Oh Happy Day
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Indeed it is a happy day for me because the Pittsburgh Penguins formally start preseason training today. That means the NHL season is just around the corner.
Last season was tremendous for the Flightless Birdies as they improved their points total by a total of 47, fourth best in NHL history. They made the playoffs only to be eliminated in the first round by a tough Ottawa Senators team that made it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals.
The Flightless Ones have made two significant moves in the off season by signing defenseman Darryl Sydor and winger Petr Sykora. Sydor made some significant contribution to the Tampa Bay Lightning during their Cup run a few years back so his experience will be a plus for the Penguins back line. I expect Sykora to play on the top line with Sidney Crosby. Another interesting addition will be young and talented defenseman Kristopher Letang. Letang captained Canada's Junior Team last season and he played a few games with the Pens early last season and I really liked what I saw from him.
Sidney Crosby was awarded the Captain's "C" for the upcoming season and that can only be viewed as a good thing. It became very clear last season that he was the leader for this team now it is confirmed.
So the Pens exceded expectations last year when going into the season fans would have been very satisfied with a winning record, the team went forward and made the playoffs. Hopefully the team can continue to improve and go even further into the playoffs.
