CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. – There is a refreshing feeling to the day before the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs. No one is yet ghost-faced or ashen. One grind is over and the much tougher one is yet to begin.
And here in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, where hope springs eternal, there is a genuine optimism to be found inside the Penguins’ sparkling new practice facility.
Here we find a team that has been among the absolute two or three best in the NHL since mid-December. A team that is fast, dangerous, and always in possession of the puck.
There are some injury concerns, yes, while a first-round series against the New York Rangers always brings about the possibility that Henrik Lundqvist singlehandedly ends your season. But the one thing the Penguins can really hang their hat on is that no magic will be needed to turn this into a special spring.
“The way we’ve been playing, we don’t want to change anything,” defenceman Olli Maatta said Tuesday.
“I really like the team right now,” added goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. “The way we’ve been playing the past couple months, it’s been good. We’ve been consistent, we’ve been winning big games, we’ve done well down the stretch.
“It’s good for the confidence.”
Not to mention the belief.
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This is the 10th straight year the Penguins have taken part in the Stanley Cup tournament – second among current streaks to Detroit’s ridiculous run of 25 in a row – and they’ve authored a rather complicated history during that time.
The sustained run of success is arguably defined by Pittsburgh’s inability to add a second championship to the one claimed in 2009, especially since Los Angeles and Chicago have gone on to win two and three, respectively.
If ever there was a year to change the script, this appears to be it. The Blackhawks look vulnerable and the Kings aren’t quite as mighty. The Eastern Conference is wide open.
That’s why the anticipation is so high right now in St. Louis, in Anaheim, in Washington and right here in Pittsburgh.
“We’re definitely going in with a sense of knowing that we can beat any team,” said speedy Penguins winger Carl Hagelin.
The immediate challenge is obvious. It appears unlikely that Fleury will be ready to start Game 1 at Consol Energy Center on Wednesday night after suffering his second concussion of the season less than two weeks ago.
He skated again Tuesday and said there’s been no setbacks, but didn’t exactly sound like a guy about to jump into the intense, physical cauldron of the playoffs.
“I’m just working my way back,” said Fleury.
Complicating matters is the fact his backup, Matt Murray, is also out with a head injury. That leaves 28-year-old Jeff Zatkoff as the likely starter against the Rangers for what would be his NHL playoff debut.
Among the other key personnel missing at the outset of the series is No. 2 centre Evgeni Malkin (shoulder), but his absence didn’t slow the Penguins down much as they won 12 of their last 14 regular season games.
“I don’t think we’re dealing with anything that any other team isn’t dealing with,” said coach Mike Sullivan. “This is a hard league, it’s a grind.”
Indeed, the Rangers arrived in town with captain Ryan McDonagh not expected to play because of a broken bone in his right hand.
What can’t be overstated is the importance of fighting through challenging times during the post-season. There is simply no way for any team to escape them.
The Penguins are intimately familiar with how the game changes instantly, having surpassed the regular season point total of their most recent Stanley Cup season (99) four times since, falling short each time.
They did it for a fifth time this year — a 104-point campaign.
“It’s just going to be that much harder to win,” said Maatta. “It’s a mental challenge just to stay with it for 60 minutes. We know there’s going to be ups and downs every game – every period maybe – but we’ve just got to stay with it and stick with our game plan.”
Pittsburgh’s season took a sharp turn in the right direction after Sullivan was summoned from the American Hockey League to replace the fired Mike Johnston on Dec. 12.
Those close to the team say he’s loosened the reins and encouraged his players to be who they are on the ice. They’ve become one of the NHL’s best at controlling the puck – generating extremely favourable shot differentials in the process.
When you arm an experienced group of players with a system that consistently tilts the ice in their favour, confidence is bound to grow.
The Rangers have knocked Pittsburgh out of the playoffs the last two seasons, but the history doesn’t seem overly relevant here. Change has come to both organizations and the climate is much different.
Last year, the Penguins didn’t wrap up a playoff berth until Game 82 and this time they’ve had a chance to ramp up for the tournament.
“We had some different talks along the way here the last month and a half,” said captain Sidney Crosby. “I think we all know what we’re capable of and what we need to do.”
Oh yes, possibility is in the air.
The playoffs are upon us.
