The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the Pittsburgh Penguins' 2008-09 Season

No doubt has the 2008-2009 Penguins Hockey season been a shocker. Where at one point, it didn’t seem they’d ever get a playoff spot. Yet they came back to prove to us all that they are still the team that played in the Stanley Cup last year.

This whole season included a lot of good, bad, and ugly. As the playoffs approach, a review of these games (wins, losses, goals etc.) and players seems almost necessary.

Best Game of the Year

I decided to award this to not the best from score or opponent, but because this game gave us hope for a new future, to continue the rest of the season with high hopes.  On February 19, 2009 the Pittsburgh Penguins played the Montreal Canadiens to win 5-4. This game in particular was the first under new coach, Dan Bylsma.

After several losses and a hope for the playoffs that was heading rapidly downhill, Bylsma finally figured out the issues former coach, Michel Therrien, and immediately attempted to repair them.

Worst Game of the Year

February 14, 2009 the Pittsburgh Penguins played the Toronto Maple Leafs losing with a score of 6-2. This was the game that lead the team and the fans to a desperate feeling of never reaching the playoffs.

The specific game on that day ended up being Michel Terrien’s final. With a disappointing score and a disappointed team, there was a change that needed to happen. Not only was the score an upset, but the way the Penguins played was terrible.

Best Fight

There is no way that I could decide on the absolute best fight all season, but if I had to choose one specific player who was the most consistent and best a fighting, it would most likely be Eric Godard. With a season total of 21 fights, it sometimes seems as if he is only on the ice to fight.

When in doubt, Eric Godard is there to start a fight. He is one of the players who livens up the game, because who doesn’t love a good fight. Right?

Worst Injury

Sergei Gonchar’s shoulder injury in the beginning of the season, preseason in fact, is by far the injury that has hurt the team the most. This is because Gonchar’s skills are almost a requirement for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

With only 25 goals so far this year compared to his 78 goals from last year, there is a big difference in the way Gonchar has played. That is a total of fifty three possible goals that the Penguins missed out on. Let’s hope Sergei doesn’t get hurt again anytime soon, he is definitely an asset to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Best Overall Player

I may be a little biased on this, but in my opinion, the best Pittsburgh Penguin hockey player for the 2008-2009 season is by far Evgeni Malkin. Being the league leader in points, Malkin is an exemplary example of a great teammate.

Not only with his scoring abilities and personality on the ice, but what he brings to the team off the ice. Even Mario Lemieux noted on Evgeni Malkin, “We knew he was a great talent, but not to that extent. From what I've seen so far, he's going to be a great player for many years to come.”

So far with only three years in the NHL (at Pittsburgh) Malkin has improved beyond expectation and shows even more improvement to come.

BEST TEAM

In the end, the Pittsburgh Penguins have had an impressive season. Going from ups and downs, they have finally clinched a playoff spot and are headed off to home ice advantage against the Philadelphia Flyers.

As a SUPER FAN, I believe that they definitely have potential to beat their interstate rivals. By far, they have all the impending ability to become the Stanley Cup winners of the 2008-2009 season.