After nearly six long months, Penguins hockey officially returns when Pittsburgh hosts the New York Rangers on Wednesday (Oct. 9) at PPG Paints Arena.
Following a busy preseason with some breakout performances, the anticipation level is high as the Penguins look to rewrite their story – with the first sentence being etched in front of their home crowd (tickets available here).
“I think the guys are really excited to get the season started, but to have the opportunity to start the season in front of our home fans that are so supportive of us through the good times and the bad, I think that means a lot to all of us,” Head Coach Mike Sullivan said.
“We're looking forward to the experience. I know our players, and certainly our coaching staff and our management team, are so appreciative of everything the fans do for us in lending the support and the care and the passion they show when we play each and every night.”
After signing a two-year contract extension on Sept. 16, Sidney Crosby - who signed a two-year extension in September - is poised to enter his franchise-record 20th season in black and gold. "He’s the face of this franchise, he’s a legend of the game, one of the best players of all time. He’s a guy who means so much to this city, this team, this organization," Bryan Rust said. The captain is hoping that the Penguins can carry over some of the momentum from the end of last year, when the team went 8-2-3 over their last 13 games.
“We finished really strong. I think we all felt good about hanging in there the way we did,” Crosby said. “I think we’re just hoping that we can be a little more consistent in a few areas, and hopefully that’ll get us in the playoffs.”
"The way we finished last year and to start at home this season, just a lot of excitement," Rickard Rakell added. "I think everyone is just ready to put last season behind us and just start a new chapter. Just create something good here."
With the work done over the offseason and the promising results from training camp, Crosby said his trust and belief in the organization make him optimistic that the Penguins can have a quick turnaround into being a contender.
“Just being in so many different situations over the course of my career, there's always been expectation here, and I love that,” Crosby said. “I love that the expectation's to win. I think it gets the best out of everybody, it pushes us to be better. I think it's an important element. So, I think all those things combined just make me think that way.”
That standard is set by the Big Three of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. No matter what point they are at in their careers, the goal remains the same for them all.
“We all want the same thing. That's the main thing. We want to win,” Letang said. “We know how special this city is, the commitment we have from our fans and our organization to put a good team on the ice to try to make us successful. I think these two guys come to the rink every single day with one goal in mind, and it's to win and trying to find a way to get another Cup.”
Dubas noted that veteran players like Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Rust are expected to help grow and build the next wave of Pittsburgh Penguins. That younger group features players like 20-year-old Rutger McGroarty, who made the opening-night roster. The Penguins want to allow for those types of players, along with players they felt either needed a greater opportunity or had something to prove after challenging seasons. Rust feels the group dynamic should serve them well.
“I think we got a lot of guys in this room who are going to work really hard to show that they’re really good players, and then we got a lot of really great leaders who have been to the top of the mountain,” Rust said. “I think that that combination of those two types of players can make for a dangerous season.”
Wednesday will mark the start of the challenge ahead, and the Penguins are more than ready to embark on the journey.
“All the hard work, all the preparation, being able to see that kind come into play here, and getting ready to start, we're all anticipating that,” Crosby said. “And you have to get better with every game. When you start the season, that's not going to change, but I think just to know that we're going to finally start. I think everyone's looking forward to that.”
