Pittsburgh Penguins: Will Stanley Cup Victory Make Pens Greatest in NHL History? <http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1116480-pittsburgh-penguins-will-cup-victory-mean-they-are-the-greatest-in-nhl-history>
from NHL news, opinion, photos, and more | Bleacher Report<http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Farticles%2Ffeed%3Ftag_id%3D17> by Andre Khatchaturian
The Pittsburgh Penguins cannot be stopped right now.
They've won 13 of their last 14 games and have recorded points in all of those games.
Most of that winning streak was accomplished without Sidney Crosby in the lineup. Now they have their captain back, and they look even scarier than ever.
In fact, no team in NHL history has looked as dominant as this one on paper.
The first line features James Neal, a guy who has shattered his personal records with 35 goals and 41 assists. He's recorded eight points in his last two games playing alongside Evgeni Malkin, who needs no introduction, and Chris Kunitz, who has established himself as one of the best players in the league to bring a strong net front presence.
This line alone has carried the team for the most part all season long, especially when Crosby was out. The chemistry amongst the trio was so strong that Dan Bylsma was reluctant to break them up, which is fine because Crosby can play with anybody.
In fact, Matt Cooke, who has become Crosby's linemate at times since his return, has already scored four goals ever since the comeback. Tyler Kennedy, Sid's other linemate, also added two goals in a recent victory over Winnipeg.
Even if Crosby doesn't score or record any points, he still provides an impact as a decoy. Other teams cannot ignore his presence on the ice, so they find it necessary to put their top defenders against him. So, while they'll be able to stop the Crosby line, they have nothing to do about the Malkin line and even the Jordan Staal line.
Speaking of the Staal line, it's possibly the greatest third line in NHL history. Pascal Dupuis, Staal and Steve Sullivan all have over 40 points playing on the third line. This trio could easily be some teams' first line, but they're the tertiary option in Pittsburgh.
This just exemplifies what a powerhouse the Penguins are this season. It's no surprise they're leading the league in goals scored.
They also lead the NHL in goal differential because of their recent stalwart performances with Crosby back in the lineup. They're not just beating teams, they're blowing them out of the water. They recently beat Boston, the Rangers and New Jersey consecutively with a score of 5-2 in every game.
After a hiccup against Philadelphia, they followed it up with rousing performances against Winnipeg and Nashville, outscoring their opponents 13-5.
This team does everything. It doesn't just end with their scoring onslaught. Their improved defense has been a major reason why they lead the league in differential.
Kris Letang leads the team in points among defenseman and has slowly become one of the most essential pieces on the team. The way he carries the puck through the neutral zone and sets others up during the power play is an extremely valuable component for the team. He also backchecks well, and if he hadn't missed so much time due to injury, he'd be a Norris candidate.
Then there's Brooks Orpik, Zbynek Michalek, Deryk Engelland, Matt Niskanen and Paul Martin. None of these guys are easy to play against, presenting a huge challenge for opponents.
Finally, Pittsburgh's last line of defense, Marc-Andre Fleury, has emerged as one of the best clutch goaltenders in the league. Whenever he needs to make a key save, he does it, and it gives the Pens momentum throughout games.
All of these elite players are coached by Dan Bylsma, the ultimate player's coach who has revolutionized his own brand of puck possession hockey. His goal has always been to make the Pens the toughest team to play against, and for the past month and a half, they have been.
One has to look at the 1977 Montreal Canadiens, 1984 Edmonton Oilers and the 2002 Detroit Red Wings to try to find a team that can match the talent of this year's Penguins.
It's easy to look at the Oilers' stats with four players recording over 100 points in 1984, or the Canadiens' record-breaking point total of 132 from 1977 and say that those teams were easily better than this year's Penguins.
However, one must take into account the lack of parity in the NHL in that era. There was no salary cap. Teams could spend however much they wanted when they assembled their teams, so a storied franchise like Montreal had a major advantage in that sense.
The Canadiens won six titles in the 1970s, the Islanders won four straight in the '80s and the Oilers added another four later on in that decade, thus exemplifying the lack of parity in the NHL. In today's NHL, we've had eight different teams win the Stanley Cup in the last eight years.
The competition is tougher. That's part of the reason the Penguins aren't going to get 132 points in a season or have four guys score over 100 points.
Secondly, there is a higher chance that the average athlete in 2012 is more fit than an athlete in the 1970s and 1980s because of the advances in training and technology. Those teams from the past would definitely not be able to keep up with most teams in today's age.
A guy like Wayne Gretzky, who was unbelievably athletic, didn't have to go up against athletic specimens like Zdeno Chara on a nightly basis. The average athlete just wasn't good enough.
In today's league, everyone's fit and strong. It's part of the reason why goal scoring is so down this year compared to previous decades.
In fact, throughout the late 1970s, close to seven goals were scored per game on average in the regular season.<http://www.quanthockey.com/TS/TS_GoalsPerGame.php> That number increased to over eight goals per game in 1982 and stayed over seven until the early 1990s.
Compare that to the post-lockout era, where there are about 5.5 goals scored per game. That is an absolutely huge difference. It shows how much the game has changed in a matter of 25 to 30 years.
Defensemen are bigger, goalie pads are humongous and there's just more parity in the league. For instance, the Oilers had 14 players weigh over 200 pounds in 1984. This year's Penguins have 21, and they have plenty more in weighing over 190. That's a huge difference.
Put this Pittsburgh Penguins team in the 1980s and they would roar past the Oilers, with their three solid lines and stingy defense. One check from Brooks Orpik would send No. 99 into next week.
What's most impressive about this Penguins team is that their organization has been able to assemble this team under a strict salary cap. That's a testament to smart drafting and shrewd bargain signings.
So if you're not going to say this Penguins team is the greatest of all time, you at least have to agree that Ray Shero's masterful work over the years has been, bar none, superior to anything the NHL has season.
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