Was this ever possible for Pittsburgh?

[KIRK]

Boston beat Vancouver by beating them up. That would not have worked against the 2011 Pens, who were a far more physical hockey club than Vancouver was. Possibly more physical than Boston was.

On the other hand, Bylsma was the coach of the 2011 Penguins.

 

[Gurglesons]

Boston beat Vancouver by beating them up. That would not have worked against the 2011 Pens, who were a far more physical hockey club than Vancouver was. Possibly more physical than Boston was.

Because, that worked in 2012?

Boston beat Vancouver because of interference, after the whistle BS and uncalled penalties. They would’ve steamrolled us.

 

[heysmilinstrange]

Could you imagine the outrage if a team won the cup 10 years in a row? people would be crying fix after the first 5 and ratings would nosedive.

People cry fix after the Penguins win 1 Cup, let's be real.

 

[LOGiK]

However, if it worked out for the Warriors, then why didn't it work out for us?

No. Hockey is not basketball.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

Boston would’ve stomped us in 2011. Vancouver played a similar game and Henrik and Kessler were arguably comparable to Sid and Geno that year.

Comparable to the Sidney Crosby who had 66 points in 41 games? Put down the bottle.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

Boston beat Vancouver by beating them up. That would not have worked against the 2011 Pens, who were a far more physical hockey club than Vancouver was. Possibly more physical than Boston was.

They didn't have Colin Campbell's son though.

 

[Turin]

2011 is my pick for potentially winning. That team was rolling before the injury wall, but it also had incredibly weak depth on the wing. Crosby would have had to carry them a decent ways.

 

[Tom Hanks]

2011 is my pick for potentially winning. That team was rolling before the injury wall, but it also had incredibly weak depth on the wing. Crosby would have had to carry them a decent ways.

That was a problem throughout the years. Crosby and Malkin didn’t have wingers who were good at making plays (consistently). So in the playoffs when you’re under more of a microscope teams would double team Crosby/Malkin and their wingers style couldn’t take advantage to change that.

Then as you said the depth couldn’t make up for it.

 

[billybudd]

Because, that worked in 2012?

Boston beat Vancouver because of interference, after the whistle BS and uncalled penalties. They would’ve steamrolled us.

The 2012 team was the cosplayer of the 2011 team when it came to toughness and physical play. 2011 was the genuine article.

They didn't have Colin Campbell's son though.

Now THAT is a solid counterpoint.

 

[Human]

Even if they had a prime Mario, there’s no way in hell they win another Cup with Dan shit Bylsma.

 

[Gurglesons]

The 2012 team was the cosplayer of the 2011 team when it came to toughness and physical play. 2011 was the genuine article.


Now THAT is a solid counterpoint.

Is this an Asham, Rupp thing? Because 2011’s roster blew. D blew. Crosby led that team on a unrealistic run. It was basically the 2014 of those early years. Went all in 2008, 9, and 10. We got hit with a cap crunch.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

Is this an Asham, Rupp thing? Because 2011’s roster blew. D blew. Crosby led that team on a unrealistic run. It was basically the 2014 of those early years. Went all in 2008, 9, and 10. We got hit with a cap crunch.

The D blew?

Letang-Orpik
Martin-Michalek
Niskanen-Lovejoy/Engelland

That's pretty good and the reason the Penguins were always one of the best teams in terms of GAA in that time period.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

2011 is my pick for potentially winning. That team was rolling before the injury wall, but it also had incredibly weak depth on the wing. Crosby would have had to carry them a decent ways.

Wing depth was weak at the beginning of the year but Neal and Kovalev were traded for around the deadline.

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Neal-Malkin-Kovalev
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy

With Talbot, Rupp, Asham, and Letestu on the team as well.

 

[Turin]

Wing depth was weak at the beginning of the year but Neal and Kovalev were traded for around the deadline.

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Neal-Malkin-Kovalev
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy

With Talbot, Rupp, Asham, and Letestu on the team as well.

Honestly I thought the D-mix before Neal was awesome with Letang, Martin and Goligoski. Probably was worth the trade off given how much time Asham and Rupp saw with Geno that year though.

Overall, I feel like that team glued better than any before Sullivan and it was all derailed in Shakespearean fashion. Bylsma even looked like a good coach before he lost the team and his own mind the following year. f*** that was a gritty team too, no wonder the Islanders decided to become criminals that year.

 

[Turin]

That was a problem throughout the years. Crosby and Malkin didn’t have wingers who were good at making plays (consistently). So in the playoffs when you’re under more of a microscope teams would double team Crosby/Malkin and their wingers style couldn’t take advantage to change that.

Then as you said the depth couldn’t make up for it.

In 2011 Crosby and Kunitz were both good enough that they could have made it work against anybody. Crosby was out there making the rest of the NHL look like amateur hour and the team was as tight defensively/in transition as any team before 2016. Geno was on a skill island for most of the year though, there’s no doubt about that.

 

[Talisman]

I was alvays cheering up that penguins and blackhawks could face each other in stanley cup finals!!. 2013 was closed but the bruins ruined it....!!.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Maybe if Letang didn't exist

Ah come on, that is as stupid as it is shortsighted. The guy had one bad year after a major injury.

Sure, he is prone to mental mistakes, but he also produces better than alll but 4 or 5 Ds + had a Conn Smythe worthy run in 16 + has been a top 10 D at worst for at least 8 years.

I mean, if that guy is really the reason why we haven't won 10 Cups in a row...

I know it is trendy to rip on him and I agree it might be time to part ways if the right deal is on the table, but let's not be completely ignorant either. At least 24 teams wished they had him for the last decade. There might be legit concerns now, but let's not do revisionnist history.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Ah come on, that is as stupid as it is shortsighted. The guy had one bad year after a major injury.

Sure, he is prone to mental mistakes, but he also produces better than alll but 4 or 5 Ds + had a Conn Smythe worthy run in 16 + has been a top 10 D at worst for at least 8 years.

I mean, if that guy is really the reason why we haven't won 10 Cups in a row...

I know it is trendy to rip on him and I agree it might be time to part ways if the right deal is on the table, but let's not be completely ignorant either. At least 24 teams wished they had him for the last decade. There might be legit concerns now, but let's not do revisionnist history.

I never liked Letangs game. He's always had a low IQ, he just use to be faster so he could make up for it sometimes. I've never understood why we need offensive d-men when we have two of the best forwards in the world. It's lost us more Championships than it's won us. We didn't win in 09 because of offensive d. You can say 2016 but in 2017 won with the same roster minus Letang so it kinds of debunks that theory. Won because we had an offense of Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Guentz, and lots of other forwards stepping up. We just need pmd that don't give up odd man rushes/breakaways and we'd have a lot more Championships.

 

[Gurglesons]

The D blew?

Letang-Orpik
Martin-Michalek
Niskanen-Lovejoy/Engelland

That's pretty good and the reason the Penguins were always one of the best teams in terms of GAA in that time period.

I mean, if you’re just going off names it was good. Niskanen was really bad, Martin and Michaelk were so bad people were advocating them being traded the next season, and Lovejoy and Engo were both extremely green.

Also, I doubt Shero pulls the trigger on the Neal and Nisky deal if we are healthy.

W

 

[bambamcam4ever]

I mean, if you’re just going off names it was good. Niskanen was really bad, Martin and Michaelk were so bad people were advocating them being traded the next season, and Lovejoy and Engo were both extremely green.

Also, I doubt Shero pulls the trigger on the Neal and Nisky deal if we are healthy.

W

That deal was made with a healthy Penguins team in mind. They didn't acquire Neal to play with Dustin Jeffrey.

 

[KIRK]

That deal was made with a healthy Penguins team in mind. They didn't acquire Neal to play with Dustin Jeffrey.

Correct.

At the time, Gologoski was the 5th defenseman. Teams were offering a young top six forward AND a replacement 5th defenseman for him. Dallas with Neal and Niskanen. If memory serves, the other big suitor was Columbus, and (again) if memory serves, I believe the offer was Voracek and Methot.

 

[Pancakes]

Bylsma stank no doubt but I still put Fleury and our roster construction as bigger problems than Disco. After all, Disco won a Cup, and Therrien nearly did.

There's no way to prove it I suppose, but I'd theorize that a good coach adds a few wins a year, a bad coach subtracts a few wins a year, but roster construction is 1000 times more important.

 

[KIRK]

Bylsma stank no doubt but I still put Fleury and our roster construction as bigger problems than Disco. After all, Disco won a Cup, and Therrien nearly did.

There's no way to prove it I suppose, but I'd theorize that a good coach adds a few wins a year, a bad coach subtracts a few wins a year, but roster construction is 1000 times more important.

Disco won a cup because he was the anti-Therrien, tweaked his system, and a lot of things outside of his control happened right (e.g., drawing Carolina instead of Boston in the ECF, Datsyuk hurt in the SCF, etc).

He never won another because he didn't think any of this factored tremendously into his winning a cup.

 

[Turin]

Correct.

At the time, Gologoski was the 5th defenseman. Teams were offering a young top six forward AND a replacement 5th defenseman for him. Dallas with Neal and Niskanen. If memory serves, the other big suitor was Columbus, and (again) if memory serves, I believe the offer was Voracek and Methot.

Neal and Niskanen doesn’t look as good as it used to, then. I mean Niskanen in his prime makes it amazing, but he only had one year of that with Pittsburgh.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Crosby was going berserk until Steckel. I think that was their best chance. Shorten season primed for a great run. Sid was possessed.