Sidney Crosby: Why the Pittsburgh Penguins Can Win the Cup Without Crosby

Although the Penguins don't have Crosby for an extended period of time, they look to have similar success without him like they did last season and earlier this year when he was shelved.

It's well documented that the Penguins have played well without their star. Last season they racked up 106 points and 49 wins even though Crosby missed 41 games. In the games Crosby missed, the Pens were 23-13-5. 

In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they came within one game to advance to the second round. Many feel that with Evgeni Malkin and/or Matt Cooke, the Pens would've been able to go deeper.

This is exactly why the Penguins should be fine even if Crosby misses an extended period of time. 

Let's say Crosby comes back and he plays for a month and experiences more concussion symptoms. Or God forbid, let's say Sid doesn't come back at all for the rest of the year. These dire situations seem extremely detrimental to the Penguins hockey club, but they're used to it. 

Not only can they go deep into the playoffs without Sid, but they can win the Stanley Cup, too.

In the past, this statement might have been pretty bold, but when one really thinks about it and looks at recent trends and the way the Penguins have played without him, it becomes less and less far-fetched.

First of all, when Crosby isn't in the lineup this year, the Penguins have scored three goals per game in 23 games. In the eight games Crosby played, the Penguins averaged 3.25 points per game.

The drop off in scoring isn't that big thanks to the elevated play of James Neal and Evgeni Malkin. Neal has a total of 17 goals and 29 points. Malkin looks more like the guy we saw in 2009 when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup with his 11 goals and 29 points. 

Pascal Dupuis has been a huge surprise. We all knew he was a hard worker but this year he's really piling up the points. It may be true that seven of his 22 points came when Crosby was in the lineup, but one can argue that Crosby's presence instilled confidence in Dupuis to continue to play well. 

After all, he is the third leading scorer on the Penguins. That happens because of a great work ethic, not just Crosby. 

Jordan Staal has also found the back of the net more often this year, netting 12 goals. 

The Penguins offense has not significantly dropped off without Crosby. Plus, this year they have Evgeni Malkin and Matt Cooke in the lineup. If Geno stays healthy and Cooke behaves, they'll have two forces that were missing during last year's Stanley Cup run.

It's also important to note that James Neal feels more comfortable with the team and has really made strides in adjusting with the Penguins playing style. This is evident in the numbers he's putting up and the impact he's having on the offense.

The Penguins scoring is so deep that it'll be difficult to contain them. They get goals from their first line from guys like Malkin and Neal, but they also get the occasional goal from Arron Asham and Craig Adams.

Also, in the worst case scenario where the concussions really persist for Crosby and he is forced to miss the whole season, don't be surprised if the Penguins make a key acquisition much like they did last season with Alex Kovalev with the extra cap space that will develop.  

It's not just the scoring, though. 

The real reason why the Penguins will be able to make a run for the Cup is because of their highly touted defense.

The Penguins may be struggling right now, having lost three of four games and the Atlantic Division lead, but many people forget that Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek are out of the lineup with concussions of their own. 

Letang brings a great presence to the Penguins powerplay which has struggled as of late. Without Letang, the Penguins powerplay is 2-for-17. The Penguins powerplay should receive a boost when he returns to the lineup.

Michalek, on the other hand, is a shut down force which stabilizes other teams' top forwards.  

Combined with Brooks Orpik, Deryk Engelland and Paul Martin, the Penguins have one of the stingiest defenses in the league. The old cliche states that defense win championships. The Penguins have a defense that resembles the core they had in 2009.

Once this duo returns, the Penguins will have their powerplay and defense clicking once again.

And let's not forget, if all else fails, Marc-Andre Fleury will always keep the Penguins in the game. 

Finally, many people overlook a team's goal differential when it comes to playoff success. Last season, the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks had the best goal differential in their respective conferences.

A strong goal differential indicates that a team can put the puck in the net, and keep the puck out of their own. It exemplifies a great defense powered with a strong offense. The Penguins right now are a plus-16 on the season, which is fourth in the league. This is without Michalek and Letang in the lineup. The Pens can improve that number as the season progresses.

The Pens are also used to playing without Sid. They know what to expect and they all bring their best when they know he's not in the lineup.

Because of this, the Penguins shouldn't be bothered by his absence. Obviously if he returns it gives them an extra boost. That being said, these Flightless Birds have demonstrated excellence on the ice without Crosby and should be fine if he doesn't return to the lineup.