Here's a surprising fact: since last Nov. 3, the Pittsburgh Penguins are 41-31-8, which translates to a winning percentage of .512. In other terms, the Penguins are roughly one percent better than the break-even point after beginning the 2009-10 season with a 12-3-0 burst.
Factor in the team's 7-6 record in the postseason last spring and the 2009 Stanley Cup champions have been strikingly mediocre in their last year's worth of work. One could argue that an emotional high from the title carried them for the first 15 games of last season before the grind set in, but a simple lack of passion from game to game doesn't explain away 80 games of so-so results.
Naturally, if head coach Dan Bylsma is to receive credit for taking in a disgruntled group under former bench boss Michel Therrien and transforming them into a squad worthy of the ultimate prize, he must accept his share of criticism for the Penguins' underwhelming performance over the last 12 months.
It's evident following a stretch of four losses in five games that the Penguins aren't suddenly going to start "getting to their game," to borrow a frequent phrase uttered by Bylsma. The good feeling ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Matt Gajtka
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November 5th, 2010 by Matt Gajtka Leave a reply »
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