Penguins Perspectives: Prove them wrong, make a statement
Welcome to Penguins Perspectives, a weekly column by KDKA-TV Digital Producer Patrick Damp. Each Friday, Patrick will talk about the week that was, the week to come, what to watch for, and more.
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Today brings the last meaningless hockey game that the Pittsburgh Penguins will play until, at the earliest, April.
The hope is that they'll be playing meaningful hockey until early June.
The grind of an 82-game NHL season is upon us. The thrill of divisional games against teams like Washington and Philadelphia and the New York Rangers are just around the corner. The monotony of checking CapFriendly to see if the Penguins have the space and assets to possibly make a big swing at the trade deadline is almost here.
Realizing that just like the players themselves we look at a game against a team like Vancouver in January is just a slog to get through, but it's all a labor of love.
This year, though…this year…feels different.
New front office. New faces. Old friends. All the while the same exact goal remains in place as it has since 2005.
A season that begins in October at center ice and ends in champagne, a marvelous silver chalice, and a parade right down The Boulevard of the Allies to Point State Park.
So, we're treating today's Penguins Perspectives as pregame speech of sorts.
Well, here we are again. Another year of Penguins Hockey.
We've been here before, but never like this. We've never been in this position before. Not for nearly 20 years.
The goal remains the same. To win the Stanley Cup. But there are a whole hell of a lot of people who think we're done. People who are already writing the retrospective of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The greatness that was Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and some of our former compatriots who graced these halls and brought banners to these rafters.
They're ready to anoint the next generation and shuffle you all out the door for a new era of professional hockey.
This year…this year is different.
Sidney Crosby? What a career. One of the all-time greats. Three Stanley Cups, two gold medals, several world championships, and a highlight reel that could stretch the length of Canada.
He was amazing, both on and off the ice, a role model and a hero.
You're still here, though, aren't you Sid? You're not done yet. Not by a long shot.
Boy, that Evgeni Malkin…one of the greatest Russians to ever play the sport. MVP, Conn Smythes, Stanley Cups, and a personality beloved by many.
Far as I can tell, you haven't quite hung up the skates, though, have you, Geno?
Kris Letang? What a profile in perseverance. Two strokes, neck surgery, loss of loved ones, and all the while, a perennial Norris Trophy contender. Quarterbacked some absolutely dynamic power play units in Penguins and hockey history.
You calling it quits, Tanger?
Jake Guentzel. Good story, nice little player, kinda small, but man he could score…or could he? Was it just Sid that made him great? Who's truly to say?
Gets you a little fired up, doesn't it, Jake?
Erik Karlsson - sure, he won three Norris Trophies, but he's past his prime. Can't hang anymore. He's basically just a fourth forward. No idea what Pittsburgh was thinking getting him. He's just another old guy on an already old team!
You feeling good about that analysis, Erik?
It's not going to be easy. In fact, it's going to be really hard. The balance of talent is in our division and in our conference. We're going to be in a fight. From October 10 all the way to April 17.
We're going to have to earn it all year long because our opponents want to start building what we've had here since before this very arena stood.
But guess what?
They count us out at their own peril. They can start writing the feel-good retrospectives on everything you all have done. And they should because it's been nothing short of historic.
However, they fail to realize…you aren't finished. Not yet.
For the first time, maybe ever, in this era, you have the unique opportunity to prove people wrong. To show them that you are far from finished and that you remain a serious threat for hockey's greatest prize.
Whether or not you do that, however, is up to you.
Kyle [Dubas] said it already. If people want to bet against you, they're welcome to do so, but we're going to bet on you and go with you.
Stanley Cup championships aren't won in October, but statements are made.
Let's go make that statement.