Hot Start or False Hope? Why One Player Says the Penguins' 5-2 Record Might Be Misleading
Photo credit: Edit from The Hockey News
Despite the Penguins starting off at a torrid 5-2 pace, defenseman Kris Letang is pumping the brakes and believes it's far too early to celebrate anything.
Following a misplay of the puck in the neutral zone during team practice, Penguins forward Bryan Rust banged his stick on the glass with as much venom as one could release following a whiff in overtime of a Game 7.
That energy is a reflection of the attitude in the Penguins' locker room so far this season. Although their 5-2-0 record is solid, this team isn't content, and Kris Letang pumped the brakes.
"Not really, no," defenseman Kris Letang said. "It's a league that two weeks can change your entire season. It's so tight that you have to be on all year if you want to get a chance to get into the playoffs and stuff like that. You can look at it from the (general manager's) perspective, you could be a buyer or a seller within two weeks.
"You try to build. If it's positive, you try to build on it. If it's negative, you try to learn from it."
"You try to build. If it's positive, you try to build on it. If it's negative, you try to learn from it."
The Penguins players are not fooling themselves or getting too cocky after this hot start
Many outside observers didn't expect Pittsburgh to play so well, but there is no disillusionment within. The Penguins know the value of accruing early-season points, 10 of a potential 14, even if their game hasn't been on an upswing yet.
They've figured out how to do it, coming in 10th in the league with 3.29 goals per game, but the first to acknowledge their shooting rhythm and execution still need work.
Each win has produced lessons that improvement is often a matter of incremental, hard work, not heroic declarations.
Through seven games, the Penguins' beginning is a success, but nobody's purchasing parade tickets just yet.
"So many things are going to happen through the season," Rakell said. "You don't want to think too far ahead. That's never good for you.
"We're just going to take it one game at a time. That's easier."
"We're just going to take it one game at a time. That's easier."
The true test will come much later on, such as in Game 70 or 80, rather than Game 7 of the regular season. Until then, everybody's watching their next test: a Thursday night fight with the defending champions, the Florida Panthers.
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