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Top 5 Reasons the Penguins Will Excel in 2008-09

Over the past month, there has been a lot of chatter that the Pittsburgh Penguins lost their best chance at the Stanley Cup by losing to the Detroit Red Wings this past season.  Assertions have been made that the Penguins gave up too much in the off-season to be competitive for the cup again in the coming season.  Many have highlighted the acquisition and subsequent loss of Marian Hossa and the departure of Ryan Malone as the main points in their argument.  In fact, the Penguins are poised for another phenomenal season and have a better chance of being a cup contender this season than they did at this point last season.  The following are the top 5 reasons that the Penguins will excel again this coming season:

1. The Core is Intact:  Despite the loss of Hossa, Malone, Roberts, Conklin, Ruutu, Laraque and Hall, the Penguins have kept their core young stars intact.  This team was built around a young, talented core that includes Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal and Ryan Whitney.  All of these key players remain in the lineup, and all have been signed to long-term deals with the exception of Jordan Staal who could be signed to a long-term deal in the coming months.  Crosby, Malkin and Fleury have already proven themselves as elite players in this league.  Jordan Staal is on the cusp of a breakout season after posting less than expected numbers last season, but playing a masterful defensive game.  This group of players is the core of the team around which the supporting cast has been built. 
2. Youth, Experience, and Confidence:  The core talent of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury are just 20 (soon to be 21), 22, and 23, respectively.  Jordan Staal is just 19, Kris Letang is 21, and Ryan Whitney is 25.  These players are still approaching their prime and will only get better in the seasons to come.  Normally with youth comes inexperience and lack of confidence, as was the case over the past two seasons for most of these players.  However, this team gained a tremendous amount of experience and confidence last season as they battled through key injuries to the lineup to come out near the top of the league during the regular season.  Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, Kris Letang and Ryan Whitney were all put in clutch roles while the team played with an injury-riddled lineup, and they all matured and delivered in the process.  In the playoffs, the Penguins went 12-2 through the first 3-rounds of the playoffs before losing in the Stanley Cup Finals.  These young players have learned what it takes to get to the playoffs, and what it takes to go the distance.  They have lived it first-hand.  They will be a better team next season because of it.


3. Offensive Talent:  The Pittsburgh Penguins finished 7th in the league last season in goals for.  This was accomplished despite Sidney Crosby, one of league’s top offensive threats, out of the lineup for the last half of the season and Jordan Staal under-achieving in his offensive play.  Evgeni Malkin took the opportunity to come into his own and had a career season as a result, powering to the top of the league in points.  This coming season, the Penguins will look to have a full season’s service from the double-threat of Crosby and Malkin.  If Crosby and Malkin can both remain healthy, they will likely finish at or near the top of the league in scoring.  The swing factor next season will be Jordan Staal.  I am anticipating that he will break out of his sophomore scoring slump and put up a 25-30 goal season, partially closing the gap left by Ryan Malone.  Petr Sykora will continue to be a sniper on wing with his stellar shot.  Add to the mix newly acquired Miroslav Satan and Rusty Fedetenko, and I expect that the Penguins will best their offensive production from last season, despite the loss of Ryan Malone.  Note that Marian Hossa was not a key contributor in the Penguins’ regular season success, scoring just 3-goals for the Penguins in 12-games.
4. Goaltending:  Marc-Andre Fleury had a slow start last season.  Just after he was starting to return to form and gain some momentum in early December with 4-straight wins, he suffered the high-ankle injury that sidelined him for much of the latter part of the season.  When he returned in late February, few people expected him to be able to bounce back from the injury and lengthy time-off.  He quickly silenced any critics, however, by coming back and playing 13-games to end the season going 10-2-1 and giving up just 18-goals for a 1.38 GAA and impressive 0.945 save percentage.  He then went on into the playoffs and posted a 14-6 record while giving up just 41 goals in 20-games for a 2.05 GAA and 0.934 save percentage.  There is no question that Marc-Andre Fleury is an elite goaltender in this league and that he can perform under the pressure of playoff hockey.  The goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury is sure to be a key factor that this team will rise to the top of the league again next season. 

5. Defensive System:  Had I said this last season, I would have been laughed at.  Last year I even called out the Penguins’ defense as their biggest shortcoming prior to the start of the season.  Some people still may not believe in the Penguins’ defense, however, over the course of this past season I have become a believer in the defensive system put in place by Coach Therrien that the team plays so well.  The key to the Penguins defensive system is not just the defensive corps itself nor the strategy employed, but the fact that the entire team embraces and plays it.  As a result, it has been effective for the Penguins and flexible enough to allow the offense to kick in when turnovers and scoring opportunities present themselves. 

There is plenty to be excited about if you are a fan of hockey, and even more so if you are a fan of Pittsburgh Penguins’ hockey.  Look for the Pittsburgh Penguins to return to the ice this fall hungrier than ever before to win.  For the reasons noted above, as well as many other reasons, they are poised to excel again this coming season and for the next several seasons to come.

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Penguins Update

As a hockey fan, one of the great things about having your team go all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals is the fact that the off-season is so short.  While it hardly seems possible, the Penguins 2008-09 regular season is just 10-weeks away.  That means that training camp and pre-season action is coming up just around the corner.  The Penguins will be looking to defend their Eastern Conference Title and renew their push for the Stanley Cup, albeit with a slightly retooled lineup.

While there was much ado about the loss of some key players to free agency during the off-season, the Penguins have managed to keep their core intact.  What is incredible in this day and age is that several players signed for less than their market value to stay and play in Pittsburgh.  That speaks volumes about a team and organization, both in terms of their chemistry and in expectations of where they are going.  The Penguins also had players like Miroslav Satan contacting the organization because he wanted to come and play in Pittsburgh.  Certainly expectations are high for a repeat performance.

What remains to be seen is whether this Coach and group of talented young players can keep the magic going.  I believe that they will.  While the team has lost some valued players in Ryan Malone, Marian Hossa, Gary Roberts, Ty Conklin, Jarkko Ruutu, Georges Laraque and others….they have retained Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal, Brooks Orpik and their whole defensive lineup.  They have also added Miroslav Satan, Ruslan Fedetenko and Janne Pesonen to their ranks as well as some other role players.

Marian Hossa was an unfortunate loss, however, he was not part of the team as they powered through the regular season.  Of all of the losses, I really hate to see Ryan Malone go because of his grit, determination and character.  I think he (and his presence in front of the net) will be missed the most.  Gary Roberts was a tremendous veteran role player, but spent much of the season sidelined with a broken leg and high ankle injury.  Ty Conklin was a clutch player when we needed him most, but would probably not get a significant amount of playing time if Fleury remains healthy.  I will also miss the tenacity of Jarkko Ruutu and the presence of Georges Laraque.  Perhaps the most often overlooked aspect of this team is that they are still so young, and many of these talented young stars will only get better over the next few seasons.

Hopefully Sidney Crosby will remain healthy in the coming season, and will return to the lineup fully recovered from the high ankle sprain that kept him out most of the second half of last year.  I never got the feeling that he was fully 100% after returning to the lineup, and injury requires the type of rest that only the off-season can afford.  His injury was perhaps a blessing in disguise, however, as it showcased the talent and workhorse leadership of Evgeni Malkin and gave him a confidence that will allow him to flourish even more this coming season.  The way that Marc-Andre Fleury played after coming off from his extended injury left no doubt that he is an elite goaltender in this league.  I can only see his play last season as boosting his confidence and level of play for the season to come.  I believe that Jordan Staal is on the verge of a breakout season.  Last season, his offensive numbers were off from his freshman year performance, however his defensive play was impressive for such a young player.  Near the end of the season, his offense picked up a bit, and I expect we will see a much more productive Jordan Staal in the coming months.

Miroslav Satan is a talented right wing who will likely benefit from playing alongside the talented Penguins’ centers.  Ruslan Fedetenko is in the same boat on left wing.  Both of these players are coming from the under-achieving New York Islanders team and have signed 1-year contracts with the Penguins.  As such, both players will be highly motivated to perform, and will have a much stronger supporting cast than they saw in New York.  I expect both players will have a strong season, with Rusty having a potential career high season if he can stay healthy.  Janne Pesonen is an exciting prospect to add to the mix.  Also signed to a 1-year contract, Pesonen was the leading scorer of the Finnish super league in 2008, scoring 78-points (34G, 44) in 56-games.  A talented and fast winger, if Pesonen can find a spot on the roster, he might prove a valuable addition to the Penguins lineup.

The excitement that is Penguins Hockey will soon be back upon us.  The new year will start in Stockholm, Sweden, where the Penguins will open the season with back-to-back games against the Ottawa Senators on October 4th and 5th.  Then they will bring it back home with a 4-game home stand.  I am looking forward to training camp to see how the team will look with the new additions, and what kinds of line combinations will result.  The good news is that the wait won’t be very long.

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