There is one thing that I always like to look at with the Pittsburgh Penguins to determine my level of expectation for them.
The quality of their depth.
The Penguins teams in the Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin era that have gone far in the playoffs and won championships have all had four strong lines, including three capable scoring lines, that have given them a balanced line up.
The teams that have not done as well or fizzled out earlier than expected, have not had that.
When trying to assess that depth I have one simple thing that I look at: How does the team play when neither Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin are on the ice.