Pittsburgh Penguins' "Role Players" Earn Improved Label: Champions

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

A goal scored is no more important than a goal kept off the board.  Both have the exact same influence on the overall outcome of the game.  In that sense, what Scuderi achieved in Game Six was every bit as impressive as if he had scored twice.

He was just being a good role player. 

Mad Max Talbott, a guy who is becoming an absolute legend, scored the only two Penguins' goals of the decisive final game, converting a nifty pass from fellow role player Chris Kunitz into the winning goal. 

Nice job, Max, on maximizing your inner roleishness. 

Jordan Staal scored arguably the biggest goal of the series, his short-handed equalizer in Game Four that sparked a three goal rally and lifted the Penguins back into the series. 

Again, heck of a job Mr. high-paid Role Player.

Were all of those Penguins' defenders forcing everything to the outside in Game Seven simply filling a role?

Brad Stuart also had a role to play, gift wrapping a couple turnovers to the Penguins as part of the league's conspiracy to give the Stanley Cup to the Penguins.  Just kidding.

Considering the amount of money locked up in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Marc-Andre Fleury, there will be high turnover on the Penguins' roster each year.  That is an unfortunate side effect of having such elite players in the salary cap era.

But, the new guys coming in will not be "role" players.  They will simply be players, and the Penguins' success or failure will be largely determined by how they fit into the overall team concept. 

The contrast when the media talked about the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins was striking.

With the Red Wings, it was always about their incredible depth.  None of their players were relegated to second-class citizens as part of the Hank Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk hit parade.

But, with the Penguins, it was always about the fantastic two and their merry band of role players.

No team is going to win a championship with a couple elite players and a bunch of slugs. 

But, far too often, that was the tone of the commentary when talking about the Penguins. 

It takes a true team effort to win Lord Stanley's Cup, the greatest trophy in all of sports.  And, for that reason, it is time to retire term "role player" and appreciate the synergistic contributions of every member of the winning team.

Otherwise, get used to the idea of seeing a steady parade of "role players" lift the Stanley Cup over their heads in the years to come as they earn the more impressive moniker of "champions."

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