This Pittsburgh Penguins Fan's Gluck Gluck Is In Midseason Form Already
The regular season is right around the corner. All across the league, you have a bunch of guys out there trying to prove why they should make the starting night roster. Young players trying to prove that their skills have developed enough to play a full 82 games in the NHL. Journeymen veterans trying to prove they can provide the the grit and intensity to make those 3rd and 4th lines an absolute bitch to play against. While the preseason might just be a time to shake off some of the rust for guys like Crosby, Malkin, and Letang, it is the most important time of the year for guys right on the cusp of cracking the roster.
You need to make a play out there and force management to keep you around. Show what you can provide to the team. Make it so coach can't even fathom putting up a lineup without you slotted somewhere in there.
This guy gets it.
It's a 0-0 hockey game. Someone needs to provide a spark, and this fella isn't afraid to get to the greasy areas to do just that. He's not just going through the motions out there. He's putting everything he has into every single shift. Leaving it all out on the ice. Double crank, head bobbin', tears running down the sides of his face. Clearly that's a guy who has been grinding in the offseason.
And it's great to see the old heads in the barn respecting that grind.
Game respect game.
The Pens made a decent amount of moves this offseason. Signing Graves, trading for Karlsson. Clearly they know they have one last kick at the can here with this core group of players in Pittsburgh. It takes a total team effort if you want to be the last ones standing in June, and that includes the fans. Looks like this one, at least, is all in. Deeeeep in there.