Are the Pittsburgh Penguins ready for the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs?
In 2013, the Penguins loaded up at the trade deadline, adding the likes of Jarome Iginla, Brendan Morrow, Jussi Jokinen, and Douglas Murray. Fast forward a year, and only Jokinen remains on the Penguins' roster.
Sidney Crosby and company are coming into the playoffs on a bit of a downward spiral, having dropped their last two games to the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators. While they boast the NHL's leading scorer in Crosby, a lot of pieces must fall into place for the Penguins to have playoff success.
First and foremost on most fans' minds is the mental status of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury has two trips to the Stanley Cup finals on his resume, one of them resulting in a Stanley Cup victory in 2009. Since then, however, the Penguins have only won three playoff rounds out of six. They were eliminated in the first round in both 2011 and 2012. The loss in 2012 may go down in Penguins history as the single worst goaltending performance in franchise memory.
Not all the blame can be laid at the feet of Fleury. However, his horrible performance in 2012 against the Flyers and again in the first four games of the opening round in 2013 against the Islanders cannot be overlooked. If not for backup Tomas Vokoun coming in last playoff season, one might argue the Penguins don't get past the Islanders.
Fleury has turned in yet another regular season gem, finishing second in the league in wins with 39. Only Semyon Varlamov of the Colorado Avalanche finished above him. But regular season statistics have never been Fleury's problem. His postseason struggles have led him to seek the aid of a sports psychologist. Only time will tell if this solves his playoff woes.
The Penguins have not shown the mental toughness needed to win the Cup in recent years. The Boston Bruins ran roughshod over the Penguins last season, limiting their potent offense to two goals in four games. A team boasting the elite talent the Penguins have cannot be excused from such a poor performance offensively.
The Penguins will begin their quest for their fourth Stanley Cup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets do not have the Penguins' arsenal offensively. However, they do have the reigning Vezina trophy winner in goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky was acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers and since then has become the MVP of the Blue Jackets. Penguin fans everywhere are hoping not to be haunted by the Flyers again this season, albeit in an indirect way. The Penguins would do well not to look past the Blue Jackets, even with a 5-0 record against them this season the playoffs are a whole new story.
Above all, Fleury needs a solid showing against the Blue Jackets to regain his confidence and playoff acumen. The key to the Penguins' success is Marc-Andre Fleury. If he's not in his fog, the Penguins should be considered one of the contenders to lift the Cup this season. They boast a lineup containing the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, James Neal, and Brooks Orpik. Anything less than a deep playoff run this season should be considered a deep disappointment for the Penguin organization.