Good points, HP. I think this year’s Pens team has the possibility to take a very, very deep run, but don’t forget that last year’s version did win 14 playoff games. That sets the bar really high.

I think the first line is better overall….Sure Hossa is a better player than Kunitz or Guerin, but last year Pascal Dupuis was the third member of that line and Crosby’s health right now is better than it was this time last year.

I think last year’s second line was better. Malkin is the constant of excellence, but Malone scored 16 points in 20 game (can’t see Fedotenko doing that) and Sykora is currently slumping (though that could change soon).

This year’s third line, I believe, is better. Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy are a year older, more experienced and look more comfortable.

The defense is basically the same, if not a little better since Eaton is back and guys like Letang, Scuderi and Orpik are more experienced and playing better.

Fleury, as the goalie always is, is the key. So far, so good he looked in spring 2008 form last night, just has to keep sharp.

The fourth line/reserves are just as good if not better. Dupuis, Talbot and Adams give an honest effort and Godard, Satan and Boucher are waiting in the wings in case of injury.

Obviously we won’t know for a while how it turns out, but last year the Pens easily rolled through the Eastern Conference. With the way they played last night, it was certainly reminiscent of last spring’s performance.

I certainly think that it’s hard to base all this off one game, but that said, in yesterday’s game I felt like we were more physical and aggressive than all of last season’s Stanley Cup run.

But it was the Flyers ;) Don’t count the chickens yet, just smile and await the journey to come!

Yeah I’m also hesitant to base it off one game but if that one game is any indication of what we can expect for the remainder of the run then I’d say you hit it right on the head.

Kunitz was awesome last night. He was hitting everything that moved, making his presence known in front of the net and was at least proving to the Flyers that if you’re going to keep Sid and Geno covered then you better not forget him too.

It’s not strange to think that Hossa would’ve flourished in Bylsma’s system better than Therrien’s. The backcheck, forecheck sorta play is exactly what he brought to the team when the team wasn’t focused on that style of play. Missed the boat on that one I guess.

Tank didn’t do much on the score sheet but i think he made his presence known throughout the game. He helped carry the puck into the Flyers’ zone a decent amount of times, through his body around and looked alive on the ice.

And on a side note let me just say that I hope the added agitation from Philly at the end of the game doesn’t lead Bylsma to pull Adams from the lineup in favor of Godard. Hopefully that didn’t get into his head.

I think last night was Kunitz’s coming out party. Well, a big how do ya do and welcome to the rivalry mr. Kunitz.

yeah, i agree with most of what everyone here is thinking… a whole year of the current roster would have been scary. the moment the made the deadline trades i was impressed, and it showed on the ice. you could tell from the first game of the season this year that the pens were missing something. post deadline trades, you could tell they got their swagger back. are they better? not sure. on one had, i love the adds of kunitz and guerin. both the types of players this team needs: gritty, dedicated, and love the game and want to win. sure satan has been a bust, but i think those two guys will more than make up for roberts and malone. with that said, it’s hard to ignore the fact that hossa dominated in the playoffs last year, and hasn’t missed a beat this year. how does someone put up over 90 points and go under the radar? he quietly put another great season together in detroit. i don’t think any team can float 4 superstars up front (that’s right, i’m adding staal into the mix). too many cooks spoil the brooth. even the avs never had 4 up front. sakic and forsberg up front, blake on the blueline, and roy in net. the famous oilers of the 80s were the same. gretz and mess up front, coffey and lowe on D, and fuhr in net.
with that said, do i think the team is more skilled? no. but i think it’s a better team as crosby is healthy and energized, malkin is the leagues best and still under-rated, staal continues to be one of the best two way forwards, gonchar still one of the best offensive d’s, and the list goes on. however, the rest of the east has also gotten better. so will they get back to the cup and win it? not sure. i think they will, but they wont go 12-2 in the east like last year.

i think they play with a bit more intensity thanks to guerin and kunitz. but in order for this team to be comparable to last years, the wingers need to produce. we cant back on sid, geno, and a random third or forth line producing. staal will get hot soon, but kunitz sykora/satan need to get on the board and get hot.