The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently on a 10-GAME WINNING STREAK, the longest in the NHL this season. The Pens are playing great and beating teams whom they should beat. It sure is tough, to make up ground, when you have the Capitals, Rangers and Hurricanes, (3 of the top 5 teams in the NHL right now), in your Division and munching on W’s as well.
That said, the Penguins are light years away from where they were in October and early November. The team is on fire and some players are simply Red-Hot right now.
Pittsburgh Penguins as of Jan07.2022
20-8-5=45 Points
4th in the Metropolitan Division
7th-in the Eastern Conference
9th-Overall in the NHL
We all know in the real world, rocks vary in color, size, density, and most are, what we like to say, “Rock Solid”. With that theme in mind, so are Hockey Players. They vary in color, size, density and we are always looking for those players who “Rock Solid”. We also know that depending on the season, some rocks get hot, while other rocks stay cool. Let’s dive in and find out, who the Red-Hot, Rock-Solid Pittsburgh Penguins are.
The First Red-Hot, Rock-Solid Rock is the Diamond Rock
Diamond is the hardest known mineral, Diamonds were formed over 3 billion years ago deep within the Earth’s crust under conditions of intense heat and pressure that cause carbon atoms to crystallise forming diamonds. Some Believe the illumination and reflection of a diamond inspires imagination and ingenuity, they also bring about strength, fortitude and courage through a diamond’s hardness and ‘invincibility’ having the power to drive away bad energy.
Pittsburgh Penguins (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The First Red-Hot, Rock-Solid Pittsburgh Penguin that comes to mind, is Sidney Crosby #87 C, because he is, “The Diamond from the 2005 Draft”.
He has been the Leader of the Penguins since he arrived and continues to set the tone for the team on most nights. He is extremely hard to get the puck away from, because of his powerful lower body. He has amazing imagination with the puck, especially around the net. Crosby has had intense heat and pressure on him since he was a kid. He knows how to deal with the highs and lows of an NHL season and the amount of strength it takes over the long term, to win the cup.
#87 has 22 points in his last 14 games. He has increased his point total each month, since getting back into the line-up, in November. Crosby is 4th in Team Scoring with 24 points and second on the team with 19 Assists. He is currently on a 3-game point streak.
A true Leader. A real Diamond.
The Second Red-Hot, Rock-Solid Rock is the Cassiterite Rock
Cassiterite is a tin oxide mineral. It is generally opaque, but it is translucent in thin crystals. Its luster and multiple crystal faces produce a desirable gem. Cassiterite was the chief tin ore throughout ancient history and remains the most important source of tin today.
Pittsburgh Penguins (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
The Second Red-Hot, Rock-Solid Pittsburgh Penguin that comes to mind, is Kris Letang #58 D, because of his multiple uses on the team.
Another 2005 Draft Pick, who is also a Leader on the team, and a member of the Core 3, (Crosby, Malkin, Letang who have won Cups together in 2009,2016,2017).
#58 is a desirable gem, who is used in multiple situations; from playing Rock-Solid Defense, making tape to tape outlet passes, to killing penalties, to helping out in the Offensive zone as well as Quarterbacking the Power Play.
Letang is 3rd in Team Scoring with 27 points and First on the team with 27 Assists (tied for 8th in NHL overall). Letang is 4th overall in time on ice with an average of 25.58 minutes per game. He is currently on a 3-game point streak, scoring 10 points in his last 6 games.
Guess who is an Unrestricted Free Agent at the end of 2021-2022…Yup…#58.
Would you sign him right now, to a term deal?
The Final Red-Hot, Rock-Solid Rock is the Slate Rock
Slate is a fine-grained metamorphic rock that shows no obvious compositional layering, but can easily be split into thin slabs and plates. It is Hard and brittle. It is usually formed by low-grade regional metamorphism of mudrock. This mild degree of metamorphism produces a rock in which the individual mineral crystals remain microscopic in size, producing a characteristic slaty cleavage in which fresh cleavage surfaces appear dull.
The Third Red-Hot, Rock-Solid Pittsburgh Penguin that comes to mind, is Bryan Rust #17 RW because of the different layers in his game.
#17 appears to play a dull style of game, at times. He can however, metamorph into this silky player who can defend, make plays and finish at the net. He has a slight bad wrap, as a Brittle and often-injured player, however when healthy, shows he can play at a high level.
Rust is 3rd on the team in Goals and 5th in Team Scoring with 20 points. He is currently on a 4-game point streak, scoring 12 points in his last 4 games.
Guess who is an Unrestricted Free Agent at the end of 2021-2022…Yup…#17.
Would you sign him right now, to a term deal?
My View from the Cheap Seats
As the Penguins come out of the Christmas / Covid break they have picked up where they left off in 2021, and that is Winning. I am impressed with the overall team play in general and the commitment to Team D. It sure is nice to see those goals going in with regularity over the last three games and it’s a direct result of the Red-Hot Rock-Solid play of #87, #58 and #17.
In my humble opinion, these three players will have a huge impact on how the Penguins will end up in the Final Standings this season.
Quote of the Day:
“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up”.
Babe Ruth – NY Yankees