Pittsburgh Penguins: Game Against The Devils Showed Life Without Sid Or Geno

For the first time since Mario Lemieux graced the ice as an NHL player, the Penguins were missing both their star players on January 20^th against the devils, giving a glimpse into what life had been like if Geno and Sid had never slipped on a black and gold jersey.

The game against the Devils looked to be as perfect a time possible for both stars to be injured. The red hot yet underrated Mark Letestu took over Crosby’s spot and centered the first line while recuperating forward Jordan Staal centered the second line. This gave Letestu a chance to shine and show the world the team doesn’t need two of the NHL’s hottest stars on the ice to keep the Pen's in winning form.

Unfortunately, the lowest ranked team in the league was on a hot streak, winning their previous game by 5-2 against the Islanders.  The win was just the motivation the Devils needed to find and expose the Penguins' weaknesses. 

With Brent Johnson in the net, the Pens played their game but suffered a 2-0 loss at the hands of the Devils, leaving many fans to wonder if the last six years would have been one loss after another if Crosby and Malkin had never stepped onto the Penguins' ice.

The truth is, while Staal and the rest of the team are a good team when they are “on”, Malkin and Crosby make the team great. Having one of the two players off the ice is a weakness that, with some quick work, can be overcome. However, having both players off the ice is something the team is not used to and isn’t sure how to work with. 

Hopefully, the injuries of both players will be short-lived and the Pen's won’t have to figure out how to overcome this weakness for much longer.  Life as a Pen's fan, with their star players off the ice, is a bleak time that reminds all of Pittsburgh just how lucky they were to snag both the hottest player in the world and his talented sidekick. Life on the ice in Pittsburgh wouldn’t be anywhere close to the same.