While attempting to buy some time before I have to dig into lots of reading for work, I sat down to watch the Pens game v Montreal. They just fell behind 3-2, not that this really matters. As I sit and watch the game I am struck by the manner in which the Pens have been built not only for winning NOW, but for the long run. Despite typically whiny remarks from GM's George McPhee of the Capitals, Brian Burke of the Leafs and former Flyers GM Bobby Clarke about the Pens being good now because of how bad they stunk for a long time, the fact is that the Pens have been ALMOST as successful as the Wings in the stretch from 1967-current. I will bore you with the details of my research there, but the short version is that the Pens have one or two fewer playoff series in that 42 year period, only one fewer Stanley Cups, many MORE scoring championships for its individual stars and so on. The Pens longest stretch of losing seasons 4 years. They saw the salary cap coming pre lockout, dumped there high salary stars, ate a couple of bad years and the results have been spectacular. Post lockout, the Pens had one very bad season, then made the playoffs, losing in the first round, then made it to the Finals losing in six to the Wings, and last year they won the Stanley Cup, the toughest trophy in sports to win. They took full advantage of their rough spell to draft Marc Andre Fleury, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal with first round draft picks. All of these players are under 24, signed for the long term at "discounts" and elite franchise level players. In addition, many other key contributers such as Kris Letang, Alex Goligoski, Max Talbot, Tyler Kennedy, the now departed Rob Scuderi, Brooks Orpik all came up through Wilkes Barre to fill in other key roles as home grown players. As I sit and watch the Pens tonite you can see the future talent with Eric Tangredi and Luca Caputi both very capable looking top six forwards who will be power forwards in the near future flanking Sid and Geno and giving the Pens that nasty edge they had when Kevin Stevens was bulling his way to the net. Bill Guerin signing for two years at a significant discount not only shows how much players like to be here, but allows the Pens to nurture both Caputi and Tangredi until they are ready to make that leap. I watch Ben Lovejoy on defense and see a kid who is ready to contribute at this level, and watching Simon Despres, this years first round pick, you see a Scuderi type kid ready in two years to step up to the big club. Finally, Shero addressed the obvious lack of grit in the lineup by trading Whitney(another home grown kid) for Kunitz and Tangredi. He further addressed the grit and character issue getting Craig Adams off the waiver wire from Chicago last year and this guy played a key role adding some grit and penalty killing during the playoff run. While Philly fans are proudly proclaiming that the pick up of Pronger will bring the Cup home AND land Crosby and Malkin in the hospital the Pens have quietly built a line up that can match anybodys toughness if necessary. Jay McKee the free agent pick up from St. Louis blocked more shots last year than our shot blocking expert Scuderi, and plays a physical game, at 6'4" and 240 lbs. He can drop the gloves if necessary and PLAY the game. The same can be said of Orpik and newly acquired Mike Rupp from NJ adds a fourth liner at 6'5" and 245lbs who can play a fourth line role, crash the net and fight if necessary. Eric Godard is as good an enforcer as there is, and the Pens have Paul Bissonette or "Biznasty" and Wade Brookbank late of the Hurricanes both available to them, and both very willing and very good pugilists. Ask Kimo Timonen of Philadelphia if Chris Kuniz has some grit, and we all know what kind of sandpaper Matt Cooke adds to the lineup. Hey, in the salary cap era no team is without warts, the Pens could use another winger who can score and one more NHL ready D man for depth, BUT nobody has the talent down the middle with Crosby, Malkin, Fleury and Staal that they have, and the core of their D is as good as anybody. They are one year away from addressing both needs internally and they have enough organizational depth with third and fourth line grit along with great prospects that they will be in position to start the season, evaluate their team over time and trade for any missing part they feel they need mid to late season. Make no mistake, this team is again loaded. Their challenge will be focus and overcoming two long seasons in a row.