Penguins Update: Nevermind

Recently, a good friend offered a bit of sage advice. “Never get too high when things are going well, and never get too low when things aren’t,” he cautioned.

Going back to the summer, I confess I’ve been a voice of gloom and doom regarding our Penguins’ Stanley Cup chances. Among my persistent complaints…a lack of grit, speed and defensive structure. Not to mention too many centers and a dearth of talent up front on the port side.

The Pens’ supremely checkered play over the first five games of the season did little to sway my opinion. And that was before key defenseman Justin Schultz went down with a severe leg injury.

Discussing our myriad issues with a hockey pal prior to the start of the recent road trip, I moaned, “Toronto’s going to destroy us.”

So much for my budding career as a prognosticator. As we all know, the Maple Leafs didn’t trounce us as I’d so glumly predicted. Quite the opposite. Seemingly out of the blue, our boys turned in a sterling effort to stun the powerhouse Leafs, 3-0.

They hit. They backchecked. They hustled. They won puck battles. Kris Letang looked like his old pre-disc injury self. Matt Murray resembled…Matt Murray.

The trend continued. Following a slight letdown against Edmonton…a game we snatched from the overtime fire thanks to Sidney Crosby’s splendiferous backhand tally…we strafed Calgary and Vancouver by a combined score of 14-1 and looked darn impressive doing it. While no one’s putting the Flames and Canucks on a short list of Cup contenders, they’ve both played us tough over the past year or so…especially Vancouver.

So why are we suddenly playing like a well-oiled machine? First and foremost, our guys seem invested. They’re showing up each and every night ready to play. When the Pens match their staggering talent level with an equally inspired work ethic, the sky’s literally the limit.

It sure doesn’t hurt that our best players have set a sterling example. Crosby’s been positively torrid, both from a production (five goals and eight points on the road trip) and effort standpoint. Ditto Evgeni Malkin (four goals, nine points), who’s tied for second in the NHL scoring race with 18 points and skating like a man possessed.

Following a sluggish start, Patric Hornqvist sprang to life with back-to-back two-goal games. Heck, even noted hot-dog lover Phil Kessel is breaking a sweat at both ends of the rink. Not coincidentally, “Phil the Thrill’s” chipped in with a bushel full of big goals.

When you get this kind of buy-in from the stars, it’s awfully hard for the rest of the team not to follow suit.

Too, the Pens seem to be growing more comfortable with each passing game. While disruptive at times, Mike Sullivan’s incessant line juggling appears to have reaped dividends. Same thing on defense. The Olli Maatta–Jamie Oleksiak tandem was a combined plus-eight against the Canucks. On the troubled third pairing, Jack Johnson and Chad Ruhwedel appear to have bonded in an instant while displaying good chemistry.

The newbies are finding their respective niches as well. Days shy of his 42nd birthday, Matt Cullen’s proven he can still play and contribute. Despite limited ice time, Dominik Simon’s established himself as a legit NHL player with sneaky skills. Even Daniel Sprong, perpetual occupant of Sullivan’s dog house, has flashed his marvelous potential of late. Following a one-game hiatus, he registered an assist and six shots on goal against the Canucks…in only 11:46 of ice time.

Suddenly, the Pens are playing on their toes instead of their heels…the way Sullivan and nature intended.

If we keep it up? Who knows? We just might sip another round of bubbly from Lord Stanley’s chalice after all.