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Penguins Blog: Take a Moment; One Decision Created Everything
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- Penguins Blog: Take a Moment; One Decision Created Everything
Pittsburgh Penguins Kyle Dubas
The Pittsburgh Penguins finished second in the Metro Division. By the time they thumped the New Jersey Devils last Thursday to clinch that honor, the spectre of lost leads, shootout foibles, and veteran trade talk had long faded in the sunlight of their success.
The Penguins now face a very winnable Round One series against the Philadelphia Flyers . In fact, the series is beyond winnable; it is a “should-win” series.
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Funny, isn’t it? No one except the Penguins expected them to be in the playoffs, and now most expect them to win at least Round One. Pressure is, indeed, a privilege as they face another team that shed onerous rebuilding expectations with a new coach and a bevy of fresh faces in favor of a playoff appearance.
There is little doubt why the Penguins are the series favorites. Having Sidney Crosby is an enormous advantage. Erik Karlsson playing like a Norris Trophy worthy defenseman is also a pretty big advantage.
But before the hand-to-hand combat of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia analysts and predictions, Penguins fans should take a breath. Savor what could be the last time the lights go out, the music blares, and the Pittsburgh Penguins with Sidney Crosby , Evgeni Malkin , and Kris Letang take the ice in a Stanley Cup Playoff run.
Nothing lasts forever.
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No, what comes next has nothing to do with summer decisions, though some performances could affect those front office discussions. What comes next is instead the reward for overcoming a season of obstacles, persevering through the last few years of negativity and sometimes absolute misery. And generally enjoying a moment in the sun that is nothing more than a chance, but a chance nonetheless.
How the Penguins Got Here
Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is getting plenty of support for executive of the year for his roster construction that has defied expectations. However, signing Parker Wotherspoon and Anthony Mantha would have met far different results if the Penguins team were in the tattered shambles of a rebuild. Or a retool. Or a re-whatever.
The small details are many.
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The Penguins are in the playoffs in part because of early season goaltending by Tristan Jarry . Dubas trading him at the perfect moment. Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs provided some brilliant netminding after the holiday break. Mantha and Justin Brazeau set career highs in goals and offensive production. Dubas sneaking into Columbus to extricate Egor Chinakhov and figuratively leaving a few dollar tip on the nightstand. Dubas also getting Brett Kulak out of Edmonton with Skinner, and Kulak reviving Letang’s season, and coach Dan Muse for forcing Sam Girard and Letang to figure out how to play together after Dubas traded Kulak for Girard … and another second-round pick.
Oh, and the Dan Muse difference is enormous, too.
There are plenty more reasons for the Penguins’ success, including Crosby and Malkin each contributing more than a point per game. Karlsson’s remarkable turnaround, but all the smaller factors trace to one big reason for the Penguins’ feel-good story: Dubas kept the veterans.
The “sky-high price” for Bryan Rust became a “Not for Sale” sign. The same seems to be true for Rickard Rakell . Most GMs would have shrugged and moved on from Erik Karlsson , admitting defeat after a couple of disappointing seasons and sold him for peanuts against former trade value.
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Not Dubas. Perhaps it was external circumstances that forced Dubas’s hand (or hold) and perhaps it was optimism for what could be, but the result was the same.
The cascading fallout from keeping the veteran gang together made it easier for players such as Ben Kindel , Wotherspoon, and Mantha to integrate into the lineup. They did not have the pressure of carrying a responsibility above their previous stations as much as they received an opportunity to earn more from a low pressure starting point. The mindset and the pressure are radically different between the former and the latter.
A tear-down rebuild would have cast aside several players and probably drowned others in responsibility.
The post Penguins Blog: Take a Moment; One Decision Created Everything appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now .
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