It wasn’t always pretty for Sidney Crosby, Mike Sullivan, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, after hoisting two Stanley Cups in the NHL, many would’ve thought the highs far outweighed the lows. However, a teammate of “Sid the Kid” might have a different point of view.
Erik Karlsson wasn’t around in Pittsburgh during the Penguins’ glory days. Insteae, since arriving in The City of Bridges, the Swedish defenseman endured some rough times. As a result, he doesn’t hold the same level of respect for Sullivan, than others like Crosby do.
At least, that is what fans all around the NHL are now under the impression of. With his latest comment on the Pens’ hot start to the season under debuting head coach Dan Muse, Karlsson made sure to take a shot on the bench-boss that led Pittsburgh on back-to-back Stanley Cup runs.
“You do the things that you’re good at, and not the things that someone tells you to do, that you can’t do,” Erik Karlsson admitted about the Penguins’ early success, via The Athletic’s Josh Yohe.
Waddling to the top
With Muse behind the bench, the Penguins are looking like a whole new team in the NHL. Coming off a preseason where most experts projected them to be locked away in the league’s basement (they could still wind up at the bottom, though), the Pens are thriving.
If the Stanley Cup Playoffs were to start today, Pittsburgh would make the postseason. It’s a very long road to the playoffs, but Crosby and company have far exceeded expectations so far.
The Penguins aren’t hanging any medals around their necks, however. The job isn’t finished. If anything, it’s only getting starter. As long as Crosby is still putting on the skates at PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh’s goal is to win the Stanley Cup. Whether it’s realistic or not, fans in The Burgh don’t care. If. Crosby continues to defy all odds and Father Time, then there is no reason for the Pens not to try their own luck as well.