Penguins fans aren't accustomed to seeing their team eliminated this early, but after winning the Stanley Cup the previous two seasons, they can be fairly content.
So content that they're genuinely happy to see former Penguins like Marc-Andre Fleury, Deryk Engelland, Ryan Reaves, James Neal and David Perron succeed in fabulous Las Vegas.
Some Pittsburgh-area businesses are even trying to capitalize on the Golden Knights' success:
Had to go to @DICKS and snag one ??♀️ pic.twitter.com/cvd2c2gfOY
— Taylor Haase (@TaylorHaasePGH) May 20, 2018
However, not everyone was so thrilled to see the Golden Knights advance to the Stanley Cup Final on Sunday.
Some see the Knights' success as a damnation of the NHL's diluted talent base. Others resent the Knights' success in their first year of operation. Long-suffering fan bases, like the one the Knights eliminated Sunday in Winnipeg, say that Vegas doesn't "deserve" to win the Cup. Too soon, they argue.
With Vegas winning the Western Conference, only Winnipeg, Arizona, Columbus and Minnesota have yet to reach the Cup Finals among the NHL's 31 teams.
With that in mind, what are the NHL's most title-starved teams? (Hint: It's not the Coyotes, Blue Jackets and the Wild.)
1. Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs have won the second-most Stanley Cup championships (13) in league history. They just haven't won one since 1967. Haven't even been to the final since then. The future is bright in T.O., and if/when Auston Matthews and company end the drought, the self-proclaimed "centre of the hockey universe" just might burn to the ground.
2. Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres aren't, let's say, very good, but Buffalonians turn out and tune in for hockey. The Buffalo market routinely draws some of the highest TV ratings in the U.S. for the NHL, despite having one of the most tortured pro sports histories, including Scott Norwood "wide right" and Brett Hull "in the crease."
3. St. Louis Blues
The Blues haven't reached the Cup Final since the franchise's first three years of existence, when the league had two divisions (one with the Original Six and the other with the Second Six expansion teams), and they were 0-12 in those three Finals. St. Louis put together the NHL's third-longest consecutive playoff appearance streak (1979-2004) but has nothing to show for it.
4. Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver — Canada's third-largest city and home to some of the best and most knowledgeable fans — has reached the Cup Final three times, yet it came away empty-handed each time. Vancouver lost in seven games to the Rangers in 1994 and blew a 3-1 series lead to the Bruins in 2011, sparking a riot that decimated the city.
5. Washington Capitals
Want to know why the Capitals were celebrating like they won the Stanley Cup when they eliminated the Penguins this spring? First, it was against the Penguins, their long-time nemesis. Also, they've never won a Cup Final game after getting swept by Detroit 20 years ago. If the Capitals don't win this year, man, they might never win.
DISHONORABLE MENTION
Winnipeg Jets: The Jets won the Avco Cup three times between 1976-79 in the defunct WHA. After joining the NHL, the original Jets won just two first-round playoff series and then relocated to Phoenix — of all places — in 1996. Since the Atlanta franchise relocated to Winnipeg six years ago, this year was as far as the new Jets have gotten.
Philadelphia Flyers: Love them or loathe them (think we know the answer to that in Pittsburgh), Flyers fans are, um, passionate. Their team has been usually good but seldom great. Lack of a goalie, wouldn't you know? Since 1975, their last Cup win, Philly has reached the Final six times but has run face-first into dynastic opponents.
New York Rangers: As chants go, "1994!" doesn't roll off the tongue quite like "1940!" Still, it has been almost a quarter-century since the NHL's largest-market team won the Cup. The Broadway Blueshirts, founded in 1926, have fewer championships than the Oilers and Penguins, who each have won five times.