Addition of Iginla Raises Expectations in Pittsburgh

Jarome Iginla's arrival in Pittsburgh means the pressures on for the Penguins. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins are riding a 14-game winning streak, running away with the Eastern Conference, and racing toward the playoffs like a Hemi-powered Zamboni. Last night, they got back reigning-MVP Evgeni Malkin, even though everyone knows its not fair to have the two best kids on the same team. During their win streak, they have disposed of the Montreal Canadiens, the team nearest them in the Eastern Conference, by scores of 7-6 and 1-0. Now for our next trick…

Can a team like that get any better? It’s almost a spoiled question to entertain, like sitting in the backseat of Jeff Gordon’s racecar and asking if it can go any faster. But in the past week Penguins GM Ray Shero has not been afraid to ask the question of himself, a sign of great hunger though not gluttony. As the architect of the team, perfectionism is his responsibility.

After a mid-season appraisal of his squad, Shero quickly made his findings clear. Over the weekend, he added veteran forward Brenden Morrow, who still possesses above-veteran abilities, and hulking defenseman Douglas Murray, who still might be a distant cousin of the Incredible Hulk. In less than 24 hours, he added depth to the offense and shored up the defense.

The Penguins got better. But the question persisted. Could they get better still?

The question no longer seemed spoiled. Now it was scary, like wondering if the Abominable Snowman could become any more abominable. Ray Shero, the Indomitable Showman, decided again that they could.

For much of the season, the Penguins felt they were lacking one top-6 forward. With Kris Kunitz-Sidney Crosby-Pascal Dupuis solidified as the top line, they needed desired a third forward to play alongside Malkin and James Neal. (The idea of the best team in the League needing something is pretty much ludicrous.) Regardless, Shero got back on the phone, and began the search for his latest fancy.

After looking near and far, high and wide (wait, no, only Brad Richards looks high and wide), Shero shocked the hockey world when he cast out a line for Calgary-lifer Jarome Iginla, stole him right off the hook of the Boston Bruins, and landed him in Pittsburgh.

Acquiring Jarome Iginla, the 5^th highest active scorer in the League, to satisfy the need desire for a top-6 forward is like buying an iPhone because you need a calculator. He just gives you so much more than a prototypical top-6 forward. He’ll score, sure, because that’s what he done his entire career. And he’ll distribute the puck, as he’s developed something of a skill in that domain too. (If we were Grantland and had cool footnotes, I would insert this one here: Iginla may be one of the most offensively-balanced “goalscorers” the NHL has ever seen. Of his 1095 career points, 525 are goals and 570 are assists. There’s a lot more to this guy’s game than putting the puck in the net.) On that note, Iginla will make an already-lethal power play even more dangerous. He will lift a below-average penalty kill, maybe not through blocking shots but certainly through providing shorthanded offense. He will stabilize the locker room during rocky times – even if it’s smooth sailing right now – and settle down anxieties in pressurized moments. Finally, to a team that already possesses a killer instinct, Iginla will bring his late-game hammer, his overtime monster maul. Among active NHL players, the clutch Canadian ranks third in game-winning goals.

Does Shero’s latest move put the Penguins over the top? The answer may lie in the GM’s aggressiveness leading up to the April 3^rdtrade deadline. If the architect rolls up his blueprint and sits back to watch, we’ll know this team is as close to perfect as anything.

As it is, they already boast the best line in hockey. Though I’m sure there are some dominant trios of squirts and peewees somewhere up in Canada, the dynamism and chemistry displayed by Crosby Dupuis and Kunitz is unparalleled. And now, they have the best second line in the land as well. Seeing Malkin, not to mention Iginla and Neal, on the second line is reminiscent of the mid-2000’s New York Yankees, who would routinely pencil in Hideki Matsui – another megastar from overseas – as a six or seven hitter.

The story concerning those gaudy Yankee teams though, is this: Despite the assemblage of Jeter, A-Rod, Sheffield, Giambi, Posada, Matsui, and a young Cano, torrid regular seasons ended in postseason meltdowns. They belted, bashed and battered the ball to a pulp, but the thing they will be most remembered for is not winning.

This should serve as a cautionary tale for the Penguins, especially after their flameout in last year’s playoffs when they gave up 30 goals in six games against the Flyers.

For though the addition of Iginla lifts the Penguins closer to the summit, it also makes the fall even farther. As the team’s expectations rise, the pressure does too. 

Shero has put the pieces in place. He has invited Stanley Cup Or Bust forecasts. The standard of success for his team is a reflection of its recent history and reservoirs of talent. Now it’s time for those pieces to come up with a whole that is equal to their sum.

Hint: it’s silver, heavy, and often filled with beer.