Can Anyone Stop The Penguins?

It's often been said,during times in which Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin were out of the lineup, that the Penguins were a great team that would be elite with both those guys on the ice. Last time it happened, 2009, it brought Pittsburgh it's first Stanley Cup since the days of Mario in 1992. The last few years though, they've been snakebit with injuries to their two big stars. In 2011 it was Malkin's knee, in 2012 it was Crosby's head, but now they're both healthy and this team appears unstoppable as a result.


Consider the statistical eveidence: Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang are second in playoff scoring with 16 points, Crosby is right behind them at 15 points. The Penguins are averaging 4.27 goals per game, more than a full goal more than their potential Eastern Conference final opponent Boston. The power play is humming along at a scary 28.3% efficiency, while they also have the best 5 on 5 goals scored ratio (1.43) in the post-season.

It's not just the big guns finding the back of the net either, as the depth for the team has been outstanding. Crosby and his linemate Pascal Dupuis both lead the NHL playoffs with 7 goals, James Neal is right behind them at 6. Then of course there is trade deadline acquisition Jarome Iginla who, with 12 points in 11 games, has been the perfect complement he was expected to be. All told the Penguins have four players in the top 6 of playoff scoring, and 8 in the top 20.

It's also not just the offense winning the games, the defense has been more than adequate. Defenseman Letang and Paul Martin have been getting it done in their own zone, each sporting a +7 rating to go along with a combined 25 points. The other two deadline players the Penguins brought in, Brendan Morrow and Douglas Murray, have been outstanding in the defensive depth role that any team needs to be successful. Brooks Orpik and Mark Eaton have been excellent shutting down their opponent's top lines. Overall the team has a +19 goals differential.

And then of course there's the goaltending to consider. In 2010, and again last season, Marc-Andre Fleury imploded in the post-season, so Tomas Vokoun was brought in as insurance in case it happened again. Sure enough, after allowing 14 goals through the first 4 games of the Islanders series in round one, Fluery was benched in favor of Vokoun and the latter has been outstanding. Since coming in, Vokoun has not allowed more than three goals in a game and has won 6 of his 7 starts, propelling Pittsburgh to the Eastern Conference final.

So with all that evidence, the question must be asked: can anyone stop the Penguins? Any of their top stars are capable of exploding for three or four points on any given night. You can't take penalties against this team, or they'll burn you, and taking your chances five on five is just as difficult. The defense is mobile, strong and fast, and the goaltending is more than capable of bailing them out if a mistake is made. They've got all the ingredients needed in a Stanley Cup champion, and I just can't see this team becoming anything but by the end of the 2013 playoffs.