Penguins Update: The Tale of Two Aging Metro Lions
For the better part of a decade, the Penguins and blood-rival Capitals have dominated the NHL’s Metropolitan Division. While our Pens captured back-to-back Stanley Cups and two division titles, the Caps ran off five consecutive division titles and nabbed a Cup of their own.
In fact, the fortunes of the twin Metro powers have been intertwined since the infamous Jaromír Jágr deal back in 2001, eerily so. The former Patrick Division rivals both hit the skids in the early 2000s and bottomed out in ’03-04, with the Caps winning the draft lottery and snagging the supremely gifted Alexander Ovechkin with the first overall pick and the Pens grabbing Evgeni Malkin, arguably the greatest consolation prize in NHL history, second overall.
The clubs rose to prominence together, peaked at the same time and began a gradual fade at the same juncture, culminating in a failure to qualify for the playoffs last spring. They entered the current season as the oldest (Pens) and fifth-oldest (Caps) teams in the league. No surprise, given their venerable 30-something cores.
Both teams are playing against type this season. Traditionally high-octane clubs that overwhelmed the opposition by the sheer dint of their awesome firepower, the Pens and Caps are struggling to fill the net but excelling defensively.