Late last year the penguins were looking they were headed for a lottery pick. They were continuing the downward spiral from 14-15 when the almost missed the playoffs on the last day of the season. People said they had the worst defense in the league. Kessel wasn't panning out, he didn't even come close to the 50 goals people had penciled in on his stat sheet. Crosby had regressed from a superstar to just elite and Malkin's health was a question mark. Somewhere along the way things took a turn, they made some minor trades and picked up a few pieces at the deadline, nobody thought these pieces were good, and went on a run towards the end of the season. Going into the playoffs nobody had much hope for them, most people thought their momentum would only last a round. Looking back they defeated the President's Trophy winners and Stanley Cup finalists from 2 years ago in the first round the New York Rangers. This year's President's Trophy winners and Golden State Warriors-esque powerhouse the Washington Capitals in the second round. The reigning Eastern Champions and Cup Finalists in the Finals, the Tampa Bay Lightning (They almost made a cinderella run of their own.) Now they are on the verge of beating a perennial contender who beat LA, a 2x Stanley Cup winning team in the past 4 years and some of the west's greatest defenses in St. Louis and Nashville. While Pittsburgh is a good team (not trying to discredit them) they are not built like any championship team from recent past. They are killing with speed and not shutdown defense. Their "soft" recycled wingers have formed one of the best lines the league has seen in years. Could this be one of the biggest cinderella stories in NHL history? How could anybody have foreseen this amazing run?
Last edited by a moderator:
