How do the Pens do it?

[GOilers88]

-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

What a terrible opinion.

 

[Richard]

As a Pens fan I'd say luck to be good when the rest of your conference is sorta down (besides the Caps who, well, capped the last two seasons).

I'd say LA and Chicago lucked out to play Eastern Teams in the finals who all had significant holes in their lineup. Nashville and San Jose were both better squads than anyone those two had to play in the finals.

 

[jbobell98]

When you have Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Kessel on your team topped off with a hot goalie when it matters its not hard to see why.

 

[bert]

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

Hyperbole to push an agenda.

they got gifted generational talents.

Theres the real answer. As good as the Hawks best players are they arent as good as Crosby or Malkin. They also got gifted Kessel for pennies to the dollar because the leaf obsessed media helped tear a decent team apart. Also the cap went up, so the long term deals that Crosby and Malkin have a sweet heart contracts.

 

[bert]

What a terrible opinion.

While it was a very biased post, the one thing he wasnt wrong about was the performance of the teams in the west in the finals and this narrative that is pushed by Western Conference team fans that they are a better conference. It hasnt been that way for 4 years. This year however I do think you will see the best western conference champion we have seen since the Hawks/Kings teams. Both Winnipeg and Nashville are two of the best teams the west has produced since then.

I also dont think the Pens are guaranteed to make it to the finals this year either. Whoever they play Tampa or Boston is going to be a hell of a matchup for them. Murray cant keep playing like this if they expect to get to the finals, they dont have a second starter to throw in the net after the first one falters this season either. I dont think they win the cup last year without the two headed goalie monster they possessed last season.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

And you would have to be kidding yourself to think that the last three Vezina winners all just randomly had meltdowns against a team built to score in bunches.

That was no coincidence. The Pens have made lots of goalies look silly in the postseason. Most of the ones they've played against, to be honest.

Then why did Martin Jones, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Craig Anderson look excellent against Pittsburgh?

 

[Richard]

Then why did Martin Jones, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Craig Anderson look excellent against Pittsburgh?

Ummm, answer: they didn't. Anderson was the only one who looked good for the majority of a series (didnt they put 7 up against him or something) and the last two games he had an almost incredible amount of puck luck.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Ummm, answer: they didn't. Anderson was the only one who looked good for the majority of a series (didnt they put 7 up against him or something) and the last two games he had an almost incredible amount of puck luck.

I don't think Jones ever allowed more than 3 goals, and I also watched the Tampa series; both of those goaltenders were flat out spectacular.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

whether or not they beat the canucks is peripheral to my point. the 2011 nucks and 14 kings are far better than the blue jackets, bolts and caps teams the pens faced the last 2 years.

The Caps the last 2 years were definitely better than the Kings in 2014.

 

[illpucks]

The Caps the last 2 years were definitely better than the Kings in 2014.

Kings in 2014 didn't compete in the high-speed NHL.

Caps D looked highly immobile and very slow last year vs Pens.

I said it before and I'll say it again. If the Oilers took out the Ducks they would have taken out the Pens.

 

[Richard]

Kings in 2014 didn't compete in the high-speed NHL.

Caps D looked highly immobile and very slow last year vs Pens.

I said it before and I'll say it again. If the Oilers took out the Ducks they would have taken out the Pens.

Ah, no they wouldn't have because they would have lost to the Predators.

 

[GOilers88]

While it was a very biased post, the one thing he wasnt wrong about was the performance of the teams in the west in the finals and this narrative that is pushed by Western Conference team fans that they are a better conference. It hasnt been that way for 4 years. This year however I do think you will see the best western conference champion we have seen since the Hawks/Kings teams. Both Winnipeg and Nashville are two of the best teams the west has produced since then.

I also dont think the Pens are guaranteed to make it to the finals this year either. Whoever they play Tampa or Boston is going to be a hell of a matchup for them. Murray cant keep playing like this if they expect to get to the finals, they dont have a second starter to throw in the net after the first one falters this season either. I dont think they win the cup last year without the two headed goalie monster they possessed last season.

What I meant to say was nobody flukes their way to a Stanley Cup. To suggest it is pure ridiculousness.

 

[illpucks]

Ah, no they wouldn't have because they would have lost to the Predators.

I dunno. Oilers had some brain farts during the Ducks series but they were the only fast team that could legitimately challenge the Pens. Most teams were slow slow slow. Preds included.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

I dunno. Oilers had some brain farts during the Ducks series but they were the only fast team that could legitimately challenge the Pens. Most teams were slow slow slow. Preds included.

Oilers aren't a fast team though.

 

[puckIuck]

The Caps the last 2 years were definitely better than the Kings in 2014.

kings 2 cups
caps - 2nd round chokes

but yeah they're better

 

[ColbyChaos]

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?

Pens spent 6 years between 09 and 16 Shero stockpiled a lot in that span while Chicago lost enough impact players from 2010 onward to field a competitive team also Chicago had 3 straight conference finals appearences with 14 being the real cup finals all things considered

 

[excaliber]

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.

Bowman had to sell the Blackhawks future for the 3 cups they won. Pittsburgh's FO was much smarter, kept their core who were top notch and brought some talented guys up through the system. Kessel was a great acquisition. They roll some tough lines. I could easily see them winning it again. Who's going to beat them 4 out of 7?
Boston? Tampa? /Nashville? San Jose?

 

[Richard]

Considering Malkin may be out or hobbled all playoff the Pens are especially beatable.

 

[chethejet]

Keep in mind the Blackhawks age for their stars are actually younger than the Pens. Hawks certainly were far more aggressive in contractual designs that allowed keeping the team intact longer than a normal contract would have. Even then the Hawks are now stuck with very bad high cost contracts that are a result of believing they could keep it going. Pens still have more years of cup runs. So since 2009 to now, the Pens have more wins, cup appearances and are not looking in decline anytime soon. Chicago did good things on the ice but did some decisions that are now hard to get around.

 

[pokey10]

We're not a dynasty to start.

 

[BmxHockey]

Two words- Asset Management

 

[TheKingPin]

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.

Yea the pens haven’t had nealry the competition the hawks did. Plus the whole generational thing. I think Murray has a lot more to do with it than people commonly talk about.

 

[ColbyChaos]

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 15 Ducks, 13, Bruins, 14 Hawks, 13 Kings, 2012 Cannucks are all better than the 17 Sens, both caps squads, 16 Rangers and a playoff juggernaught the 17 jackets stop this isnt ancient history the teams the hawks and kings faced were just better than a lot of the pens squads. Cant wait to hear you talk how this years flyers were better than the 13 LA kings,

these pens would've beaten the hawks and they sure as hell would've beaten the kings10,12,13,15 Hawks would win handedly over the 09 and 17 pens while still being the overwhelming favorite over your 16 squad Pens would never even be able to touch the puck against those squads. they're lucky they got to face those weak eastern teams Pit would have been lucky to push to 6 in any series against Chicago/LA those same weak eastern teams that were able to dunk on Pit in a convincing fashion all those years? while the pens struggled to find themselves By struggled to find themselves do you mean they kept getting spanked in round 1 to lower seeded teams?

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

that is why they can't be stopped

Put any Pens team against Chicagos and La's cup teams see the results. Pit's style of play wouldnt match well at all against Chicago and LA when you have to go back to 2014 for the last time they even won a game against Chicago even with their better goalie and new coach im not very convinced in your points

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[ColbyChaos]

The Caps the last 2 years were definitely better than the Kings in 2014.

A team that is scared of the #2 is better than a LA team that never let go of the puck? Ringling bros is hiring they could use a few more clowns like you

 

[illpucks]

Considering Malkin may be out or hobbled all playoff the Pens are especially beatable.

They scored 8 goals without Malkin in 1 game