It's Time for Leadership!!

To quote Friedrich Nietzsche "...if you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." That, my friends, is exactly where our Penguins find themselves, gazing into the abyss. I am not going to go into details as to why or how, that is all said and done. Plus I don't tend to do that in this blog. The Pens need to look forward, and to face their future. For them to avoid the abyss, it will take leadership. Great leadership. We can all call out Bylsma, that's fine. A head coach should take a lashing when a team of this caliber falls apart, as the Penguins have. But it isn't Bylsma who needs to take the reigns here, it's Crosby and Malkin. 

The test is upon them. Can our two superstars motivate this team to begin to once again play like the great team that they are? Motivation comes from within. It's the energizer that makes people take action. Can Crosby and Malkin get the Penguins motivated? It wont be easy, down two games and headed into a lions den to play the third. But if anyone can, it's Sidney Crosby; Calder Memorial Trophy Winner, Hart Memorial Trophy Winner, Olympic Gold Medalist, and of course, Stanley Cup Champion. Sid understands leadership, and combined with the example that Malkin is able to set on the ice, should be able to get this team back on their feet. Hopefully the Penguin's morale isn't damaged to a point of no return. I actually doubt that it is. Players of this high a talent level do not give up so easily. 

The leadership will have to come from within, from the leaders on the ice themselves. The coach can make adjustments, but only Crosby and Malkin can lead this team away from the abyss. I am constantly reminded on both Twitter and Facebook to remember '91. Yeah, I do. And the man who lead the Penguins out of that abyss is still with us today. I hope he was in the locker room today. I hope he and Sid have talked. I hope he has and will talk to the team. Crosby and Malkin can lead, but what an asset to have the great Mario Lemieux as the owner of your team. 

I will end this blog post with another quote from Friedrich Nietzsche: "Whatever does not kill you, makes you stronger." Let's all hope our boys are thinking that way.