ThePenguins opened the 2017-18 season trying to win an almost unprecedented third consecutive Stanley Cup, a feat that had not been accomplished in the NHL since the early 1980sIslanders and only twice in the post-Original Six era. Given that they were not only bringing back a significant chunk of the core that won the previous two and were also welcoming back a healthy Kris Letangin the lineup after he mi sed all of the 2017 Stanley Cup run, .In the end, it did not play out that way for Pittsburgh,eliminated fromthe second round in thelatest postseason rematch with theCapitals.Despite astrong second-half finish to the regular season and what turned out to be a ninth consecutive playoff series win when they defeated theFlyers in the first round, this year's Penguinsjust seemed like one that did not have it the way the previous two did.GOLDEN STANDARDThey stumbled through much of the first halfdue to some depth i sues up Andrej Sekera Jersey front and on the blue line. A lot of the defensive shortcomings that were evident at times in the playoffs a year ago were exposed a bit more often because they did not get the same level of goaltending they were able to get a year ago. Matt Murray, in his first year as a full-time starter, went through an up-and-down year on the ice and a devastating year off the ice ().Some of those flaws defensively became even more glaring in the second round of the playoffs. The Penguins allowed two third-period leads slip away against the Capitals, including a pivotal Game 5 lo s in Washington that the Penguins thought was one of their best games of the playoffs, only to lose because of a couple of blown a signments and mistakes. They came out in Game 6 looking like a team that was playingafraid to make a mistake and never really generated much of a push on a Capitals team that was playing that night without three of its top six players.When a team with sky-high expectations ends up falling short, its easy to start playing the blame game, and with this Penguins team there are going to be several players that can easily be pointed to as being the scapegoat.MORE:Murray could have been better. Letang had a down year. Phil Ke sel, after a career season offensively, was not anywhere near as dynamic in the playoffs as he was over the past two years. Derick Bra sard, , struggled with injuries and did not produce the way he was expected to. A lot of the depth scoring that helped guide the team to the Milan Lucic Jersey last two Stanley Cups was non-existent in the second round.If any one of those performances had flipped, Pittsburgh's run might still be going. But do you know what it means when a team has that many what ifs? It means the other team was simply a little bit better. It happens.Now that it has happened to the Penguins for the first time since the 2014-15 season, they cant let a razor-thin margin of defeatagainst a good Capitals team alter their approach . The core of the team isnt getting any younger.Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Ke sel and Letangall enter next season on the other side of 30, but they are still elite talents that can play at an elite level. They also are not set to lose any free agents of significance, though there might be a trade or two to clear up salary cap space (Conor Sheary? Carl Hagelin?) and perhaps finally open a permanent roster spot on the roster for prized prospect Daniel Sprong.MOCK DRAFT 2.0:When it comes to playing the blame game, the two players who might find themselves in the cro shairs the most are Murray and Bra sard.Murrays struggles are going to be magnified because the Penguins made the decision to keep him over Marc-Andre Fleury inthe expansion draft proce s. The fact that Murray had a down year and a rough Boyd Gordon Jersey postseason and that Fleury is perhaps the current Conn Smythe Trophy frontrunner only magnifies his struggles. But the Penguins can not and should not feel any regret over that decision because they made the only decision they could have made.When all things are equal and you have to choose between two players at the same position a positiononly one player can play at a Jonas Gustavsson Jersey time you always keep the player that is 10 years younger and $3 million cheaper under the salary cap. Given their career performances to this point, there is every reason to believe that Murray canand will be better next season andFleury, who is playing the absolute best hockey of his life this season for Vegas, will probably not be as good as he has been this year.2018 DRAFT RANKINGS: And then there is Bra sard. His mistake was being the big trade deadline acquisition that was supposed to be the mi sing piece for a Stanley Cup contender. It made already high expectations even higher. When he ended up struggling to find a fit in the lineupand did not provide the secondary scoring that was expected, it made for a tough result, especially given the price the Penguins had to pay to acquire him, trading popular players like Ian Cole and Ryan Reaves, as well as a first-round draft pick andtop goalie prospectFilip Gustav son.But like the goaltending situation, the Penguins should not feel any regret over this move.When a team has a chance to make history and do something that almost no other team in NHL history has ever done, it has to go for it, and the Penguins did. The other thing to keep in mind here is that Bra sard has only played 26 games for the Penguins. His four points in 12 playoff games are going to be viewed as a disappointment and a big decline from what the Penguins got out of Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen in depth center spots previously, but keep in mind that Bonino had only three points through his first 12 playoff games a year ago. Cullen had five.The Penguins still have Bra sard back next season at a discounted salary. It is worth seeing what he is capable of in a healthy, full season with the team.Winning a Stanley Cup requires a perfect confluence of events all happening together. Skill, health, playing well, the right matchups, and yes, luck, all need to fall in place at the same time. Having all of that happen once is a huge accomplishment. The Penguins had it all come together two years in a row. Just because it did not happen for a third year in a row does not mean their run is over. A few minor tweaks here and there and some bounce-back performances will Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Jersey have them right back in the mix next season.It may not have been the three-peat, but they will still have a fighting chance to make it three in four years. Related Articles John Tavares dilemma and the best of the rest in 2018 NHL free agency