How do the Pens do it?

[illpucks]

The last "dynasty" (Hawks) had to spend 1-2 seasons retooling after every cup win. Pens have been at the same level for the last 3 seasons. Whether they win or not will depend if the rest of the league has caught up yet. How do they keep the same level and avoid the retool years like the Hawks?

Hawks
Cup
Retool
Retool
Cup
Retool
Cup

Pens
Cup
Cup
Cup?

Click to read more...

 

[Rich Nixon]

Except the Hawks didn't really "retool" anymore than the Pens have...they just didn't win those years. Also, a little early to add a 3rd Cup onto the Pens run. About 13 wins too early.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

 

[illpucks]

Also, a little early to add a 3rd Cup onto the Pens run. About 13 wins too early.

That's why I put a question mark

 

[66-30-33]

Pens games are rigged. The refs have moved from regular season to giving us cups now.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

No bad contracts and have had a pipeline of young talent come through the past 3 years. (Dumoulin, Rust, Guentzel, Sheary, Murray, Kuhnhackl) Simon, Sprong, Aston-Reese should play bigger roles next year to keep the trend going.

And JR has made a number of brilliant trades. Kessel, Daley, Hagelin, Brassard.

 

[LeafFever]

They addressed their lack of depth very well since 2016 when they fired the coach. That was really a big issue after they won the 09 cup.

 

[Tom Hanks]

The last "dynasty" (Hawks) had to spend 1-2 seasons retooling after every cup win. Pens have been at the same level for the last 3 seasons. Whether they win or not will depend if the rest of the league has caught up yet. How do they keep the same level and avoid the retool years like the Hawks?

Hawks
Cup
Retool
Retool
Cup
Retool
Cup

Pens
Cup
Cup
Cup?

We’ve got a very very very good core group who aren’t too old plus a diverse mix of support players to go with them. Sullivan keeps them focused and can adjust to win in different ways. JR goes out and targets players to complement our style/depth.

Obviously when you have Malkin & Crosby it’s easier but everyone has to work hard to get into the position we are in today. You need to have the right group of people to succeed.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

The Hawks were one OT goal away from winning in 2013 which would have been 3 straight Cups.

Pittsburgh has yet to run into a team on the level of 2014 LA, maybe the '16 Sharks and '17 Caps were on that level but Pittsburgh matched up better against SJ and Holtby disappeared in 2017.

 

[puckIuck]

the level of competition was higher in 2010-2014 compared to now

 

[rent free]

chicago had more 1st round exits than cup wins from 2008-2017. they had 4 first round exits, 3 cups, and 2 conference finals exits

 

[ClydeLee]

Huh.. the Pens did too. The hawks had 13-15 as a result of it winning 2 but missing with WCF game 7 loss. Pens retool and have their 3 year period too. To break up that hawks team as a retool is silly.

Now some pieces cap wise look good for them into the future but when Murray gets cheap deals that helps.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

It's illpucks. He'll keep making threads about the Pens until his attempts at jinxing them finally pay off.

Have to admire the commitment to keep trying to jinx them.

Eventually it will pay off because their run has to end some time.

But to answer the thread, JR is a wizard.

 

[Kale Hulls]

I love illpucks threads.

 

[rent free]

since my thread got closed, illask it here. how did the pens revolutionize how to win in the playoffs?

 

[dellzor]

The Malkin / Crosby / Kessel contracts help a lot

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

the level of competition was higher in 2010-2014 compared to now

the further we get from the past, the "better" the past becomes

can't wait until 5 years from now when people finally give the pens the credit they deserve

if anything i think the competition was worse then, these pens would've beaten the hawks and they sure as hell would've beaten the kings, they're lucky they got to face those weak eastern teams while the pens struggled to find themselves

the pens finally have good health, better depth, better coach, and better goalie

that is why they can't be stopped

 

[PenguinSpeed]

The Hawks were one OT goal away from winning in 2013 which would have been 3 straight Cups.

Pittsburgh has yet to run into a team on the level of 2014 LA, maybe the '16 Sharks and '17 Caps were on that level but Pittsburgh matched up better against SJ and Holtby disappeared in 2017.

-2014 LA was tough? They won 3 game 7's, 1 game 7 in overtime, and 3 overtime games in the Stanley Cup Finals. That was the flukiest run ever and a joke Champion. They came out of the pathetic 3 bid playoff league Pacific division, had a measly 100 points from a 3 bid division, and had one of the worst offenses for a Stanley Cup winner All Time.

-This board is a pure comedy. The last 2 years the Western Conference chest beaters were all high and mighty with how great the Sharks and Preds were. Then they met the Penguins and got killed. Year 3, who comes out of the West? I Guarantee if they get killed by the Pens they stink. The salt against the Pens is at all time highs

 

[3074326]

Our Toews and Kane are way better than Toews and Kane.

We also didn't trade our Panarin and just held on to Phil Kessel.

Sullivan is a great coach, Murray is a playoff beast.

But it's HOF/all-time players on two lines.

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

-2014 LA was tough? They won 3 game 7's, 1 game 7 in overtime, and 3 overtime games in the Stanley Cup Finals. That was the flukiest run ever and a joke Champion. They came out of the pathetic 3 bid playoff league Pacific division, had a measly 100 points from a 3 bid division, and had one of the worst offenses for a Stanley Cup winner All Time.

-This board is a pure comedy. The last 2 years the Western Conference chest beaters were all high and mighty with how great the Sharks and Preds were. Then they met the Penguins and got killed. Year 3, who comes out of the West? I Guarantee if they get killed by the Pens they stink. The salt against the Pens is at all time highs

they get no respect

LA has won one playoff game (not series) since then and people act like they would just dominate these pens

they should've lost to the sharks that year, a sharks team that was worse than the one the pens destroyed in the finals

 

[ColePens]

Another year, another illpucks thread trying to jinx the pens. Nothing new here.

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

no such thing as a jinx, hockey people are weird

 

[tom_servo]

-2014 LA was tough? They won 3 game 7's, 1 game 7 in overtime, and 3 overtime games in the Stanley Cup Finals. That was the flukiest run ever and a joke Champion. They came out of the pathetic 3 bid playoff league Pacific division, had a measly 100 points from a 3 bid division, and had one of the worst offenses for a Stanley Cup winner All Time.

-This board is a pure comedy. The last 2 years the Western Conference chest beaters were all high and mighty with how great the Sharks and Preds were. Then they met the Penguins and got killed. Year 3, who comes out of the West? I Guarantee if they get killed by the Pens they stink. The salt against the Pens is at all time highs

It's kind of like how a handful of Flyers fans belittle the Pens championships because they didn't run into any truly great teams. In a few years, they might realize the Pens were the great team everyone else was running into.

 

[ElLeetch]

they got gifted generational talents.

 

[MadLuke]

Considering the Penguins went at least to one double overtime during a game 7 and the Hawks got close in some of those year's, difference is probably just some puck luck.