The Fischler Report: The Penguins Can Fly; Islanders Remind Me of Conn Smythe’s Leafs
Still vibrant Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin & Kris Letang round out a motivated Pittsburgh Penguins including Erik Karlsson. Can the Islanders win minus a 1st or 2nd team All Star? Plus much more...
The joke of the funny-footed Penguins is over.
They can fly.
They will fly!
Forget about that Skating Cartel, Erik Karlsson; he's a mere one-fifth of the energetic equation.
Start with the new boss, Kyle Dubas. He learned his lessons in The City Of 1,000 Rumors, Toronto
Dubas diploma in Hockey Managing 101 and 201 with the Leafs means that he's now a raving genius in the Former Steel City that sits on many rivers. Dubas -- ably abetted by the richest minus defenseman in history -- has a big winner in Pitt. (No analytics necessary, thank you!)
Still vibrant Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin and the ever-popular Kris Letang round out a motivated nucleus still gifted enough to do wonderful things that will erase the horror of last season's homestretch collapse. (I still can't believe they lost to Chi at home in the final week.)
What really matters is Reilly -- as in Smith -- on left wing along with other nifty newcomers such as center Lars Eller, left wing Matt Nieto and blue liner Ryan Graves. (Top drawer left wing Jek Guentzel won't return from injured reserve in November.
As one Pitt insider puts it, "Dubas will have some tough decisions to make. The incredibly busy off-season will continue until Guentzel returns in late Fall.”