Oct 1, 2008 - 7:19 PM
0 shoutsBy Chris Adamski PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- By making their first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals and coming up just short against an older, more-established powerhouse, this isn't the first time these young Pittsburgh Penguins were compared to the Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s.
And the Penguins certainly hope it's not the last.
The 1982-83 Oilers team featured future Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey and Grant Fuhr each 22 years old or younger. They lost in the Finals to the more experienced New York Islanders, who won their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup.
Last season, Pittsburgh rode talents like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and Marc-Andre Fleury none of whom was older than 23 to the Finals before losing to a Detroit Red Wings team that won its fourth title in 11 seasons.
Of course, after its Finals loss, Edmonton went on to win five of the next seven championships. The Penguins are hoping the parallels with the Oilers continue to play out.
"We got to the Final and didn't win, so I think a lot of guys, we want to get back there, and with a different result," Crosby said. "It was a great experience, the whole run. The ending was tough, but we learned a lot, and we want to get back there and get a different result."
Just two seasons removed from its fourth consecutive last-place finish in the Atlantic Division, Pittsburgh came up just two games short of its third Stanley Cup in franchise history last June. The Penguins breezed through the first three rounds of the postseason, losing only two games, but were picked apart by the methodical, system-oriented Red Wings.
"It was tough to accept it, ending just two wins away from the Cup," said Fleury, the team's franchise goalie. "That (stinks), but it was good to have the experience and have the shot.
"We're inspired by that, but we have to move on. It's a new season and there's new games we have to focus on. But every guy knows that we missed it not by a whole lot, so everybody wants to go again."
The Penguins will attempt to return to the promised land with a roster that experienced its share of turnover. Five forwards who were staples in the lineup left via free agency this past offseason.
Most prominent among that group is Marian Hossa, whose 26 points during the playoffs ranked second on the team behind Crosby.
Although defenseman Brooks Orpik and right wing Pascal Dupuis opted to re-sign with the Penguins, others who departed include veteran Gary Roberts, enforcer Georges Laraque, power forward Ryan Malone, agitator Jarkko Ruutu and fourth-liner Adam Hall.
While the Penguins are known for offense and high-end talent, those losses leave a void on the team in terms of grit that every club needs in order to be successful. To address that, general manager Ray Shero signed free agents Matt Cooke and Eric Godard.
"We're a skilled team for the most part, but we know that in order to win, you have to have some of that grit," Crosby said. "We all realize that. I don't think we're a team that shies away by any means, but we all realize that guys are going to have to play with a bit of an edge, too."
Of course, the scoring touch that left along with Hossa needed to be replaced, too, so Shero brought in Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko.
Satan, who has scored 337 goals in 12 NHL seasons, was playing right wing on Crosby's line during the preseason.
"There's not too many players like (Crosby), and I have not had a chance to play with a center of that quality, so obviously I'm really looking forward to it," Satan said. "I'm really excited to be on this team. There's many, many skilled players."
Crosby, 21, won a scoring championship two years ago and might have claimed another last season if not for a high ankle sprain that kept him out for two months. The 22-year-old Malkin finished second in the league with 106 points.
Malkin centers a potent second line with veteran Petr Sykora and Staal, who is moving from center to wing this season.
Pittsburgh emerged from the offseason with what it felt was a deep corps of defensemen and it's a good thing, too, because arguably their top two at the position will be lost for a large portion of the campaign.
Ryan Whitney underwent foot surgery in August that figures to keep him out until December, while Sergei Gonchar had shoulder surgery earlier this week that will sideline him four to six months.
Veterans Orpik, Darryl Sydor, Hal Gill, Rob Scuderi and Mark Eaton, along with youngsters Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski, will man the blue line in their absence.
After being drafted first overall in 2003, Fleury finally established himself as an elite goalie down the stretch last season and during the playoffs, when he posted a 1.97 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.
"I think I'm just a little more experienced now, a little more relaxed, too," Fleury said. "It was a great experience to go through the playoffs. I found out it was a long season. I didn't have a good start, but now I know there's some tough times out there. But I just have to keep going, keep working hard. The end is what really counts."
The end last season came in June during Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals, with a puck squirting along the Red Wings' goal line in the waning seconds as the Penguins desperately tried to tie the game to force overtime and a potential Game Seven in Detroit.
It will take the Penguins more than eight long months to get to that point again. But the knowledge of how close they came last season should be enough to drive them.
"It's going to be motivating, for sure, but it's done," Crosby said. "There's not a lot of thought about it anymore. It's a new season and a clean slate."
