Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
Written By: JCol32
Founded: 1967
Championships: 3 (1990-91, 1991-92, 2008-09)
2013 Prediction: Division Winner
History:
The Pittsburgh Penguins were founded in 1967 as a part of the NHL’s original expansion from six to twelve teams. The franchise has won three championships, all of which have been won with the help of big name stars, notably Mario Lemieux in 1990-92 and young phenoms Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in 2008-09.
Overview:
The Penguins will enter the 2013 shortened season with high hopes despite their early playoff exit to the Philadelphia Flyers a year ago. A healthy Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby will surely mean the Penguins will be a force in 2013. A blockbuster Draft Day deal which sent Jordan Staal to Raleigh left the Pens with Brandon Sutter who could be the next Patrice Bergeron. He will slot in as the #3 center. Marc-Andre Fleury will be solid in net for the Penguins. Pittsburgh will be a very tough team to beat day in and day out in 2013.
How to Play as the Penguins:
With the Penguins balanced attack, try to alternate between their top two lines and you will surely have success. Don’t be afraid to take some chances because you have Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury to back you up. On powerplays try to move the puck around and find the open man. It shouldn’t be too hard when you have players like Crosby, Malkin, Neal, and Letang on your side.
Fun Facts:
The franchise decided on the “Penguin” nickname once they realized that their first home arena, the Pittsburgh Civic Arena would be nicknamed the “Igloo”.
Roster with Sortable Player Stats
| Name | Pos. | Type | OVR | SHT | PKS | SEN | SKT | PHY | DEF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Crosby | C | PLY | 95 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Evgeni Malkin | C | PLY | 91 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Kris Letang | D | TWD | 90 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Paul Martin | D | DFD | 85 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Brooks Orpik | D | DFD | 84 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| James Neal | LW | PWF | 84 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Chris Kunitz | LW | TWF | 83 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Matt Niskanen | D | TWD | 82 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Brandon Sutter | C | TWF | 82 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Pascal Dupuis | RW | TWF | 81 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Tyler Kennedy | C | TWF | 81 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Matt Cooke | LW | GRN | 79 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Trevor Smith | C | TWF | 76 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Deryk Engelland | D | DFD | 75 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Ben Lovejoy | D | TWD | 75 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Dustin Jeffrey | LW | TWF | 74 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Craig Adams | RW | GRN | 74 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Eric Tangradi | LW | PWF | 74 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Richard Park | RW | TWF | 72 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Tanner Glass | LW | GRN | 72 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Joe Vitale | C | TWF | 71 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
OVR: Overall SNP: Sniper
SHT: Shooting TWF: Two Way Forward
PKS: Puck Skills PLY: Playmaker
SEN: Senses GRN: Grinder
SKT: Skating TGH: Tough
PHY: Physical PWF: Powerforward
DEF: Defense OFD: Offensive Defensemen
DFD: Defensive Defenseman TWD: Two-Way Defenseman
