Penguins

Lange Compares Today's Team To Pens Of The Past

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― From the Pens of the past, Lemieux, Jagr and Barasso, to the Pens of today, Crosby, Malkin and Fleury, the players may have changed.

But veterans Penguins broadcaster Mike Lange says this year's team has a lot in common with the 1991 Stanley Cup winners.

Lange has seen it all in the 34 years that he has been announcing Penguins hockey. He says he thinks this current Penguins team might be as good as any of the previous teams, including the Cup winners.

"They have tactically been as perfect, I think, as any team that I've ever seen, right now, at this point going into the finals. They have been solid at every aspect of their game. I mean, find me a fault right now for them, and that can change in a heartbeat, the way the playoffs are," he says.

"It only takes one turn of events in a playoff game to turn things around and go completely against you," Lange adds. "I think even Ottawa experienced that last year when they were the driving force, they were going to take everybody and sweep through and they got to the finals and it was a different ball game. So nothing is guaranteed."

In fact, the Penguins still have to close the deal against the favored Red Wings to enter into the conversations about comparisons to the 1991 team.

But up until now they are very similar, and it goes well beyond Lemieux and Jagr compared to Crosby and Malkin.

"The key to winning, I think, for any hockey club is straight down the middle," he says. "Right now, the Penguins have a lot of straight down the middle. I think that's the race in the whole, Marc-Andre Fleury out, you go to your three centers, and you go to Crosby, Malkin and Staal and you compare them to Francis, Lemieux and down the line and you can see similarities. And you had Barasso in the net. That's were the strength and where it builds from."

The similarities don't stop there, you need role players and this current team, like in 1991 has plenty of them.

"The 3rd and 4th lines are big contributors to what they do and how they approach the game and work with it," Lange says. "And it was the same way in those Cup years."

One of the biggest differences between now and 1991 is salary cap, which means unlike 17 years ago you simply can't keep all of the players year to year. That could explain why there has been a different Stanley Cup champion each of the last five years.

This team is now in position to win and Lange says maybe they better win.

"Certainly, they are not going to be able to keep everybody. It just won't happen. We'd love to, but down the road, somewhere, you are going to have a give and take," Lange adds. "So when you have a chance like they have right now, you hope you can make it and fill the cup with the good stuff and drink."

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