Countless compliments will be poured upon the now-two-time Stanley Cup champion Panthers, all of them doubly deserved after dominating the Oilers right out of what'd been, for a while, among the most compelling Finals I could recall:
Yeah, four goals off the blade of a badly banged-up Sam Reinhart, yet another collective defensive smothering of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and continued golden goaltending from Pittsburgh's one-time best bud Sergei Bobrovsky, and -- oof! -- there it was: 5-1. And over the closing two games, an aggregate 10-2.
Well, here's the highest compliment. I can offer myself: What's occurred in Sunrise these past three years, including the failed run to the Final in 2023, won't be anybody's blueprint.
It can't be. Way, way, way too much has gone too right.
Vinnie Viola's ownership and resultant rebranding, the new logo, the new mission, the new serious tone, set the stage. Bill Zito, freed from seven years in Columbus, finally formed a foundation around Sasha Barkov that should've been there all along. Paul Maurice found precisely the place for his style of pontification. Barkov turned super-smart acquisitions, Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe, into superlative wingers. Aaron Ekblad, another prized pick, overcame two ugly long-term injuries. Bob was signed for a zillion-dollar deal that was mocked by ... well, let's just say I wasn't the only one wrong on that front. I could go on and on and on and on, from Conn Smythe winner Sam Bennett's grit/clutch to their feisty, physical Finns Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola ... and it'd all still peak with Zito's beyond-belief-bold acquisition of Matthew Tkachuk from the Flames for Jonathan Huberdeau, a transaction that should leave a scar on Calgary's 'C' for the next half-century or so.
Who replicates all that and so much more? How? Where?
You and I knew about Evan Rodrigues. So did Mike Sullivan, despite casting him off, as I've been told, because of one dumb retaliation minor in one playoff game. But how'd Zito and the Panthers know?
You and I knew about Brad Marchand's career-long impact, as did everyone on the Florida side, of course, but how were Zito and the Panthers so sure he'd fit the way he did?
You and I knew about Seth Jones' capability, as did Zito from their shared time in Columbus, but what gave the Panthers the right to expect he'd blossom into all this after having been a minus-108 bomb over four years with the Blackhawks?
It's one thing to ace a test. But what Zito and all of Florida's leadership has crafted these past five years ... it's a masterclass. It really is.
• No goals in the Final for McDavid. Ten total shots in the last four games. I've pushed this concept for many years, but the greatest of the great -- and he's got that talent level, for sure -- take the grandest of stages into their own grasp. McDavid's drop passes outnumbered his shot attempts through the last two games. Look through the Penguins' own history of five championships to see how Mario Lemieux and others began gunning.
• That's not to pin Edmonton's loss mostly on McDavid and/or Draisaitl. That'd be as weird as it'd be misguided. No, that's been on the Oilers trying to win it all without a significant player at the most important position. If Kris Knoblauch's bouncing back and fourth in a final between Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, end any and all analysis right there.
• Verhaeghe's now one of only six active NHL players with three rings. Half of them, of course, are Sid, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The others: Jonathan Quick and Patrick Kane. Never take it for granted, my friends.
• Nor this:
NHL
Winning back-to-back's brutally challenging once. But the Penguins did so twice, and the above graphic illustrates the amount of between-seasons roster change that's been required. And that 1992 one, in which Craig Patrick turned over almost half of what he had -- chiefly sending a future Hall of Famer in Mark Recchi to the Flyers, of all teams, to get Rick Tocchet, Kjell Samuelsson and Ken Wregget -- will forever stand out in hockey GM-ing lore.
• But a three-peat? Well, let's talk once we see how much Bennett and/or Ekblad agrees to slash pay to fit under Florida's airtight cap. Not everyone's Sid when it comes to that.
• When will we see the Penguins even close to this competitive again? My answer, at least for now, is that the more patience Kyle Dubas can show toward stacking bona fide potential within his prospect pool, the more promising the result will be.
• But is it reasonable to feel that way at the same time that I'll cringe at the thought of losing Bryan Rust and/or Rickard Rakell? It isn't?
• Keep the sport growing. Spread it far and wide. Not just through the state of Florida but also in Texas, with the success of the Stars and, soon, apparently, expansion in Houston and a return to Atlanta and, heck, maybe even a return to Phoenix. Hockey does quite well where fans can watch with their own eyes. So take it to more eyes.
• Thanks to all of you. I mean that. From both me and Taylor Haase. Anyone who knows how I've felt about the planet's most beautiful sport might know how much it means to me that we've built the sharpest, most passionate Pittsburgh hockey community anywhere. Appreciate having you here.
• Man, I'll miss it. But hey, there's the NHL Draft, then development camp in a couple weeks.
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THE ASYLUM
Dejan Kovacevic
5:45 am - 06.18.2025DowntownDK: Stanley Cup blueprint? Uh, no
Countless compliments will be poured upon the now-two-time Stanley Cup champion Panthers, all of them doubly deserved after dominating the Oilers right out of what'd been, for a while, among the most compelling Finals I could recall:
Yeah, four goals off the blade of a badly banged-up Sam Reinhart, yet another collective defensive smothering of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and continued golden goaltending from Pittsburgh's one-time best bud Sergei Bobrovsky, and -- oof! -- there it was: 5-1. And over the closing two games, an aggregate 10-2.
Well, here's the highest compliment. I can offer myself: What's occurred in Sunrise these past three years, including the failed run to the Final in 2023, won't be anybody's blueprint.
It can't be. Way, way, way too much has gone too right.
Vinnie Viola's ownership and resultant rebranding, the new logo, the new mission, the new serious tone, set the stage. Bill Zito, freed from seven years in Columbus, finally formed a foundation around Sasha Barkov that should've been there all along. Paul Maurice found precisely the place for his style of pontification. Barkov turned super-smart acquisitions, Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe, into superlative wingers. Aaron Ekblad, another prized pick, overcame two ugly long-term injuries. Bob was signed for a zillion-dollar deal that was mocked by ... well, let's just say I wasn't the only one wrong on that front. I could go on and on and on and on, from Conn Smythe winner Sam Bennett's grit/clutch to their feisty, physical Finns Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola ... and it'd all still peak with Zito's beyond-belief-bold acquisition of Matthew Tkachuk from the Flames for Jonathan Huberdeau, a transaction that should leave a scar on Calgary's 'C' for the next half-century or so.
Who replicates all that and so much more? How? Where?
You and I knew about Evan Rodrigues. So did Mike Sullivan, despite casting him off, as I've been told, because of one dumb retaliation minor in one playoff game. But how'd Zito and the Panthers know?
You and I knew about Brad Marchand's career-long impact, as did everyone on the Florida side, of course, but how were Zito and the Panthers so sure he'd fit the way he did?
You and I knew about Seth Jones' capability, as did Zito from their shared time in Columbus, but what gave the Panthers the right to expect he'd blossom into all this after having been a minus-108 bomb over four years with the Blackhawks?
It's one thing to ace a test. But what Zito and all of Florida's leadership has crafted these past five years ... it's a masterclass. It really is.
• No goals in the Final for McDavid. Ten total shots in the last four games. I've pushed this concept for many years, but the greatest of the great -- and he's got that talent level, for sure -- take the grandest of stages into their own grasp. McDavid's drop passes outnumbered his shot attempts through the last two games. Look through the Penguins' own history of five championships to see how Mario Lemieux and others began gunning.
• That's not to pin Edmonton's loss mostly on McDavid and/or Draisaitl. That'd be as weird as it'd be misguided. No, that's been on the Oilers trying to win it all without a significant player at the most important position. If Kris Knoblauch's bouncing back and fourth in a final between Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, end any and all analysis right there.
• Verhaeghe's now one of only six active NHL players with three rings. Half of them, of course, are Sid, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. The others: Jonathan Quick and Patrick Kane. Never take it for granted, my friends.
• Nor this:
NHL
Winning back-to-back's brutally challenging once. But the Penguins did so twice, and the above graphic illustrates the amount of between-seasons roster change that's been required. And that 1992 one, in which Craig Patrick turned over almost half of what he had -- chiefly sending a future Hall of Famer in Mark Recchi to the Flyers, of all teams, to get Rick Tocchet, Kjell Samuelsson and Ken Wregget -- will forever stand out in hockey GM-ing lore.
• But a three-peat? Well, let's talk once we see how much Bennett and/or Ekblad agrees to slash pay to fit under Florida's airtight cap. Not everyone's Sid when it comes to that.
• When will we see the Penguins even close to this competitive again? My answer, at least for now, is that the more patience Kyle Dubas can show toward stacking bona fide potential within his prospect pool, the more promising the result will be.
• But is it reasonable to feel that way at the same time that I'll cringe at the thought of losing Bryan Rust and/or Rickard Rakell? It isn't?
• Keep the sport growing. Spread it far and wide. Not just through the state of Florida but also in Texas, with the success of the Stars and, soon, apparently, expansion in Houston and a return to Atlanta and, heck, maybe even a return to Phoenix. Hockey does quite well where fans can watch with their own eyes. So take it to more eyes.
• Thanks to all of you. I mean that. From both me and Taylor Haase. Anyone who knows how I've felt about the planet's most beautiful sport might know how much it means to me that we've built the sharpest, most passionate Pittsburgh hockey community anywhere. Appreciate having you here.
• Man, I'll miss it. But hey, there's the NHL Draft, then development camp in a couple weeks.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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