Over the last two years, the Penguins have won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles by taking advantage of their speed and beating teams up and down the ice.
But the rest of the NHL might be starting to catch up. Success breeds imitators, and the Penguins seem to have plenty of opponents that now may be capable of matching them speed-for-speed. Look no further than the division-rival Devils, who have beaten the Penguins twice in the last month by creating chances off the rush and using their speed and skill.
“I think that’s the new NHL,” Patric Hornqvist said Wednesday.