City of Champions once again
What a year for the Penguins. What a year for Pittsburgh.Four months after the Steelers won their sixth Super Bowl title, the Penguins completed a remarkable run that ended with their third Stanley Cup.
And it was one of the most improbable runs ever. In mid-February, the Pens were in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and replaced their head coach. Pittsburgh went 18-3-4 under Dan Bylsma down the stretch to earn the No. 4 seed in the playoffs.
The playoffs brought more unforgettable memories and comebacks. Down 3-0 in Game 6 against Philadelphia, the Pens rallied to win the game and the series. Facing a Game 7 in Washington, the Pens stormed past the Caps into the conference finals. A four-game sweep against the Hurricanes followed and then it was back to the Stanley Cup Final.
Against the Red Wings, the Pens had to fend off years of history as well as the most talent-laden team in the NHL. Losing the first two games in Detroit made it so the Pens had to win four of the last five games for the Cup. After a blowout loss in Game 5, it didn't look good. But as they had all year, they found a way to win.
Evgeni Malkin deserved the MVP, and Sidney Crosby was still a force on the ice even though his numbers were down (You try playing against two of the top defenders in the NHL every night). But it was Marc-Andre Fleury, Maxime Talbot and host of other guys nobody has really heard of that made the difference, especially in the last two games. Stars sell tickets and get you in the playoffs, but only a team wins a championship.
It was an amazing season, one I will always treasure, especially after seeing them win the Eastern Conference championship in Raleigh.
So Pittsburgh can once again call itself the City of Champions. It's been a banner year for the 'Burgh, and it's been the best sports year of my life.
Now if only something could be done with those Pirates....
Posted by
on 06/13 at 02:09 PM
