Overwhelming Consensus: Young Pittsburgh Penguins Take Flight, By: Coby DuBose, 12/23/05

In the midst of football and basketball season, some find professional hockey to be some sort of sideshow. Addmitedly, I was once in that group. These days, however, count me out of that overwhelming consensus. Young talent in the NHL has given the league a new flavor and has given disgruntled fans a reason to tune in. Blessed by having high picks in each of the last three drafts, the Pittsburgh Penguins are loaded with young talent. Rookie forward Sydney Crosby is already being hailed as the second coming of "The Great One" and the Gretsky comparisons seem to come with warrant. His vision on the ice is developed well beyond his years and his nifty work with the puck makes him a threat to score every time he steps onto the ice. While Crosby may be grabbing the headlines, however, another young player stands like a brick wall at the back line of the Penguins' defense. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is turning heads and drawing lofty comparisons himself in his first full year of NHL action.

Penguins' winger Mark Rechhi has called him "incredible" and the front office is already seeing returns on their first round investment. After posting an incredible 12-0-2 record in the AAA American Hockey League, Fleury has stepped his game up to play with the big boys on the next level. Pittsburgh still sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division, posting a record of 8-22. The groundwork for their team, and the NHL as a whole, seems to be in steady and talented hands, though. The Southeast division is led by the streaking Carolina Hurricanes, led by second year man Eric Staal. His dazzling performance in the early going has some talking about possible awards. THe emergence of himself and fellow young talents has caused a spike in NHL rivalry. The Hurricanes' recent clashes with the defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning have drawn a more diverse and increased viewership than in weeks past. The NHL is undoubtedly counting on the young guns to continue this trend.

While many may see no reason why the NHL should pose any competition to its counterparts in the sports world, young stars like Crosby and the budding Fleury will provide fans with talent for their entertainment dollar in the coming years. Where Lebron James is counted upon to lead the NBA's ratings resurrgence, Crosby and his contemporaries must, through their lofty talents, slowly bring viewers back to the exciting game of hockey. They are already making steps in the right direction it seems. Getting this cynical sports mind from the deep south to know their names or care about their plight could be called an accomplishment, but if the NHL is to be put on the American sports map, more stars must continue to emerge and the game must grow as one of skill and excellence, not of brutality and sheer ignorance.