Back in 1984 Wendy’s fast-food restaurant struck advertising gold with the catchphrase, “Where’s the beef?” The clever lament could apply to our recent Penguins squads, too.
According to James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail, the Pens—with an average weight of 199.6 pounds—were the 25th heaviest team in the NHL to start the 2014-15 season. That was before deadline deals stripped the team’s two biggest players, Robert Bortuzzo (215 lbs.) and Simon Despres (214 lbs.) from the mix.
By playoff time the Pens pronounced lack of muscle was evident. While the worn-down forwards struggled to score against the obstruction-happy Rangers, the undersized defense moved nary a soul from Marc-Andre Fleury’s path.