In just under two hours, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be one of 16 teams with the honor of competing in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Over the next two months, we will see coaches and players go to extreme measures, to play and compete for the one trophy they have dreamed about holding their entire life. Fortunately, the majority of players and coaches for the Penguins know what it feels like to hoist Lord Stanley. Pittsburgh last won the Stanley Cup in 2008-09 when they redeemed the previous season heartbreaker to the Detroit Red Wings. Like any organization, there are key ingredients that will lead you to the promise land. There are five ingredients that will be essential to the Penguins success if they wish to make a deep playoff run.
1. Goaltending: When you look back at recent history, whether it was a No. 1 seed or No. 8 seed, it is crucial for the goaltender to get hot at the right time. The Penguins knows what it feels like to be up against a goaltender who is clicking at the right time, whether it was Nikolai Khabibulin for the Tampa Bay Lightning last year or Jaroslav Halak two years ago with the Montreal Canadiens. It has not been all disappointment for Pittsburgh, as they to have a goaltender who knows what it takes to reach his peak. Three years ago, Marc-Andre Fleury acted as a brick wall, leading the Pens to a Stanley Cup victory. Fleury started all 24 games in the playoffs, recording all 16 wins required for a team to win the Stanley Cup. As phenomenal as Fleury was during that particular playoff run, he is going to be just as good if not better this year. He will start in goal tonight against the rival Philadelphia Flyers, who he is yet to beat at CONSOL Energy Center. The Penguins should feel at ease that they don’t have to worry about an average goaltender getting hot at the right time, as Fleury is one of the elite goaltenders in the league.
2. Experience: It would be hard pressed to find an organization that has more experience in recent history in the playoffs. The Penguins have made the playoffs each year since 2007, including reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in back-to-back years. That might not seem that important, except for the fact that the majority of players that played a key role in those playoff runs are still on the roster. General Manager Ray Shero has a way of rarely letting key players leave, and at the same time finds room to add players that will make an impact one way or the other. In their previous Stanley Cup victory run in 2008-09, the journey began in the first round win against the same Flyers organization they will open with this year. With the likes of Fleury, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal, who were all involved in the Stanley Cup victory, the Pens will know how to handle any adversity thrown their way in this year’s playoffs.
3. Health: There is no such thing as a team coming into the playoffs injury free. Whether both coaches and players downplay the significance of an injury, we will still see the players take the ice, unless it is a serious injury. Last year, the Penguins fell victim to the injury bug with significant injuries to both Malkin and Crosby. Malkin went down early in the season due to a torn ACL, whereas Crosby was dealing with the most infamous concussion in recent history. The difference between the playoffs and the regular season is the toughness the players will show. More often than not, players will sit out regular season games if they don’t feel 100 percent. That’s not the case in the playoffs. Unless you are dealing with a serious injury, you will see them suit up. The opening series will be one of the more physical series of the playoffs against the Flyers. No doubt it will be both mentally and physically draining, but the Pens have to make sure they reserve every piece of energy they can and stay away from after the whistle scuffles.
4. Momentum: In their last 19 games of the season, the Penguins went on a 14-5 run. There was no any other team that was hotter than the Pens in the last two months of the season. Even after faltering a little towards the end, they still managed to wind up with the second most points in the Eastern Conference, only behind Atlantic Division winner New York Rangers. After winning 11 consecutive games in March, it is clear that the Pens are riding a wave of momentum into the playoffs.
5. Evgeni Malkin: All year long, Malkin has served as the best player on one of the best teams in the NHL. In 75 games this year, Malkin recorded 50 goals for the first time in his career. He also added 59 assists to give him 109 point on the season, which made him the clear-cut leader in the NHL. With the numbers he has put up and the significance he has been to the Penguins organization, Malkin has made himself one of the frontrunners for the Hart Trophy, given to the league’s MVP. Malkin does not shy away from the spotlight, as he won Conn Smythe Trophy for being the Stanley Cup MVP in the 2008-09 season.
Only time will tell how the Penguins will fare in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, but if they are able to achieve these five ingredients, I could see the city of Pittsburgh hosting another championship parade this summer.
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