(Warning: long, boring post) In case you couldn't tell, I'm going through hockey withdrawl. I've been rewatcing a lot of old games, and I've been thinking a lot about those early 2010s teams. After back-to-back Cup Final appearances, we thought that this was going to be the new norm, yet we didn't get back there until 2016. Is it fair to say that from the 2010 to 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Penguins underachieved? Should they have won a Cup in any of those years? A little look...
2009-10
We were all thinking back-to-back, especially with it being the final season of the Civic Arena. It was essentially the same team as last year but with two big losses on defense in Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi. That, coupled with play into June the past two seasons, contributed to a second round playoff loss to the Canadiens. I really wanted to win that series because it would've set up a Pens-Flyers Eastern Conference Final. Could the Pens take care of business once again against what was the seventh seed? If so, how would they fare against Marian Hossa (again) and the Blackhawks?
2010-11
This was a tough season to swallow because of the potential they had. IMO, if Crosby and Malkin had stayed healthy they would've had their best center group in the Sid/Geno era (those two + Staal + Letestu, who had a career year in their absence). Regardless of that, they still finished with more wins than the season before. Gonchar left for Ottawa but was replaced by Paul Martin; This was also the year they traded for James Neal and Matt Niskanen, another great move. Of course, they found themseleves up 3-1 against Tampa Bay but couldn't seal the deal. I give them a pass for this year because of the injuries, but let's say they get past the Lightning. Could they have gone any further?
2011-12
This was the first of the five years mentioned that I really thought they underachieved. James Neal had the year of his career and Crosby returned for the playoffs, but a few lingering holes became big problems. Fleury was run into the ground in the regular season and struggled in the playoffs again while the bottom six started to drop off. Season ended in a first round exit to the Flyers, which they had no business winning. However, let's say they didn't choke game one away. Does that change the series at all?
2012-13
The first of two major choke jobs in the playoffs (three if you count the previous year) which eventually resulted in the firings of Ray Shero and Dan Bylsma. This team featured a healthy Sidney Crosby and a plethora of roster moves; gone were Staal, Talbot, and Kennedy, in were Iginla, Morrow, and Sutter. It all culminated in them earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference (IIRC, the only one of the Sid/Geno era). However, the same problems still plagued them: Fleury struggled in the postseason and for all the deadline moves they made, they still lacked depth both in their forwards and on defense. Also didn't help that they put Iginla on the wrong side. Got swept in the Conference Final to the Boston buzzsaw when many people thought that was the Pens' year to return to the Stanley Cup Final. Another series where they had no business winning, but perhaps things change if they pick up a win or too in Boston? I also don't have much confidence they would've fared any better against Chicago, though I will say I wish we got a Pens-Hawks series during this window.
2013-14
I'm not sure what to think about this team. Another great regular season and another healthy Crosby. It even seemed like they corrected some of the problems that had plagued them in the past; Fleury rebounded both in the regular season and playoffs and, IMO, their depth was slightly better than the year before on defense (Dumoulin and Maatta before he went down). However, the bottom six was still a question mark despite the Jokinen and Stempniak acquisitians paying off and the defense dealt with injuries to Maatta and Orpik (he played through it but was not the same). It all culminated in a 4-3 second round playoff loss to the eventual Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers after being up 3-1. Have to admire the Rangers playing inspired hockey following the death of St. Louis' mother, but this was absolutely a series that the Penguins should have won. Heck, they would've swept them had they won the overtime game in game one. To me, this was the biggest disappointment out of the five years. Let's say they won this series. Do they beat the Canadiens? I feel like they would. If so, how do they fare against Los Angeles in the Cup Final?
Obviously any changes to these outcomes would have ripples effects on the following seasons and maybe even the back-to-back Stanley Cup teams. For example, if they win the Cup in 2013 or 2014, do they eventually fire Shero/Bylsma and assemble that group? (No) But, which of these seaons were you most disappointed in? Which season do you think they had their best shot? Is it wrong to hold those years against them at all considering the injuries and how it eventually led to the 2016 and 2017 Cups? What say you?
2009-10
We were all thinking back-to-back, especially with it being the final season of the Civic Arena. It was essentially the same team as last year but with two big losses on defense in Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi. That, coupled with play into June the past two seasons, contributed to a second round playoff loss to the Canadiens. I really wanted to win that series because it would've set up a Pens-Flyers Eastern Conference Final. Could the Pens take care of business once again against what was the seventh seed? If so, how would they fare against Marian Hossa (again) and the Blackhawks?
2010-11
This was a tough season to swallow because of the potential they had. IMO, if Crosby and Malkin had stayed healthy they would've had their best center group in the Sid/Geno era (those two + Staal + Letestu, who had a career year in their absence). Regardless of that, they still finished with more wins than the season before. Gonchar left for Ottawa but was replaced by Paul Martin; This was also the year they traded for James Neal and Matt Niskanen, another great move. Of course, they found themseleves up 3-1 against Tampa Bay but couldn't seal the deal. I give them a pass for this year because of the injuries, but let's say they get past the Lightning. Could they have gone any further?
2011-12
This was the first of the five years mentioned that I really thought they underachieved. James Neal had the year of his career and Crosby returned for the playoffs, but a few lingering holes became big problems. Fleury was run into the ground in the regular season and struggled in the playoffs again while the bottom six started to drop off. Season ended in a first round exit to the Flyers, which they had no business winning. However, let's say they didn't choke game one away. Does that change the series at all?
2012-13
The first of two major choke jobs in the playoffs (three if you count the previous year) which eventually resulted in the firings of Ray Shero and Dan Bylsma. This team featured a healthy Sidney Crosby and a plethora of roster moves; gone were Staal, Talbot, and Kennedy, in were Iginla, Morrow, and Sutter. It all culminated in them earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference (IIRC, the only one of the Sid/Geno era). However, the same problems still plagued them: Fleury struggled in the postseason and for all the deadline moves they made, they still lacked depth both in their forwards and on defense. Also didn't help that they put Iginla on the wrong side. Got swept in the Conference Final to the Boston buzzsaw when many people thought that was the Pens' year to return to the Stanley Cup Final. Another series where they had no business winning, but perhaps things change if they pick up a win or too in Boston? I also don't have much confidence they would've fared any better against Chicago, though I will say I wish we got a Pens-Hawks series during this window.
2013-14
I'm not sure what to think about this team. Another great regular season and another healthy Crosby. It even seemed like they corrected some of the problems that had plagued them in the past; Fleury rebounded both in the regular season and playoffs and, IMO, their depth was slightly better than the year before on defense (Dumoulin and Maatta before he went down). However, the bottom six was still a question mark despite the Jokinen and Stempniak acquisitians paying off and the defense dealt with injuries to Maatta and Orpik (he played through it but was not the same). It all culminated in a 4-3 second round playoff loss to the eventual Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers after being up 3-1. Have to admire the Rangers playing inspired hockey following the death of St. Louis' mother, but this was absolutely a series that the Penguins should have won. Heck, they would've swept them had they won the overtime game in game one. To me, this was the biggest disappointment out of the five years. Let's say they won this series. Do they beat the Canadiens? I feel like they would. If so, how do they fare against Los Angeles in the Cup Final?
Obviously any changes to these outcomes would have ripples effects on the following seasons and maybe even the back-to-back Stanley Cup teams. For example, if they win the Cup in 2013 or 2014, do they eventually fire Shero/Bylsma and assemble that group? (No) But, which of these seaons were you most disappointed in? Which season do you think they had their best shot? Is it wrong to hold those years against them at all considering the injuries and how it eventually led to the 2016 and 2017 Cups? What say you?
