Ron Cook: Pittsburgh Penguins one win from being legendary team

I’m not going to suggest for one second that the 2017 Penguins are better than their 1992 brothers in pucks.

The 1992 Penguins had Mario Lemieux, who, when healthy, was the best hockey player of all time. They had four other Hall of Famers, five if you count Jaromir Jagr. They won their final 11 playoff games by a combined score of 47-24, sweeping Boston in the Eastern Conference final and Chicago in the Stanley Cup final to win a second consecutive championship. They were picked this week as the NHL’s second-greatest team behind the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers as part of the league’s 100-year celebration. I know this: I wouldn’t bet against them in a game against those fabulous Oilers.

But I will suggest these Penguins will top what that 1992 team accomplished if they win one more game against the Nashville Predators and skate away with their second consecutive Cup.

It’s much harder to win two in a row now than it was in the early 1990s.

If the Penguins can finish off the Predators, they would become the first team to repeat in the NHL’s salary-cap era, which began with the 2005-06 season. They would become just the second team to repeat since the 1992 Penguins, joining the Detroit Red Wings, who were champions in 1997 and 1998.

Compare the past 25 years to the 25 years before the Penguins won their Cup titles in 1991 and 1992. Edmonton won five times in seven years from 1984-90. The New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83. Montreal took four consecutive Cups from 1976-79. Even Philadelphia, which never wins anything, won two in a row from 1974-75.

We are watching a Penguins team that’s on the verge of something special.

It’s not quite there yet, but it’s looking hard at making some serious history.

How cool is that?

Not that any of the Penguins wanted to talk about the Cup late Thursday night after their 6-0 win in Game 5. No surprise there. Too much still could go wrong, especially in Game 6 Sunday night at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The Predators are 9-1 at home in these playoffs and whacked the Penguins there, 5-1 and 4-1, in Games 3 and 4. That’s why the Penguins will tell you this isn’t the time to celebrate or reflect. There still is the matter of that one more win. Everyone, from Mike Sullivan to all the players, said it will be the toughest win to get.

“You’re close, but it’s far,” Evgeni Malkin said.

Of course, that’s true.

But the last time I checked, these Penguins are humans. Don’t believe it when they tell you they haven’t thought about being remembered as one of the great teams in NHL history.

“It comes into your mind,” Matt Cullen said. “It’s impossible for it not to. We’re all aware of where we’re at. We don’t want to let it slip by.”

No one is more aware than the captain, Sidney Crosby, although he would rather have a beer with P.K. Subban than admit that publicly. Crosby is a terrific historian of the game. On an individual level, he knows a second consecutive Cup and a third overall championship would put him among the top 10 players of all time. From a team standpoint, which is much more important to him, he knows that a third Cup of his era would give his teams one more than the incomparable Lemieux’s hockey clubs won.

“I think Sid really understands the opportunity that this team has,” Sullivan said. “He’s not taking anything for granted. He’s as hungry as I’ve seen a player.”

That showed on Crosby’s first shift Thursday night when he powered through defensemen Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi and, as he was drawing a holding penalty on Ellis and falling to the ice, fired a shot that hit the left post behind goaltender Pekka Rinne. That led to a power-play goal by Justin Schultz and a 1-0 lead just 91 seconds into the game.

“It’s like we were flying tonight,” Malkin said.

Crosby never let up. He never let the Penguins let up. The next thing you knew, they were ahead, 5-0, before the game was even half over.

“He’s been pretty unreal,” Cullen said of Crosby. “I love the way he steps up when his team needs him most. Seeing the way he started the game and took the team on his shoulders and said, ‘Follow me,’ it’s fun to be a part of.”

No one appreciates it more than Sullivan. You have no idea how blessed he feels to coach a team led by Crosby. “Privileged” is the word he often has used since taking over as coach in December 2015.

“I just think what separates him is his drive,” Sullivan said. “I don’t know that I’ve been around an athlete – not just a hockey player, but an athlete – that is as driven as Sid is.”

The chant inside throbbing PPG Paints Arena began after Phil Kessel’s goal made it 5-0.

“We want the Cup!”

Clever signs appeared.

This Is A Real Hockey Town!

The message seemed clear at that point.

Take that, Smashville! You can have Carrie Underwood and your catfish. Pittsburgh will take Sidney Crosby and his team.

A team that’s one win from becoming legendary.