Penguins loaded for start of NHL season Wednesday
On Dec. 19, 2015, the Pittsburgh Penguins were struggling to stay above the .500 mark.
The team had changed coaches the week before, bringing Mike Sullivan up from its American Hockey League affiliate in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre after firing Mike Johnston.
Eventually, the team bought into Sullivan’s system, became more offensive-minded and led by captain Sidney Crosby, would go on to win the Stanley Cup.
It was a great story for hockey and the NHL to have one of its superstars rise up and lead his team to the top. General Manager Jim Rutherford’s moves, including trading for Phil Kessel, paid off. The young players Sullivan brought with him from the AHL, most notably goaltender Matt Murray, came through and are now experienced. Certainly a repeat is possible as the franchise celebrates its 50th anniversary.
But it won’t be easy this season with the 2016-17 campaign opening Wednesday.
Washington, led by Alex Ovechkin, is not going away. Neither is Tampa Bay, which lost to the Penguins in the Eastern Conference finals. Philadelphia is getting better. Detroit will be looking to get beyond the first round of the playoffs after three straight years of losing. The New York Rangers’ window of opportunity may be closing as Father Time may be catching up with the roster while in Brooklyn, the Islanders have a nice blend of youth and experience to take the next step after winning a playoff series for the first time in 23 years.
One thing is certain — whoever comes out of the East to play for the Cup come June will have earned it. Could the Penguins be that team? Absolutely. But the stars will once again align themselves the way they did last year for Pittsburgh to be the last team standing. That’s how competitive the East figures to be.
