Unfulfilling Prophecy: Pens Don't Look Like a Dyanasty in the Making

As soon as the Detroit/Pittsburgh matchup was set, the NHL media machine all but annointed the Penguins as the next great dynasty.

Before the puck dropped in Game One, NHL Network had Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier on to talk about the similarities between the '84 Oilers and the '09 Penguins—the assumption being that the Penguins, like the Oilers back then, were about to begin their own dynasty by ousting the Red Wings.

This was all but certain, it was just a matter of time.

Anyone looking at this matchup would have to believe that the Penguins were better prepared to win against this Detroit team than they were 12 months ago.

The additions of Guerin and Kunitz made them tougher to play against than last year's squad. The utter offensive domination of Crosby and Malkin throughout the playoffs suggested nothing short of death would keep these two from scoring at will. Fluery, though not statisitically great, was making the big saves and stealing wins when he needed to.

Why not pencil them in as champs for the next four years? This team is unbeatable, unstoppable, and unflappable, right?

Now that the Penguins are, just like last year, in a 0-2 hole, all this blustering seems even sillier than it did at the time. There is no doubt that Crosby and Malkin are world-class players, perhaps the two best hockey players in the world. But, to compare their team to that of the Oilers of the 1980's is quite a stretch.

Who is their Jarri Kurri? Where is their Glenn Anderson, thier Paul Coffey? Does the 'F' in 'Fleury' stand for 'Fuhr'?

The Penguins, undoubtedly, learned a lot from last year's loss in the finals, but the Red Wings have a few more lessons to teach them.

The first two games have been very competitive as a whole, but the Red Wings have been just a little better, a little smarter and, admittedly, a little luckier. The Wings have also admitted that they have yet to play their best game, and that's the point.

They can play below their potential and still win two games in 48 hours. What will they do with a day of rest and five chances to win two games?

I for one would be shocked if Game Three didn't go to the Penguins—this is an absolute must win for them. No matter how poised and calm they appear to be, the Penguins know this to be true.

However, to expect them to win four out of the next five games and fulfill the NHL's prophecy as the next dynasty is a little ridiculous. Still, it's not as ridiculous as the prophecy itself.