The Penguins are two wins away from becoming the first team to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in the salary cap era. They're also two wins away from claiming their place as the NHL's top franchise by hoisting their fifth Cup since 1990.
The Penguins' rise has been slow but steady, beginning in 1984, when a skinny Canadian kid named Mario Lemieux arrived on the scene. Since then, they've won four Stanley Cups, a number matched by only two teams _ the Detroit Red Wings and the Edmonton Oilers. Unlike the Penguins, both franchises won their Cups in a short window with some of the same cast of characters. The Red Wings won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008. The Oilers won five Stanley Cups from 1984 to 1990. The Penguins spread theirs out over 26 years, with completely different teams. They had a few down years right before Sidney Crosby arrived but for the most part have been a playoff team.
The Penguins already have the most playoff wins (178) since 1989 and the most playoff wins of the salary cap era. If the Penguins can pull it off this year, the Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Red Wings, Bruins and Blackhawks would be the only franchises to possess more Stanley Cups. When you take away the Stanley Cups that were won before the Penguins were a franchise, only the Canadiens (10) have won more, and the Oilers would be tied with five.
So, whether you start in 1967 with the birth of the Penguins or 1984 with the arrival of Mario Lemieux, a fifth Stanley Cup would be something special.
They still need two wins, so let's not get ahead of ourselves. They haven't won in Nashville yet, and the Predators have been great at home in this year's playoffs. It's entirely possible we could wake up Tuesday morning with the series tied, 2-2, and the Penguins regrouping for Game 5 to try to regain momentum. That's possible, but not probable. The Penguins are better than the Predators, and it's more likely they come back to Pittsburgh with a 3-1 lead looking to close out the series Thursday in Game 5.
Predators goalie Pekka Rinne looks like he has lost his confidence, and Nashville has no other option than a 22-year old rookie who has never started a Stanley Cup playoff game. So, they're probably stuck with Rinne. Teams can overcome a lot of things in the playoffs, but bad goaltending isn't one of them.
If the Penguins can finish it out and raise their fifth Stanley Cup, that will be worth celebrating. But understand this: They're playing for more than just a championship. They're playing for a place in history as the NHL's top franchise. Then, and only then, will this officially become Hockeytown.
