Even with change, the Penguins' goal remains the same: 'We’re here to win (the) Stanley Cup'

Even by the typically disjointed standards of a training camp scrimmage, this was bizarre.

A Marcus Pettersson breakaway.

Getting loose off the left wing, the Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman bore down on goaltending prospect Joel Blomqvist and attacked, lifting a wrister from a few feet in front of the crease.

Blomqvist managed to fight off the shot from Pettersson, who scored once in 68 games last season.

“In the regular season, I might have to pull a different move,” Pettersson said. “You don’t see those too often.”

It was definitely a unique sight on the first day of on-ice activities during the team’s training camp Thursday in Cranberry.

But there were a lot of differences evident Thursday for a squad that disintegrated in the final weeks of the 2022-23 regular season and missed the postseason for the first time since franchise icon Sidney Crosby’s rookie season (2005-06).

There’s a new management team, led by president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas, hired in June to chart out a badly needed course correction. And several new players such as All-Star defenseman Erik Karlsson, acquired via a blockbuster trade in August.

Above all else, the biggest difference between Thursday’s practice and the doldrums this outfit displayed in April?

Hope.

“There’s a lot of excitement today,” forward Bryan Rust said. “There’s a lot of excitement about the opportunity that’s in front of us. Obviously, it goes without saying, we’re not the youngest team in the league. There’s not too many chances you get at doing something special. You look around this room, you see the guys we got, you see the guys we’ve added, guys we’ve had for a while, there’s something special.”

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That was one of the universal messages conveyed by just about anyone who wore a practice jersey Thursday. The other was one of validation.

“We all kind of left (last season) frustrated,” defenseman Kris Letang said. “And maybe in disbelief also. We all have something to prove to ourselves, to our teammates that we were way better than that and we can accomplish (more).”

That echoed what Crosby said Monday about having something to prove: “We all feel that right off the bat here. As far as the energy is concerned, there’s a lot there and everybody is excited.”

Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Karlsson did not speak Thursday.

Much of Thursday’s buoyant atmosphere was provided by the presence of so many newcomers to the Penguins’ nest.

In addition to Karlsson, the likes of free-agent additions such as forwards Noel Acciari, Matt Nieto, Lars Eller and Reilly Smith, as well as defenseman Ryan Graves, created something of a “Hi, my name is …” vibe.

“When things don’t go as planned and you underperform like we did last (season), change is inevitable,” Rust said. “That’s kind of the nature of the business that we’re in. If things don’t go your way and you don’t live up to expectations, there’s going to be change. This group, led by the ownership on down, we’re here to win. We’re here to compete. We’re here to win (the) Stanley Cup.”

That pursuit is very evident to the new guys.

“You feel that hunger,” said Graves, signed to an ample six-year contract in July. “You feel there’s something in this room that when you walk in, I don’t know if it’s just the presence of certain people that bring an expectation to what it means to play here. When you play (with) certain people in this league, there’s a certain standard that you have to play to that you should feel you live up to. When you have guys like (Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Karlsson), people like that — elite players like that — that you should raise your game to play at their level. It’s something they expect to win. And guys that have already won and have accomplished so much already. They’re still so hungry to win, it’s contagious.”

Whatever ailed the Penguins five months ago, they looked as if they’ve fully recovered, at least in spirit.

“Once you come in here and you meet everybody — not only the players but staff, all the new faces — there’s a real feeling of excitement around this room now with the whole organization with so much change,” Pettersson said. “We can start with a fresh, new slate with a competitive camp.

“I can already feel we’re thriving in the same direction.”