“The thrill isn’t in the winning, it’s in the doing.” (Charles Henry Noll)
Watching the recent playoff bid by the Pittsburgh Penguins, an effort rudely dashed before a raucous home crowd in the Steel City, I was struck not only by the monumental challenge the Pens faced in their effort to win three consecutive NHL championships, but also by the subtle and sometimes-decisive role which luck can play in a team’s championship quest.
Just imagine if the Steelers were beginning preparations for the 2018 regular season on the wings of two consecutive league titles — precisely where the Penguins stood at the beginning of this hockey season.