Should the Pittsburgh Penguins be considered the current Stanley Cup favorite? If the Anaheim Ducks are eliminated, then the Penguins will be the only remaining team to have won the Stanley Cup since the 2005 NHL lockout.
The Penguins last won the Stanley Cup seven years ago, and have enjoyed significant postseason success just once since then -- in 2013, they met the eventual Cup champion Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference finals. That's why many fans and pundits are overlooking Pittsburgh's potential to win it all this year.
Based on the underlying numbers, the door to the Stanley Cup could be unlocked by Pittsburgh's three key weapons: