Just like Bill Murrary's character John Winger said in Stripes. The Penguins are currently going through some army training and team building at West Point. Instead of Sgt. Hulka barking orders at them, they have 1st Sgt. J.B. Spisso, a Pennsylvania native and general manager of the US Military Academy's sports facility, taking them through their maneuvers and putting them through drills they probably haven't seen the likes of before.

Their day started early yesterday morning as they took to the field at Michie Stadium, located at the Military Academy. They were put through some standard calisthenics such as push ups, squats and running the stadium steps, but were soon participating in activities involving their assault rifles. The rifles were not real of course, they were rubber replicas of the same weight and dimensions of the real thing.

The players then moved on to some team based activities. One required each player to run the length of the field while "fireman" carrying a teammate. Then they broke into groups of three for a drill in which two guys had to stay low "dodging enemy fire" while dragging a "wounded" teammate to safety. Sidney Crosby joked that he was lucky to be paired with Mark Recchi and Dan Carcillo, because they aren't that big. He even offered pity for whoever was stuck dragging the 222lb Josef Melichar.

The players received compliments from Sgt. Spisso in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette: "They're conditioned extremely well for what they do," Spisso said. "I was expecting them to give their best, and they did."

This could be a very good thing or the Penguins. The New York Rangers participated in these team building activities last season. A season where they were picked to be one of the worst teams in the East by many experts. That Ranger team ended up being one of the best in the league throughout the season and made the playoffs.

It is worth noting that throughout camp, this team has seemed closer and hasn't had any notable personality conflicts. Each member of the team has been wearing a "Take the Next Step" t-shirt to events such as the activities at West Point, and showing great solidarity with teammates.

Let's hope that this activity is a home run for GM Ray Shero and head coach Michel Therrien and spurs the Penguins back to respectability.

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