News Article: Crosby and Malkin Turn the Page on Last Spring

[Crafton]

from Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside:

"It stung,” the Pittsburgh Penguins captain told ESPN.com Thursday in an interview during the NHL’s Player Tour event.
"It was one of those ones that definitely took a while to wear off. Looking back, probably right until Chicago won, it was pretty tough to go a day without it crossing your mind when you’re seeing the finals going on. I didn’t watch a game until Game 6. I tried not to think about it too much, but it did pass through my mind. I think until I started working out and started to get ready for this year, it was tough to turn the page there."

Former playoff MVP and scoring champion Evgeni Malkin echoed’s Crosby’s sentiment.

"I agree with Sid. It’s tougher loss for my career too. Four games and we score just two goals. I think we have best offensive line in NHL last year but we score just two goals. I don’t know if it’s bad luck or Boston played very well," Malkin told ESPN.com.

"But I just try to not remember that again, just look forward look positive and look new season."

Shero’s decision to keep the band together resonated in the Penguins’ room.

"I think it’s good," Crosby said. "Everyone knows what is expected of them in that room. Knowing that our GM has the confidence in everyone there, we all have confidence in one another, but we have to learn from last year. Adding Rob Scuderi, a guy that was a big part of our team in 2009, that may not be looked on by some as a huge free-agent signing but that was a big move for us. He’s a heck of a defenseman and we’re happy to have him back."

Like Crosby, Malkin was pleased Shero didn’t take the axe to the roster.

“Oh, I love that. I like [that] Ray sign (Kris) Letang, Scuderi because we won together one Cup,” he said.

And Malkin predicted another one is on the way.

“We know [we] have great chance to win one again,” he said.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/26579/can-penguins-get-over-playoff-loss-to-bs

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[stepdad gaary]

ok well there are not any games right now so words are all you get

 

[SEALBound]

They are expected to say this. Talk is cheap. Truth be told however, it's not their fault and ultimately they have less to do with the total success of this team than they think.

 

[Til the End of Time]

not exactly sure how "keeping the band together" can be seen as a good thing.

when you continue fall to lower seeded teams year after year, yet keep one of worst playoff goalies of all-time on your team, it becomes evident this organization lacks accountability.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

not exactly sure how "keeping the band together" can be seen as a good thing.

when you continue fall to lower seeded teams year after year, yet keep one of worst playoff goalies of all-time on your team, it becomes evident this organization lacks accountability.

That is all well and good as a general statement.

But specifically what move would you not have done this off season? I mean player movers, letting Disco go would have a lot of support here. Or buying out Fleury for that matter.

But signing Malkin long term? Letang? Scuderi? Even Dupris and Kunitz. All signed reasonably and at a term and cost which should allow the Pens a ton of flexibility in the next half decade or so.

I understand your general statement. However, specifically Shero did much better than I expected and I can not imagine an off season overall that could have been better given what happened with the Cap.

 

[SirBrad]

same year, same story. time to get back to the finals.

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

Geno's interviews are the most entertaining about hockey.

 

[Crafton]

Geno's interviews are the most entertaining about hockey.

this was basically my ulterior motivation for creating a thread for this article. those quotes were too good to bury.

 

[Lim Ran]

It's fine. I'm over it. We have the two best players in hockey and a great offensive team, a solid defensive defenseman back, a Norris candidate...

Whatever. Great team, great chance every year. Sometimes it's frustrating because we have high expectations, but we're lucky to be able to have those expectations every year.

Yes, we need another Cup (or at least another finals appearance) in the next couple years or else we're just getting old and completely wasting what could have been a near-dynasty... but it's still fun to be a Penguins fan.

If we're devastated by injuries AGAIN this year, though, I'll be ****ing pissed.

 

[JTG]

I'd rather that loss linger. I'd put 2 goals in 4 games on the bulletin board. The entire team should feel shame for that one.

 

[Ogrezilla]

not exactly sure how "keeping the band together" can be seen as a good thing.

when you continue fall to lower seeded teams year after year, yet keep one of worst playoff goalies of all-time on your team, it becomes evident this organization lacks accountability.

the last three playoff losses were to teams that were only 1 seed below us.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

The general expectations of this fanbase are unreasonable.

Crosby and Malkin, despite being 26 and 27 and playing in a cap era, have already led the Pens to the Finals as often as Jagr and Mario did over their entire career, and to the Conference Finals only one less time. And this is something they have to atone for?

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

the last three playoff losses were to teams that were only 1 seed below us.

When you win the conference, it's a complete and utter failure if you don't make the Finals, apparently. I wonder if this applies to every team.

 

[JonSt]

The past stings, no doubt. There comes a time though when you have to move on, use it for motivation but don't become fixated on what happened last year. I think it's slightly harsh to call Fleury the worst playoff goalie of all time. Sure he's sucked badly recently, but he was pretty decent when we won it.

This team is set up to win the cup every year and who knows when/if we'll get a double like Sid and Geno again. Each year without a ring stings but that's keep it in perspective. The Blackhawks sucked after winning it a few years back before last year, they didn't go blowing up their team. The Bruins didn't blow up there team after sucking the year after victory. in 5 years we've been to the final in 2 of them. In the salary cap era, that's pretty impressive.

That said, you have to be accountable eventually. I'll give Fleury this year to try and rebound. He doesn't have to win the Conn Smythe, just give us a decent shot to win every game.

 

[Cardboard Orpik]

The general expectations of this fanbase are unreasonable.

Crosby and Malkin, despite being 26 and 27 and playing in a cap era, have already led the Pens to the Finals as often as Jagr and Mario did over their entire career, and to the Conference Finals only one less time. And this is something they have to atone for?

People think hockey is basketball and that having two of the top five players in the game should equal a ring every year.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Hopefully the team can stay healthy, if we do I love our chances to go deep

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

Oh, I love that. I like Ray sign Letang, Scuderi because we won together one Cup. We know have great chance to win one again.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Oh, I love that. I like Ray sign Letang, Scuderi because we won together one Cup. We know have great chance to win one again.

Gotta love Geno!

 

[Captain Hook]

Hockey's such an unpredictable game. You never know who's going to get hot and win the Cup. As long as they have Sid and Geno they will always have a chance though. I'm looking forward to seeing those two and the rest of the team take another shot at it this year.

 

[Darth Vitale]

not exactly sure how "keeping the band together" can be seen as a good thing.

when you continue fall to lower seeded teams year after year, yet keep one of worst playoff goalies of all-time on your team, it becomes evident this organization lacks accountability.

I hear what you're saying but let's be real "seeds" don't mean jack in this league. Especially when one of the top 3 was granted to Washington every year. Said it before and I'll say it again: what mattered is the WAY we lost. Particularly 2012 playoffs and the start of the 2013 playoffs that got Fleury booted finally.

Everyone knows this is Fleury's final shot including Fleury so there will be improvement in 2014 playoffs, or his accountability will be losing his job. Probably a couple other players too. Can argue it should've been this year (pretty easily) but now there is no more ambiguity. Coaches have been changed, players have basically been given "friendly ultimatums" in the press (Fleury)... let's see what happens. Hopefully Fleury will catch some Eggs Martin magic and turn his **** around when it counts.

Geno's interviews are the most entertaining about hockey.

Yes I feel good when score. Not happy only score 2 when play Boston... now I feel OK. I play bass summer, feel happy. Stay positive to score.
Not like Russia so much, Putin bad guy. Play whole career with Sid, not KHL.

 

[gordie]

But Dan Bylsma is still the author of that book, which means the Spring of 2014 will probably resemble the Spring of 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010.

 

[ColePens]

I think the team has ALWAYS said the right thing. I want them to go out and DO the right thing. I won't believe it til I see it.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

The general expectations of this fanbase are unreasonable.

Crosby and Malkin, despite being 26 and 27 and playing in a cap era, have already led the Pens to the Finals as often as Jagr and Mario did over their entire career, and to the Conference Finals only one less time. And this is something they have to atone for?

Point taken but for me it isn't about the losses, it is more about how we have lost.

 

[JTG]

Hockey's such an unpredictable game. You never know who's going to get hot and win the Cup. As long as they have Sid and Geno they will always have a chance though. I'm looking forward to seeing those two and the rest of the team take another shot at it this year.

And hockey is a game where skill doesn't win out a majority of the time. It's a weird example, but it's sort of how Herb Brooks picked the Miracle team. It wasn't about the skill, it was about the team, and how the team played together, and what specific guys brought to the table. Strategy and coaching also matters a lot more in hockey than most other sports, even if other sports spend much more time doing actual coaching throughout the course of a game, like football.

When a team wins a Cup, you can look back and see guys who weren't highly skilled guys but were pivotal in the success oft he team. Without those guys, the team doesn't win. When we won we had guys like Talbot, Rupp, Scuderi, Gill, and Adams who all stepped up and played crucial roles for us.

Going into the playoffs last season, that was the most skilled team I think we have seen in the Crosby era, but even going into the playoffs, you could see it was missing something. I know from my point of view, I was desperately hoping we'd find a Mike Rupp type guy for the bottom 6. I thought that was a crucial part of the team going forward. I still think that's a crucial part of the team going forward. This bottom 6 needs revamped for us if we're going to have any success. Sure they aren't going to score us the goals we need to win, but they are just as important as the guys who do put the pucks in the net. A shift disturbing 4th liner who can change momentum of a game is really the number 1 thing this team needs. Everything else is in place.

 

[mpp9]

Our 4th line was Satan-Adams-Dupuis in the Cup year if I remember correctly. This team could use some more size up front for sure, but I'd prefer that guy to be playing in the top 9.

Let D'Agostini flank Vitale and Adams to hopefully bring us the occasional clutch goal.