Faceoff Factor

The Third Time's The Charm?

Jesse Marshall | Pittsburgh Penguins

Apr 8, 12:16 PM | Hype this story!

Two years ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs as post-season virgins.

Virtually every player on their roster of young wunderkind’s had yet to step foot on the ice for an NHL post-season match-up.

The result was a baptism by fire. The Penguins were disposed of in a quick fashion by the Ottawa Senators, who subsequently marched on to the Stanley Cup Final.

It wasn’t for nothing, however, as the Penguins returned to the post-season a year later with renewed vigor and disposed of teams with ease, including the Senators, before getting dropped by the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final.

Now, in addition to having a team fresh off of a Stanley Cup Final last year, the Penguins have stacked their roster with even more players that have danced with Lord Stanley, and most of those dancers came out on top.

Billy Guerin, Chris Kunits, Craig Adams and Ruslan Fedotenko are all new to the Penguins this year, and each has one thing in common: rings.

We’re talking about players that know how to enter the playoffs and go the distance, players that have hoisted that big silver trophy over their heads, and guys that have been there and done that.

Kunitz, Fedotenko and Guerin alone bring 193 total games of playoff experience to the table.

When you get down to it, that experience is something that money cannot buy.

Virtually ever player on the roster was a hero at some point last year during the playoffs. Jordan Staal had a remarkable series against Philadelphia, playing with emotional burden of losing his grandfather. Petr Sykora and Max Talbot scored some huge goals. Sidney Crosby was, well, Sidney Crosby. The team came together and put together a memorable run. That run has provided them with the ammunition necessary to get back to that spot.

With the experience and skill on the Penguins roster, the slump from earlier this season seems like eons ago. With a new attitude and more aggressive nature, the Penguins are no joke.

Just how important is experience? It could be what makes the seed number beside Penguins name totally irrelevant come playoff time. Even if they enter as a 7, they have the skill and experience of a top seed.

It’s that same “been there, done that” attitude that could bring some major success for these Penguins.