Let me start off by saying this: I am not a hockey expert, analyst, or spokesperson; please do not take me as any of those. I am not just a fan of the Penguins NHL organization, but of hockey itself. For months now, I have told countless people that the Penguins will win the Stanley Cup this year, and most of those people laughed in my face. Well, here we are in the Stanley Cup Finals, and this is why we will win it all (at least in the eyes of a die-hard hockey fan) despite what NHL experts have predicted all along. (See https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-experts-picks-for-stanley-cup-playoffs/c-280133146?tcid=fb_newscontent_id)
The Pens started the year off rough, REALLY rough, and with that they fired their head coach. Adios Mike Johnston: No one liked you anyways. On December 12th Mike Sullivan was promoted from head coach of the Penguins AHL affiliates (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins) to head coach of the NHL Penguins. After a trial period of getting a feel for the chemistry between the players, he began coaching our team to the playoffs. Every single aspect of our team improved, and we were unstoppable. We worked our way up to becoming the fiercest team in the league in the last three months of the regular season.
Once we made the playoffs, we breezed through the New York Rangers in just 5 games. This led us to face the #1 team in the league: The Washington Capitals. The Capitals won the Vezina Trophy, and the NHL found them nearly unstoppable this year… that is until they shit the bed after getting in to the playoffs. In just 6 games, we knocked the best competition out of the running. Another year, another cup-less Ovechkin… sorry not sorry. As the story continues, we faced Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final last week. Game 7 quickly approached, and in a fast-paced, on-edge last game, the Pens won it. To the Stanley Cup we go!
It does not seem as simple as that, however. Many fans and experts began thinking we never had a chance at the cup this year. On December 15th the pens recalled AHL goalie Matt Murray, and four days later he made his NHL debut. On February 21st he was recalled once again due to Fluery’s concussion, and this time, he never looked back. The 21 year-old (now 22) finished the season off as a brick wall. Yes, our star goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, is ready to play, but look at Murray. WHERE THE HELL DID HE COME FROM? Our second backup goalie, behind Jeff Zatkoff, has led us to the NHL Stanley Cup Finals! So why does this matter? We have two amazing goalies to work with to reach our last 4 wins. Fleury will wait patiently as Murray holds up his end of the stick (no pun intended), and when, or rather if, the time comes we have a solid and experienced goalie to replace our unbelievable rookie.
Many people have speculated how well Crosby has played this year. Well, if you haven’t noticed yet, many of our key plays have not been attributed to our key players (See Crosby, Malkin, Kunitz, Letang). For instance, take the HBK line. Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel. All we can say is “Wow, the chemistry!” Not only acquiring these players, but throwing them together to form a nationally recognized line is unreal. We don’t need our superstars, the faces of Pittsburgh, to get us the cup, we need a solid overall team. We don’t need Crosby scoring all of our goals, we need to be playing as a team not a one-man-show. Raise your hand if you have heard of Bryan Rust, and keep that hand up if you hear his name weekly in the news. Well look at who scored both Game 7 goals against the lightning last week… surely not our highest paid player. Sullivan has diligently worked to create a TEAM, not a superstar show. If you want that, go to Washington.
So why will we win THE Cup?
Under new coaching, a new and unbelievable goalie, and a new team strategy that has built substantial chemistry between lines, the pens have eagerly worked their way to the top. In 2009 we won the Eastern Conference Final and touched, yes touched, the Prince of Whales Trophy. In the same year, despite superstitions, we won the Stanley Cup. 2016 is our year to repeat this over again.
So despite superstitions, a rough start, and some major changes, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be your 2016 Stanley Cup Champions. I believe that will all of my head and heart. So let the bandwagon fans come on out… LETS GO PENS!
