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The Penguins are Building Resiliency Into the Team Identity

By Matt McGinnis

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 07: Matt Murray #30 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes the third period save on Anthony Beauvillier #18 of the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center on November 07, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Penguins defeated the Islanders 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 07: Matt Murray #30 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes the third period save on Anthony Beauvillier #18 of the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center on November 07, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Penguins defeated the Islanders 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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The Pittsburgh Penguins just completed a very unique week, and it is clear that this 2019-2020 team is never out of a game.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have played four games in the month of November, posting a 2-1-1 record, and they all had something in common: a comeback.

A home game against the Edmonton Oilers saw the Penguins down 1-0 heading into the third period before Brian Dumoulin tied it up. Pittsburgh lost in overtime, earning a point in the standings. While that game wasn’t much of a comeback, it at least kicked off the theme for the month of coming from behind.

A trip to Boston saw the Penguins fall behind the Bruins 3-0 in the second period, a period in which Pittsburgh stormed back to score four straight goals. The Pens ultimately lost 4-6, but the team found a way to take what looked like a blowout, and make it very interesting.

Fast forward to Thursday, and the Penguins, again, faced a 0-3 deficit, this time against the New York Islanders. However, three third period goals erased that hole for the second time in as many games, but this time the result was a trip to overtime, where Bryan Rust completed the comeback.

Pittsburgh followed that 4-3 comeback win with a 3-2 comeback win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Down 2-0 in the second period, the Penguins got goals from Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust to force overtime, before, eventually, emerging victorious in a shootout.

When you look at this team, and the identity it is formulating in the early stages of the season, it is obvious that it has speed and skill that resembles that of the championship teams of 2016 and 2017. We are also learning that it refuses to go down easily. The firepower and championship pedigree on this roster can keep the Penguins in any game, but the resiliency being demonstrated is impressive, and keep in mind, it is being done without key players, such as Patric Hornqvist and Kris Letang.

In recent seasons, it has felt as though the Penguins have had a bit of an identity crisis. The organization won Stanley Cups with one style, brought in players that played a different style, and have struggled to mesh the two together.

Now, as this year’s team forms an identity, we have no choice but to include the resilience displayed this month as a key identifying factor.

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Can the Penguins keep up these comeback ways? Leave your comments below!

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