Hello everyone !
They did it- the Pittsburgh Penguins have defeated the San Jose Sharks to win the franchise’s 4th Stanley Cup and 2nd in the past 10 years! I’ve been a fan during both Cup victories and I can tell you, there is nothing like it!
The Pens overcame a lot to make it to the top, of course in my opinion they deserved to be hoisting the cup this June. This season was tough and for a while I wanted to stop watching games because of frustration. In October the team was mess and I was devastated; everything I loved about the team was gone. Players were fighting with each other and there was no sense of pride. How can a team expect to win when they can’t even get along? Hockey is a lot about teamwork and having a family-esque atmosphere. The NHL season is a long one, 82 games, and the Stanley Cup is described as the toughest trophy to win in all major sports. To make it through the season with a winning record, a team has to work together and want to win.
I want to focus on a crucial point in the season- the firing of coach Mike Johnston right around the 30 game mark. He HAD to go. He was replaced by Mike Sullivan who was familiar with the system because he was coaching the Penguins AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins when he was called to coach the NHL team. Having coached some of the players in the minors, Sullivan came in already comfortable with a lot of the players- I believe that was very important. Sullivan is a completely different type of coach compared to Johnston.
He instilled a sense of pride and togetherness in his players. All of a sudden they were a part of something bigger and they all had important roles. This was the first season I can honestly say that EVERY player had a significant impact. In past years the story every game was Crosby this and Malkin that. Don’t get me wrong – I love these two guys and they are elite skilled players. But it was so refreshing that it was the Penguins vs. the Sharks and the Penguins vs. the Rangers. Players young and old stepped up. Brand new NHL faces and players who didn’t live up to their potential on their old teams both shined night after night. Key injuries happened- players like Malkin, Fleury, and Daley missed a significant amount of games. But do you know what never changed- players were ready to step up and contribute to fill in their places.
Speaking of injuries, I’d like to take this time to talk about some of them. First off, young Finnish defenceman Olli Matta missed a lot of time due to complications resulting from cancerous growths. Fellow defenceman Kris Letang missed weeks because he suffered a stroke. Perhaps the most heart breaking injury was suffered by forward Pascal Dupuis. Dupuis was in the league for many years; and a member of the Penguins for several- including the championship 2009 season. He missed a lot of time with injuries; in fact, he had to hang up his skates and quit the game he loved because of his health issues. Seeing him raise the cup meant a lot to longtime fans.
So here we have it- the cup is going back home where it belongs. Myself, thousands of fans and a city of supporters are beyond delighted to welcome it back. Since 2009 there was a lot of talk that the Penguins were not performing as well as they should have. To all the haters: hockey is hockey- there are a lot of ups and downs, it takes a lot of pieces and sometimes a lot of luck to win the cup. Some chances were taken with lineups and free agents and trades- sometimes they work out and sometimes they don’t. Fortunate for the Penguins, they were able to go on the ice every night with a stacked team who was ready to take on the competition.
Congratulations to the players, coaching staff, training and equipment staff, management and supporters. Each person, no matter the size of his or her role helped the Penguins make it to the top.