Penguins Friday: Keeping an eye on the prize
I’m not sure that losing a game for the sake of ending the 14-game winning streak is something recommendable, but HOF announcer Mike Lange made the point on radio Thursday that teams with top winning streaks historically don’t win the Stanley Cup. The 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins did not, as some of us painfully remember. Only the 1981-82 New York Islanders, a team that won 15 straight, hoisted Lord Stanley.
What is there to accomplish in April? Defense?
Pittsburgh has actually allowed fewer goals (9) than games played (10) since March 10. Who in their right mind would have thought that to be possible? Not me.
What about playoff standing?
Of course that’s a worthy consideration. The Pens have the Atlantic Division all but wrapped up, leading the New Jersey Devils by 17 points. If New Jersey wins out its final 15 games, it would finish with 67 points. Pittsburgh has 54 points today. That means the Pens would have to get 13 points over the last 13 games for the Devils to tie for a stake in the Atlantic lead.
This could be a problem. Not because of a New Jersey threat, but because of a letdown in Pittsburgh. What do the Penguins have to play for in the final month? The team doesn’t want to let off the gas pedal, but even if it does, a seed no lower than third is pretty much already guaranteed.
If Pittsburgh continues to plays well – which is the top choice, then it could start believe its headlines. If Mike Milbury says during the second intermission of one of the NBC broadcasts that the Pens are Cup lock, then you really know they’re in trouble. It’s tough to keep a level head when mass adulation is continually heaped upon you (disclaimer: not that I would know).
After Thursday’s shutout, the Pens lead the entire Eastern Conference by seven points. Montreal trails 54 points to 47, but it does have two games in hand. Boston trails by eight points and has played three fewer games. So any Pittsburgh letdown could be met by comebacks from either team. The Pens still have one game left against both teams in April.
But looking at a snap shot here on March 29 will not look the same at the end of April.
Much can change, and will.
The trade deadline, for one, is still a variable. Who’s to say that Boston doesn’t finally “rid” itself of prospect Alexander Khokhlachev and others, pulling off a trade for a player not thought to be available?
Depth, goaltending and matchups represent three crucial factors in the playoffs.
Pittsburgh now has enough depth for a long run – though it wouldn’t be surprising to see GM Ray Shero still add something which appears minor only to turn out big later on.
The goaltending is pretty much set, too. Fortunately, it doesn’t appear that Marc-Andre Fleury was permanently TKO’d by TK. Tomas Vokoun is getting it done. He might have been in coach Bylsma’s dog house for a while, but he’s played his way back. For those dissatisfied with Fleury and Vokoun, it really looks like you’re out of luck if you’re hoping for a change between the pipes.
Matchups. Right now, the Pens and Bruins are expected to have a date with each other in the conference finals. But there’s almost always a team to throw a wrench in the best-laid plans. A team that gets hot down the stretch, barely qualifies for the postseason and feels it has nothing to lose, is always one to watch out for. Which team will that be? We’ll all have to wait and see in the month of April.
Every Penguins fan knows that injuries and the health of Sidney Crosby are two of the biggest areas of concern heading into the playoffs.
Right now, Kris Letang is on the shelf with a broken toe. His injury isn’t supposed to keep him sidelined for more than a couple weeks.
Fleury is suffering from a stiff neck. The impact of a neck ailment cannot be underestimated in an athletic goalie such as the Flower. It would be wise to wait until Fleury says he’s fine, and then wait another game or two, before re-inserting him back into the lineup. Pittsburgh plays “only” 12 times in April after 14 games in February and 15 in March, respectively.
There’s no reason to rush Letang or Fleury or anyone else back into the lineup.
It’s hard not to be lured into the trappings of a Penguins team that has so many good things going for it right now. It would be easy to kick back and coast for a while surveying the landscape while other organizations fight broken tooth and nail for every inch they can get. But that would be a mistake.
The best teams rarely win the Stanley Cup. The teams playing best come postseason time do.
Los Angeles won the Cup last year as an eighth-seed, 21 points behind President Trophy-winning Vancouver.
For the Penguins, ensuring a healthy Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin is all that fans can hope for, something which gives Pittsburgh more than a fighting chance.
Treasure Life!
JT
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
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