For the fourth time in franchise history and second in the Sidney Crosby era, the Pittsburgh Penguins reign as Stanley Cup champions.
Pittsburgh completed its return trek to the summit Sunday night, eliminating the Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks with a 3-1 triumph in Game 6.
The conclusion to Pittsburgh's coronation was quite characteristic of the team's sudden, absolute ascendancy. The Penguins have been the NHL's best team since turning to minor-league head coach Mike Sullivan in mid-December, and while the culminating series remained close on the scoreboard, their supreme dominance shone through.
Here are three keys to the Penguins' title march:
Weapons, galore
Invariably, one team's success creates lessons for 29 others. But with respect to the new champs, their science, through trial and error (after error), was partially accidental.
Jim Rutherford had visions of a nuclear top six when he paid the high price to introduce five-time 30-goal man Phil Kessel to his fleet of wingers. His move had pundits predicting scoring titles and various major awards for Kessel and captain Sidney Crosby, who began the season on the same line.
But for whatever reason, it failed. An inauspicious start saw Crosby default to previous wingers, while Kessel, bumped, was struggling to mesh with another all-world pivot, Evgeni Malkin. Now catering to his summer splash, Rutherford canvassed the market for a player who possessed the tools - namely speed - required to play opposite Kessel and acquired Carl Hagelin.
Even still, it wasn't until Malkin went down with injury did the Pens unearth the formula. Nick Bonino spelled Malkin, and, by chance, the incomparable "HBK line" - a unit of three rookies to the organization - came together.
This "bottom six" line went on to produce a team-best 56 postseason points, but their impact is well beyond direct contributions. The threat of HBK meant that the opposition had three attacking trios, or a veritable top-nine to game plan for. This resulted in interminable mismatches and forced the opposition to deploy secondary options to defend elite talents on essentially every third shift.
Sullivan, and the greater grasp
Sullivan had much greater than an appreciable effect on the Penguins; his hire brought on a comprehensive change in philosophy, mentality, and tactics that clearly meant the difference for the team's stars, a nucleus now welcomed to play to its strengths.
But the difference in this team transforming from contender to title winner was beyond his uncaging big-money contributors. Rather, the difference was on the margins, and the teachings and trust established among professionals while earning minor-league pay.
In a few months in charge of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Sullivan developed a deeper understanding of the organizational assets, and, maybe more specifically, just exactly how Bryan Rust, Conor Sheary, Tom Kuhnhackl, and of course, goaltender Matt Murray were to assist the big club.
The Penguins aren't champions without their depth, their ancillary contributors, or their coach's detailed appreciation for the capabilities, and weaknesses, of every player on his roster.
Making due with misfit D
A club that employs forwards like Crosby, Malkin, and Kessel must make concessions elsewhere. For the Penguins, that's on the back end.
Kris Letang is the all-world defender championship teams have required over the last half decade. But aside from their lead dog, this defense is truly a patchwork unit, and one that almost inexplicably managed to hold firm long enough to win four rounds. Nothing's more representative of their misfit nature than Trevor Daley, who, after being cast off by the previous title winners, took the second-most minutes before breaking his ankle. An injury that somehow was no detriment to the team's success.
So, how is it exactly that Ian Cole, who doubles as a "Game of Thrones" critic; Ben Lovejoy, a defender whose GM publicly admitted that he wouldn't have acquired had he had the opportunity to do it all over; Brian Dumoulin, who though undeniably talented, we don't know enough about to offer an anecdote; Olli Maatta, a former first-round pick scratched three times in the conference final; and Justin Schultz, who went from "Norris Trophy potential" to absolute liability in Edmonton, manage to fortify the back end?
Inspired by its unflattering label, but at the same time fully understanding of its imperfections, the blue line was steadfast in filling shot lanes, leaping into the rush when the opportunity presented itself, and, when the walls began to close in, this group perfected the art of flipping the puck into neutral territory for Pittsburgh's speedy forwards to collect and take elsewhere.
This fleet-footed unit acknowledged, then performed within its limitations. And they can thank the lengthy list of detractors for outlining the parameters.
