Jaromir Jagr, Loosely Translated: A 6-Point Plan for Returning the Pittsburgh Penguins to Glory

 AKA:  How To Make the Pittsburgh Penguins a Champion Again

 Jaromir Jagr is older and wiser—and a lot slower on the ice—than he used to be.   After Jagr’s Bruins swept the Penguins, Jagr offered a slew of insightful quotes.   (You can find the great quotes here and here and here. Note:  I write a blog for fun, I couldn’t write this without journalists who asked great questions, so thanks and credit to the journalists who got these great quotes in the first place.)  

Here, I’ve taken the liberty of translating Jagr’s quotes into takeaways and actionable items for Pittsburgh’s management and coaching staff.   

Why a blog series on what Jagr had to say about the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals?     

Because Jagr, at age 41, has learned some things that a younger Jagr didn’t know.   What Pittsburgh hockey fans could forget Jagr insisting things would be just fine with “Jan and Kip” as his linemates?    What Pittsburgh fan could forget thinking, year after year, “Well, we have Jagr and Mario, so we always have a shot?”

What Pittsburgh fan can forget how those late nineties teams never got back to the Stanley Cup Finals?   What Pittsburgh fan can’t look back and see what Jagr now sees:  To win a Cup, even when you're the best player in the world and it isn't close, you need more help than Jan Hrdina and Kip Miller on your number one line come the playoffs.   To win a Cup, you need great defense and great goaltending. While you need All-Stars, you also need Troy Loney or Max Talbot to score some important goals.

The Penguins’ post-series quotes greatly distressed me:  the players, too often, sounded the way a much younger Jagr sounded.   That they just “didn’t execute.”  That they should have done better.   That they should have played better.   The coach sounded pretty much the same way.

Jaromir Jagr’s quotes pointed out what he has learned—and what it would be wise for Pittsburgh’s management, coaching staff, and players to learn if they hope to return to the Stanley Cup Finals in future seasons.  So, without further adieu, let’s begin this series on translations, takeaways, and actionable items for returning the Pittsburgh Penguins to glory.

All taken from the mouth of wise old sage, Mr. Jaromir Jagr.  (And, no, I can’t believe I just typed that-now-true-description of Jagr.)

Without further adieu, here's the Series:  Jaromir Jagr, Loosely Translated:  A 6-Point Plan for Returning the Pittsburgh Penguins to Glory.

• The NHL, the Trap, and Legal Interference Come the Playoffs
• Franchise Players Can't Do It All
• Teams--Not Individuals--Win the Stanley Cup
• It's the Playoffs--Expect Us to Key on your Stars 
• The Best Players in the League are Gonna Have OFF Nights--AND during the PLAYOFFS!
• It's HARD to be the FAVORITES--so do your BEST EVERY year