Can the Pittsburgh Penguins Do It Again?

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had their hands full the last two and a half seasons: two consecutive appearances at the Stanley Cup Final, the first an admirable attempt that fell short and the second a come-from-behind run that ended with Lord Stanley.

On top of that, NHL involvement in the 2010 Olympics has forced a condensed season and no two-week break for those representing their countries.

Speculation began before the season even started. Is it possible they go to the Finals a third consecutive year? Win the Cup a second consecutive time?

Analysts generally said no.

Predictions went to San Jose after the team won the rights to Heatley, Chicago after the longterm signing of Hossa and the growing stardom of Toews and Kane, and Washington, who carries young talent that's hungry for vengeance after a shocking exit in the postseason. No shoutouts to Pittsburgh.

In a way, many fans like it this way. No pressure, right?

However, no one should disregard the Penguins as contenders for a long run in the playoffs. Their talent down the middle is second to none, the team itself is loaded with playoff experience, and goaltending is solid. With that said, the Penguins have a way to go before they can prove to naysayers that they can be the first team to win back-to-back Cups since the '97-'98 Red Wings.

Goaltending

No serious complaints in this department. Save for a bad stretch after Christmas, Marc-Andre Fleury has been holding the fort for the Pens and has saved them from a few losses in the process. His stats may not be fabulous, but he does the job when it counts, as we all saw in the postseason.

When Fleury needed a rest or went on IR because of his fractured finger, Brent Johnson stepped in and proved that he could be a starting goaltender. We can't ask for more from Johnson after some of the displays he has put on this season, notably his two shootout wins against Florida and Columbus where he stopped all six shootout attempts in the come-from-behind wins.

I really do hope we utilize Johnson more as the season progresses. Fleury will likely spend the Olympics cooling his skates, giving his finger some more time to heal, but the schedule post-Olympics will be brutal with a multiple back-to-back games.

A rested Johnson will be a big help for the Pens, especially if he sees some regular starts, allowing him to find his groove.

Defense

At the beginning of the season, I would have told you that the Pens' defensive situation after the loss of Scuderi and Gill was close to flawless. Sergei Gonchar, Alex Goligoski, and Kris Letang were skating well and Goligoski's numbers were rocketing; Jay McKee and Mark Eaton were playing sound defense and blocking shots with Brooks Orpik maintaining his physical presence.

But then the injury plague hit.

In a matter of days, five of six starting defensemen were out with injuries. Since then, the defense hasn't been the same.

I'm not sure if this is because of any lingering pain, but I noticed some softness on defense since the returns from injury. It seemed like it was too easy for opposing teams to penetrate the defense, not good for Bylsma's quick transition game. On the offensive front, Goligoski's hot stick went cold, Letang got sloppy and even Gonchar was making uncharacteristic mistakes.

Things have gotten better since then, and the defense seems to be finding its form once again, but it's not all there yet. The defense has to make quicker plays when they find the puck deep in their zone. Those extra seconds taken in trying to clear the puck has lead to massive turnovers because the puck doesn't quite cross the blue line.

I'm not too concerned with the defense as they are improving, but I want more from Letang and Goligoski.  When both are getting good opportunities, there's a visible increase in confidence in not only their offensive but their defensive play. Success from these two will be crucial, especially if Gonchar looks depleted after the Olympics.

Forwards

The Pens are heralded for having the best third line in the NHL and it only takes one shift to understand why: their tenacity. Jordan Staal, Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy are after the puck like frat boys on Thirsty Thursday and hound the opposing defense until they force a turnover. It's the same story with every shift.

The first, second, and fourth lines must emulate this.

This has been difficult for Sidney Crosby's line since it changes with every game, but his wingers must always be up for the task. We know Crosby is.

Evgeni Malkin's line was weak amidst his slump because he carries the line's energy and momentum. With him not on his game, neither is Ruslan Fedotenko, nor Maxime Talbot. The individual players, as well as the line overall, must find consistency.

Another problem is the lack of secondary scoring. 

At the beginning of the season, the one thing the Pens' offense did well every game was generate secondary scoring. Kennedy, Rupp, Goligoski, and Dupuis were finding the net often which takes away a lot of the responsibility Crosby, Malkin, and Staal carry to perform well and score every game.

This is no longer the norm, but let me say that this isn't so much a problem now as it could be in the future.

Simply put, the team cannot always depend on the stars to score goals.  Come playoff time, opposing teams will specifically make it hard on those players to score which is why it is so important that more players get in the habit of finding the net. Secondary scoring can be a lifesaver in the playoffs.

How big were Talbot's two goals in Game 7 of the SCF?

I'd say about 34.5 pounds.

The depth of the team is there, but they need to find that desire that propelled them through last season's playoffs. If every other team is going to have it when they face the defending Cup Champs, then the Pens are going to need it two-fold.

Special Teams

To the penalty killers, all I have to say is carry on.

Concerning the power play, I look at the 16.4 percent conversion that ranks the team 27th and see an outcome that doesn't reflect the effort. Yes, everyone and their grandmother knows that the Pens' power play was awful and at one point last in the league. What people forget is that the overall percentage is difficult to change.

After finally taking Malkin off the point and moving Crosby down the low, the Pens conversion rate clicked at 33.3 percent (9-for-27). That stat is far more accurate than the 16.4 percent that shows up during a game. This power play needs to stay "hot"; the Pens draw the most penalties in the NHL and must take advantage of other teams' mistakes.

Overall, the power play has generated much criticism throughout the season because of its lack of production. Crosby mentioned in interviews that the reason was not a lack of effort, rather a lack of execution. I would like to add a lack of desperation.

Special teams can win games, and the only time the Pens play with that mentality regularly is on a game-changing penalty kill (even then, sometimes they don't). Too many times did the power play disappoint by not tying a game in its waning moments. With the number of power play opportunities the Pens have had, more games could have ended with a W instead of an L if the Pens played with a desperation mentality.

However, I do expect this to change not only post-Olympics, but throughout the playoffs as well. The Pens have to be ready to face opponents who are ready to do anything to take the Cup from their possession.

On paper, the Pens have everything they need to win the Cup a second time. The biggest thing that needs to change is their mentality.  They need to be hungry to win again because every other team will be just as hungry to defeat the defending Cup Champs.

So back to the big question: Can the Pens bring Lord Stanley home again?

Absolutely.  They just need to prove they want it.