I think it's that people feel like the Pens lucked their way to a cup in '09, and they don't have a taste for doing it that way again.
They want to see the organization get serious and build themselves into an all-business, year-in and year-out Dominant Powerhouse like Detroit used to be (and they're still serious), and like Chicago is now.
No more of the PR idiocy, no more of the "family loyalty" when it's holding the organization back.
If you can't raise the standard, you get voted off the island.
If you look back, we really did luck out in 09.
We kept it together against Philly, we played an offensive star power series against Washington and in Game 7 their rookie goalie crapped the bed, we got an inferior Carolina team in the conf finals. No Boston, no Montreal, no Jersey.
In the finals Datsyuk was hurt and the wings didn't have an answer for a streaking Malkin.
We stayed very healthy throughout those playoffs to boot.
Luck was really going our way that year. It hasn't since. No luck against Halak, no Sid or Geno in 11, **** show in 12, no luck against Boston, no luck against the Rags. And by luck, I mean the puck luck that you have to have to get those 1 or 2 goals that can turn tides. That Staal SHG in G3 was puck luck for us. Turned the tide. Letang's game winner, Geno's game winner against Washington...puck luck on our side.
Anyone who discounts how much luck plays a role in it, you're not watching hard enough.
I do believe this team is capable of Cup. If this team wins it all, MAF is the no brainer Conn Smyth. We have to have him steal games for us. We can't have the mediocre goaltending we've had in the past. With that, every line has to be clicking. Meaning:
1. Sid and Perron figure out together. Hornqvist keeps it up.
2. Comeau continues to click with Geno.
3. Kunitz wakes the F up.
4. Sutter plays like he did last year.
5. No Adams. No Adams in the lineup. No Craig Adams in the lineup. Craig Adams is a healthy scratch and NOT in the line up. No. Craig. Adams.
6. The bottom lines chips in. Both 3a and 3b or the 3rd and 4th, whatever. They have to chip in. It has to be a team effort. It can't be the Sid and Geno show.
7. Sid and Geno have to be Sid and Geno. We all know what that means.
Its a long shot, but we have as good of a shot as any other team.
Here's my perfect lay out:
NYR vs WAS
PIT vs NYI
We exploit their weaker goaltending and weather the storm of their deep offense.
NYR and the Caps really go at it for 7 games. Rangers take it in 7 but come out banged up.
We go against the Rags. Their offense turns anemic like its known to do, we shut down Nash and MSL. Their defense breaks down and Lundqvist struggles. Takes us 7, but we win Game 7 on the backs of secondary scoring.
BOS vs MTL
TAM vs DET
Boston takes MTL out an upset, Tampa and Detroit take it 7 but Detroit prevails.
Boston vs Detroit, Detroit wins.
Pens vs Wings in the ECF, I think we can take the Wings.
West:
NAS vs MIN
ANA vs WIN
VAN vs CAL
STL vs CHI
I think we can take any of them to be honest. None of those teams scare in a 7 game series, especially after our Anaheim and LA wins and our performance in the west.
The battle is having to take down two of NYI, NYR, and WAS.