2009-2010 Pittsburgh Penguins Preview

There’s nothing like having a parade thrown in your honor. The young Penguins experienced that this past summer after winning the franchise’s 3 rd Stanley Cup and the torch has officially been passed along with it. While owner Mario Lemieux is always going to be a visible presence in Pittsburgh, he and former star Jaromir Jagr are officially no longer the faces of the franchise with the realization of the massive potential of captain Sidney Crosby and fellow superstar Evgeni Malkin. However, many people compare them to another dynamic duo: Gretzky and Messier. The implication is that the Penguins are on the verge of becoming the NHL’s first true dynasty since the Oilers of the 80s. Can the Penguins hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup once more and continue towards such lofty company in the annals of hockey?

Looking Back at 2008-2009

For a team that won the Stanley Cup, the season did not begin well. The Penguins played average for the first half of the season after losing in the Stanley Cup Finals the previous year and coach Michel Therrien was replaced at midseason by Dan Bylsma. The coaching change sparked a massive alteration in their fortunes as the Penguins kicked into high gear with a fun and attacking style. Under Bylsma, they pushed from 10 th in the East all the way to 4 th by the end of the season and Malkin finished the season as the league’s leading scorer.

But the Penguins took things to a completely different level in the playoffs. After slaying rival Philadelphia in the first round, the Penguins won an epic seven game series against the Capitals and Alex Ovechkin to move onto the conference finals. There, younger brother Jordan defeated older brother Eric in the battle of the Staals and the Penguins returned to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight season.

The opponent was the same but this time things would be different. After being overwhelmed at points during the previous year’s final, the Penguins more than held their own and ended winning a seven game series, with the clincher coming on Detroit ice. It was a sweet reward for a team which had watched the Red Wings celebrate in Mellon Arena the season before and was made even sweeter as former Penguin Marian Hossa fell short for the second straight year in the finals after spurning the Penguins for Detroit because he felt the Wings were the better bet to win the Cup. It was a fantastic ending to a championship year.

The Offseason

The Penguins didn’t sit on their laurels during the summer, either. Defensive forces Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill cashed in on their playoff success elsewhere while veteran wingers Petr Sykora and Miro Satan were cut loose after underperforming all year. The Penguins’ only major additions came on the blueline, where Jay McKee should step seamlessly into the role that Scuderi filled. The other pickup was a late signing of Martin Skoula, who should provide solid depth.

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2009-2010 Outlook

When you have two of the three best players on the planet, you can expect scoring. Crosby and Malkin are both legitimate threats to win the Art Ross Trophy (both are previous winners) and both cracked the 100 point mark last season. Crosby is typically cast as the playmaker while Malkin is the goalscorer but both scored in the mid-30s last year and their production is relatively similar. With a stronger set of wingers on hand, both have the potential to score 40 or more goals and jump into the 120 point range. Remember, Malkin is the older of the pair at the ripe old age of 24 and both are really just reaching their peak. That’s scary……

But it isn’t just Crosby and Malkin that make the Penguin offense go. Center Jordan Staal is one of the best young players in hockey and gives the Penguins unrivaled depth down the middle. Meanwhile, Bill Guerin, Chris Kunitz, Ruslan Fedotenko and Tyler Kennedy provide solid scoring from the wings and all should see a jump in numbers this season for a variety of reasons. Furthermore, Stanley Cup hero Max Talbot will only add to the team’s depth when he returns from injury this winter. This is a great group of forwards.

The Penguins’ defense was often overlooked because of their firepower up front. However, winning the Stanley Cup changes all of that. The Penguins have a great balance of physicality and strong puck movement on the blue line. Sergei Gonchar, Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski are exceptional moving the puck and Brooks Orpik, Mark Eaton and McKee should pair with each to provide a solid pair of defensemen every time the puck is dropped. This is a very good unit.

In net, there will be far fewer questions surrounding former #1 overall pick Marc-Andre Fleury after he backstopped the Penguins to a Stanley Cup. The knock always was that he seemed to allow a bad goal every game while making all of the hard stops. However, after hoisting the Cup and the possibility of an Olympic nod at hand, expect a strong season from the Flower this year and he is really one of the best in the world at his position. Backup Brent Johnson is also a strong 2nd option and should provide solid relief in his first season in Pittsburgh.

PREDICTION: The Penguins have the ideal personnel for the new NHL. Their forwards are fast and talented and allow their offense to set up a cycle and wear out opponents. Furthermore, they have the speed to kick start the rush immediately thanks to a very mobile set of defenders. This Penguin team is going to forecheck opponents to death and score a ton of goals this season. While there is usually a drop off after winning a championship, at least in the early going, the Penguins are hugely talented and are my choice to win the Atlantic Division for the second time in three years.

Obviously, the defending champions are going to be one of the favorites for the Stanley Cup this season. Many people didn’t expect a young Pittsburgh squad to get to the finals so early two years ago. Those same observers didn’t expect them to win the Cup last year. So when everyone is telling them that it is impossible to repeat, the young Penguins are going to take their comments with a grain of salt. Frankly, the scary thing is that the core of this team is just starting to hit their prime and Crosby, Malkin and Staal should all get better this season! I think that the Penguins are going to run deep into the playoffs and meet Detroit for third time in as many seasons. This group knows what level of effort it takes to reach a final and they’ll be powered by two exceedingly talented and driven stars who want to write their names among the all-time greats. Don’t expect a lack of motivation this season and I am picking the Pittsburgh Penguins to defeat the Detroit Red Wings and win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.

By Matt Baxendall
DFN Sports & ProHockey-fans.com Staff Writer

Feel your team is underrated? Tell Matt Baxendell why at matt.baxendell@gmail.com

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