Still Smiling and the Comparisons

Much as I might criticize the Penguins for failing to hold leads and for allowing their opposition to jump out to leads, the fact of the matter is that I still smile after every Penguins come-from-behind win. Frankly, even when the children are behind by a few goals, I expect that they can mount a comeback. Perhaps I first realized this after I almost tuned out of the Versus game against the Caps where the Penguins won 5-4 in a shootout after being down 4-0. In all honesty, the children make games that probably shouldn’t be that exciting incredibly exciting—and that cuts both ways. Sometimes the Penguins win games by a hair that they should have sewn up long before the ending buzzer, and other times the Penguins win games by erasing multiple-goal deficits and winning games that "fairness" says that they have no right to win.

Notice a common theme in there? Regardless of the aesthetics or the specifics, the Penguins, for the moment, are still winning games. When my team wins games, o matter how they might win those matches, a smile naturally stretches across my face. Winning is good.

With the goodness of winning, and with the way this particular Penguins team has penchant for winning, naturally the comparisons have begun to come to the high-flying Penguins teams of the early nineties. Do you remember those games when the Penguins could appear absolutely disinterested for 55 minutes and decide to win the game in the last 5 minutes and win the game by virtue of sheer talent? Do you remember the way those teams could score at will? Do you remember when the star players were so busy trying to set up the perfect play on the power play that you yelled at them to shoot the puck? Do you remember all of that?

Obviously, this Penguins team is not yet, probably, as far along as were the Penguins’ teams of the early nineties. The Penguins three core players are 18, 19, and 20. Many of the supporting cast are in their first or second seasons of making real contributions to a NHL team. And despite the youthfulness of this Penguins team, the similarities are striking. An ability to score at will (at least against most opponents). Defense and goaltending that are (against most opponents) adequate until the at-will scoring machine works its’ magic. An incredibly potent power play that when unproductive, is typically kicking itself in the foot rather than being stopped by the opposing team’s strategy. And, of course, superstars and soon-to-be superstars doing what only obscenely talented players can do.

Of course, another similarity is the knowledge that can become an honest boost to confidence or an arrogant thorn in the flesh. By that knowledge, of course, I mean the knowledge that sometimes talent alone is enough to win. As fans of the early nineties’ teams were well aware, especially during the regular season, those teams could coast on talent alone. Sometimes hard work, if not frowned upon, was just viewed as something other teams had to do, but not something we have to do. Because we have so much talent that it doesn’t matter how hard they work or how hard we work—our talent can win. And while this young Penguins’ squad hasn’t yet begun to display the arrogant swagger where the possibility of hard work is summarily and routinely dismissed, there have been moments—and more than moments—in certain games where the Penguins have allowed their knowledge of the talent on their team to allow themselves to play a less-than-complete game. Assurance in talent can be a great thing or a huge impediment—confidence is one thing; arrogance is another. At moments, fortunately not too many to have cost the Pens that many point as of yet, the 2006-07 Penguins have been eerily reminiscent of those high-flying ‘90s teams who loved to win on talent rather than sweat.

Fortunately for the 2006-07 Penguins, they’re led by Sidney Crosby, who counts among his attributes a dedication to hard work. Since teams take their cue from their leader (and Crosby leads the team no matter if there is no captain’s C yet stitched on his sweater), hopefully the rest of the team takes its’ cue from Crosby and re-dedicates itself to hard work.

Because, as fans of those early 90’s teams know, when confident talent commits itself to diligent hard work, the results are amazing—yes, even championships. But as fans of later Penguins’ teams know, without the hard and diligent work part, even with the same confident talent—the results may be good, even very good for awhile, but they fall far short of great.

If we desire greatness, the team needs to maintain confidence in its’ talent and ability, along with the assurance that it is hard work that will help that all of that talent and ability to soar to wondrous heights.