If the opening-round playoff exit for the 2010-11 Pittsburgh Penguins could be defined in one word, most would mention health. I'd say, "deterrence."
Even at their optimum, with bumps and bruises at a premium across the roster, the team must know that a realistic run at the Stanley Cup in the coming season will require, at the very least, some subtle changes.
To put it simply, there are things that the Cup winning Pens of 2008-09 did that the most recent team offerings were unable to accomplish. It's easy to be blinded by the team's core talent into believing that "Pittsburgh" will be engraved into the Cup again as a matter of destiny. In reality, only 11 players remain from the championship squad that gathered around Marc Andre-Fleury after Game 7 in Joe Louis Arena.
In real life, penguins may not fly, but to add the capital "P" and give the bird a hockey stick is to expect unlimited heights. Like nature's birds, however, Pittsburgh was grounded last season. Injuries resulted in a lack of offensive punch, especially at the "wing" positions, serving as a prelude to doom.
Injuries did not exc ...
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Article written by Joshua Hayes
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