The Penguins Proof is in the Pudding

Sid Picked Up Where He Left Off...

The Pittsburgh Penguins got their season off to a good start last night as the "Sans Ilya Kovalchuk" New Jersey Devils came to the Consol Energy Center to not only drop the puck on the season, but also to start the Penguins play in the "brand spankin'" new Metropolitan Division.  The Penguins picked up exactly where they left off last regular season, and that is dominating.  After all, no team has won more regular season games in the last 5 years than the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Not to say that there weren't differences in this season than last season.  Matt Cooke. Gone.  Tomas Vokoun.  Injured.  Kris Letang.  Injured.  James Neal.  Injured.  Tyler Kennedy.  Gone.  You get the picture, but this team had a different feel to it than in past years.  A better focus on the defensive end of the ice than in the past.  Now, I wouldn't go as far as saying that the New Jersey Devils are "gang busters" in terms of offense, but its a step in the right direction.  One thing that certainly held true was the Penguins never got out of their game plan.  Even in the second period where the game got extremely "sloppy", the Penguins stuck to their game plan and were able to keep the Devils off the scoreboard.  Rob Scuderi and Brooks Orpik did a phenomenal job anchoring the back end of the ice, while Paul Martin and young Olli Maatta were phenomenal with the puck on their stick.  Kris Letang's injury has proven that the Penguins can win without a defenseman that is so offensively oriented that he often forgets his responsibilities as a defenseman. 

Maatta wasn't the only new Penguin to play a role in the victory.  Recently signed Chuck Kobasew scored the games first tally, but as he's done in the past, Sidney Crosby was not one to be outdone as he buried a wrister to make the game 2-0.  Maybe I was alone, but even with Fleury in net, I felt the game was over when it was 2-0.  However, Craig Adams' first goal of the season made the game 3-0, which turned out to be the last tally of the game for either team.  Marc Andre Fleury certainly showed the ability to shut a team out with a tremendous penalty shot save, a crazy "behind the back" save, and that quickness that made him a first overall draft pick.  Yes, all was right with the world again for Penguins fans across the globe.

The one thing I can't stop telling myself is the simple fact that proof is in the pudding for the Penguins.  We have seen this before.  Great regular season play only to stumble in the playoffs.  It will be a while before the Penguins can test their skills when it matters the most, but in the meantime the fans and the Pens organization will have to cling to the usual regular season victories as well as seeing improvements in the team that will benefit them in the postseason.  Small victories are still victories, and the Penguins have started off running.