Human nature on the side of the Penguins, Sidney Crosby as the quest for another Cup begins

Updated 2 hours ago

When last season's eve, Sidney Crosby was sitting in his locker room at the PPG Paints Arena, he knew that human nature would be one of the biggest enemies that he and his teammates were going to face.

This year, he knows it could be their best friend.

That's one of the reasons why the 31-year-old captain expressed his enthusiasm when he met with reporters Wednesday after completing the final full training session before Thursday's opening match against Washington Capitals at PPG Paints Arena.

"It's still exciting, Game 1," Crosby said. "A lot of anticipation. The camp seems to last forever. It's good to know that we are coming back. "

Last year at that time, the Penguins were two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. It's an extraordinary feat. This is the first team in the era of salary ceilings to have succeeded, but it had a price.

They were worn after consecutive short summers. They knew that the games that mattered were still in seven months. It takes a lot of energy to consistently win in the NHL, especially in defense, and the Penguins did not always have that reserve in reserve.

There was the 10-1 eruption in Chicago during the second game of the season. Humbling 7-1 sits in front of Tampa Bay and Winnipeg.

At the New Year, they were 19-18-3, allowing about three goals per game, just off the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Whatever the definition, it was a bad start. Human nature had grabbed their ankles and threatened to drag them into the abyss.

"For whatever reason, be it for a shorter summer or for a mind that does not have that level of despair, I think that as a group we were missing a bit after Christmas," said Crosby.

"It's a little human nature. Maybe fatigue. Who knows? There are many different things. "

The Penguins recovered the ship and were a legitimate competitor of the championship at the trade deadline, but in the final analysis, they took the long, hard road to get there.

A more regular and regular start would go a long way in making this season a success.

"We have to approach every game the same way, whether it's at the beginning of the season or in January or February, no matter what it is," said goalkeeper Matt Murray. "I think we have to start every match with the same urgency."

This is where human nature reappears. If the Penguins had not missed an emergency early last season, it fell back when the Capitals play the Stanley Cup shaft throughout the summer.

"I think you probably have more of a chip on the shoulder losing and having that fresh in your mind," Crosby said. "The fact that they went to the end to win too, and knowing how close you were, are all great motivators."

There are of course other reasons why Crosby feels optimistic about the approach of this season, reasons that will have more quantifiable effect on the outcome of the matches than the will of human nature .

The Penguins are more prominent, especially in the center, than they have been for years.

The addition of Jack Johnson and Juuso Riikola allowed the defense to kick in the arm. Players like Kris Letang and Murray are optimistic about dropping out of a mediocre season.

This is a talented group, capable of playing a third Stanley Cup in four years if a few breaks take place.

The contribution of human nature will be to ensure that they do not have to get out of a self-excavated hole months before they go there.

"We want to send a message that we are still here and that we still want to win more Stanley Cups," Letang said. "As Sid said, we have to come up with a chip on our shoulder and try to recover what we lost."

Jonathan Bombulie is an editor of Tribune-Review. You can contact Jonathan at [email protected] or via Twitter @BombulieTrib.

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