Playoffs to define Penguins, Therrien

By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, April 1, 2008



NEW YORK - MARCH 31: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins waits for the faceoff against the New York Rangers on March 31, 2008 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Rangers defeated the Penguins 2-1 in overtime. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)


The Penguins reached 100 points for the fifth time in franchise history with a 2-1, overtime loss to the New York Rangers on Monday night.

It's an achievement that might be worth celebrating until you recall what happened on the previous four occasions.

In 1992-93, an anticipated third consecutive Stanley Cup run was derailed in the second round of the playoffs, an upset as devastating as it was unforeseen for a 119-point team that finished first overall in the regular season.

In 1993-94, the Pens finished third among the NHL's 26 teams with 101 points, then checked out of the playoffs in the opening round in six games against Washington.

In 1995-96, the Pens made it to the Eastern Conference final after finishing fourth overall with 102 points. But it was another Game 7 home-ice loss, this time to Florida, that defined the season.

Then, there was last season, when an out-of-nowhere, 105-point effort became harder to remember as Ottawa was in the process of eliminating the Penguins in five first-round games.

See where we're headed here?

It's the playoffs that make reputations and define legacies.

So, if you're among those pondering whether Michel Therrien ought to be named coach of the year, whether Evgeni Malkin deserves to be declared the league's MVP or whether Sidney Crosby still can be considered the best player on the planet, be advised:

None of that will matter once the puck is dropped April 9 or 10.

For the first time since 2000-01, the Pens will enter the playoffs with legitimate expectations -- which means, this time, they have something to lose.

Along those lines, Therrien potentially has more at stake than most.

He was given a one-year contract extension at the conclusion of last season, when a first-round exit was accepted as disappointing but, at the same time, perceived as understandable given the circumstances.

This time, the dynamics have changed, and the bar is raised, particularly since the Penguins acquired Marian Hossa.

We still haven't seen exactly what that will mean as far as altering the balance of power in the Eastern Conference, but that laser Hossa fired Sunday past Henrik Lundqvist offered a glimpse of what might be possible.

Whether the Penguins win the conference, they have been a factor in the quest for the top spot into the regular season's final week. That means they have positioned themselves as contenders, if not the favorite, in the East.

And that being the case, another one-and-done postseason wouldn't be nearly as easy to swallow.

A second consecutive early exit wouldn't necessarily doom Therrien, but it might induce upper management to begin pondering whether there was someone else better suited to lead the Penguins to the championship.

And once a process such as that begins, the conclusions reached often are inevitable, if not immediate.


Mike Prisuta is a columnist for the Tribune-Review. He can be reached at mprisuta@tribweb.com or 412-320-7923.