The Pittsburgh Penguins Not Decade Team

For many Penguin fans, it doesn't matter how many times you tell them that we're the Stanley Cup champions. It's just an unbelievable thought, even a couple weeks removed from Game 7 at Joe Louis Arena.

Since the trade of superstar Jaromir Jagr to the Washington Capitals, the franchise had taken the entire decade to remodel the team into something we can all be proud of. But it sure didn't come easy.

The early to middle part of the 2000s, or commonly known to Penguin fans as the "Dark Ages" incorporated hockey teams that nobody wanted to see. Not because they were that good, because they were that awful. For other divisional rivals, beating the Penguins was expected. Take the two points and leave.

To fully appreciate the championship that we just achieved, remembering all the suffering is a good way to start. So I present the Pittsburgh Penguins' "not" decade team.

These players were in many occasions the recipient of all our anger, frustration and misery.

Whether they came in the form of high-profile free-agent signings that fell flat on their face at the Mellon Arena, or first-round draft picks that never came close to living up to their potential, these F---ing b---ards had an influential hand in the 2009 Cup.

So enjoy, it's the roster of Penguins only seen in nightmares.

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