Joe Starkey

I think you just made the right call.

And I've mentioned some unlikely playoff teams in recent Pittsburgh sports history.

But you might have to go to the 89 Steelers and all the joy that Chuck Knoll took in beating Jerry Glanville in that playoff game.

I mean, that was highly unlikely with that team at the end of the Chuck Knoll era.

That might be.

But how many teams, like I'd have to go back and look at a 1989 football preview.

You'd have to go back to like Street and Smith's magazine or something, or maybe a Ron Cook column from 89.

Like, did everybody think they were going to be one of the worst teams in the whole league?

The Penguins had the third longest playoff odds in the league.

If I'm not mistaken, it went Chicago with the worst, San Jose, and then the Penguins.

Now go back and look at the 07-08 Penguins, who, like I said, or even the 06-07 Penguins, they were coming off a 58-point season.

But they were, you know, stocked with first round studs.

So everybody knew there was going to be a jump.

Would they make the playoffs?

Maybe.

And then they wind up, you know, improving by like 50 points.

But my point here is with Crosby and Malkin and Letang, by the way.

We have to realize what we're seeing and the notion that

And looking ahead of seeing them together in a playoff series again after it looked like it was done is just going to be thrilling, I think.

Absolutely.