Penguins Perspectives: Show a little faith, there’s magic in the rink

Welcome to Penguins Views, a weekly column by KDKA-TV Digital Producer Patrick Damp. Every Monday, Patrick will discuss in regards to the week that was, the week to come back, what to observe for, and extra.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – I used to be truthfully somewhat nervous about this week’s Penguins Views as a result of what number of instances are you able to write the identical column?

The staff has no depth, the goaltending is a query mark, the final supervisor does not appear to have a path, and it is all been written, spoken, and tweeted to loss of life at this level.

Nonetheless, as I sat within the higher bowl of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse final Wednesday, watching Bruce Springsteen and the E Road Band completely rock a sellout crowd, I had a thought.

When your finest gamers are nonetheless your finest gamers, greatness is solely doable.

Bruce Springsteen is 73 years outdated and may nonetheless belt out the lyrics to 27 songs throughout a three-hour present and never miss many beats.

“Miami” Steve Van Zandt is 72 years outdated and nonetheless has sufficient power and can to shred his guitar and run to Bruce’s microphone to sing backup vocals and be a part of all these inspiring talks Bruce has for the viewers.

“The Mighty” Max Weinberg is 71 years outdated and he nonetheless sits behind the drum set on stage and supplies the rhythm the E Road Band requires to maintain a three-hour set transferring.

Clearly, a contact sport like hockey within the Nationwide Hockey League is a tad totally different than touring the world as a musician, however the parallels cannot be ignored.

At 35, Sidney Crosby continues to be scoring at a point-per-game tempo and taking part in at a stage that retains him within the dialog as the most effective gamers within the sport.

At 36, Evgeni Malkin is doing one thing related, and to not point out he’s doing it only a 12 months faraway from main knee surgical procedure.

In the meantime, on the again finish, Kris Letang supplies a gradual basis on protection, constantly taking part in 30 or extra minutes an evening at 35 years outdated and two strokes later. He is additionally chipped in almost 40 factors for good measure.

Occasions definitely are altering, each in sports activities and in music, however the foundations proceed to stay the identical. Positive, possibly Crosby, Malkin, and Letang haven’t got the pace they as soon as did and the younger weapons in Matthews, McDavid, MacKinnon, and so on…are nearly to take their place on the middle of the hockey universe, as properly they need to, nevertheless it’s not fairly time.

After I heard the opening notes of “Born to Run” on Wednesday, I texted my cousin, who was generously giving us a journey to and from the present, “Hey, Born to Run is up, I would say that is about it.”

5 songs and 45 minutes later, I used to be strolling out of the sector in Cleveland.

Bruce, Steve, and Max nonetheless have it.

Whereas they might now not have the providers of Clarence Clemons, Danny Federici, and a myriad of others, the muse nonetheless stays.

They changed these members with individuals who can choose up the songs and run with them, giving the E Road Band the life it must maintain itself as some of the in-demand acts that also tour the nation and the world.

Crosby, Malkin, and Letang nonetheless have it.

Positive, they now not have the providers of Chris Kunitz, Phil Kessel, and others, however they nonetheless have the expertise to be among the many league’s finest groups.

The glory days are nonetheless right here, however “properly, they’re going to move you by within the wink of a younger woman’s eyes.”

Sid, Geno, and Kris have simply counted the band in for “Born To Run” now it is on possession and administration to resolve if that is the final track or if they have just a few extra on their setlist.