under proven youth could spell for a time of growth and recovery.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Once more into the fray, Into the last good fight
This offseason will be vitally important to the not so distant future of the Penguins organization. Key deals will still need to get accomplished, and some hard breakups will need to happen. If Jim Rutherford and co and get the job done correctly, a downtime may not exist, but it’s still very likely that it could be.
In the NHL, the future can be hard to predict, but if the cards are dealt right, then things might be looking to stay the status quo for a while. Yes, it is true that the Penguin’s good fortunes are running short, but they aren’t over. In the words of Eminem, “If they can seize this moment,” they better because time isn’t on their side, and neither if the luck of the cap.