NHL: The Penguins Are A Dynasty

Time has now past so we can look back and reflect on the 2017 Stanley Cup Final between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators, which had the highest television audience between two non-Canadian teams of all-time.

There was much to enjoy in the six game series, with the Penguins grabbing the first two games of the series, many thought this might be a shorter series than we all anticipated. With the rock sound goaltending by Matt Murray, veteran leadership of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and a star-stunning rookie performance by Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh was able to become the first team since the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

Nashville was able to storm back in Game 3 and Game 4 to even the series at two games apiece, but with lower than expected contributions from stars such as Flip Forsberg, PK Subban, and goaltender Pekka Rinne, the Predators were unable to match the fire power and leadership the Penguins possessed.

However, the 2016-17 Nashville season should not be forgotten because achieving your first Stanley Cup appearance in franchise history is no small feat and there is no doubt in many people's minds, including my own, that the Predators will be back with more experience and hunger. They won't repeat the mistakes they made in this series and more than likely, they'll improve on their diminished offensive output in which they relied on their entire season.

At the end of the day, the Penguins showed how much being to the dance before can mean compared to a team that hasn't been on the big stage before. Pittsburgh's mistakes were minimal and their playmaker set up others not to benefit themselves but to benefit the team, and looking back, that's how teams become dynasties. And that's exactly what the Penguins are after reaching their fourth Stanley Cup Final, winning three of them, in the last 10 seasons.

Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated.