Some around the NHL are taking delight in the Penguins’ decline. Here are some things that bring me joy:
• The New York Rangers have won one Stanley Cup since World War II.
• The Boston Bruins have won one Stanley Cup since Richard Nixon was president.
• The Toronto Maple Leafs have won zero Stanley Cups since the NHL expanded from six teams in 1967. There are currently 32.
• The Philadelphia Flyers are approaching 50 years without a Stanley Cup, having last won in 1975. If they don’t print commemorative T-shirts, I will.
The fans of these franchises pretend their teams mean something. They don’t. They’re the Washington Generals.
The Penguins are Dom Perignon. These franchises are flat Tab.
Other teams could also be chastised: Montreal with no Cups since ‘93, Edmonton with no Cups since ‘90, etc.
But the Rangers, Bruins, Maple Leafs and Flyers are the “original four” of unearned conceit. Their supporters are annoying beyond words.
Don’t act like you’ve won when it hasn’t (or barely) occurred in your lifetime. Do you have a history if nothing happened?
Since the Penguins entered the NHL in 1967, they’ve won five Stanley Cups. Only Montreal has won more with 10, and only two of those since 1979.
The Penguins also have 15 scoring champions since entering the NHL, more than any team in that span. They’ve had three of hockey’s top 10 players ever by nearly anybody’s estimation.
Jealousy is a stinky cologne. But it helps the “original four” of unearned conceit mask how they really smell.
All four of those teams should make this season’s playoffs. But none of them will win the Stanley Cup. Losing permeates their souls. It’s embedded in their DNA.
The Penguins might win again before any of the “original four.” Don’t bet against it.
