CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Sidney Crosby said the Pittsburgh Penguins were close last season.
The Penguins were 8-2-3 in their final 13 games and 6-2-1 in April. Crosby, the longtime captain and first-line center, had 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in those 13 games. Pittsburgh finished three points behind the Washington Capitals for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
For a second straight season, the Penguins came close but went home early.
"Close doesn't get you anywhere," Crosby said when training camp opened Wednesday.
Entering his 20th NHL season, Crosby expects more after winning the Stanley Cup three times in his first 12 (2009, 2016, 2017).
It starts with finding consistency well before late March.
"I'm hoping that experience and going through that is something we can build off of here starting the year," Crosby said, "but I think regardless of where you are in the standings, you have to prove it again the next year. We'll have to do that in this case.
"I thought, last year, it was going in the right direction. We just ran out of time. Hopefully, we have that same urgency right from Game 1 and having that fresh in our mind will, hopefully, help us."
Crosby will again lead the forwards with Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust. Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang will key the defense.
Kevin Hayes, Blake Lizotte, Anthony Beauvillier and Cody Glass were added for forward depth. Forward prospect Rutger McGroarty will compete for an NHL spot after being acquired in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets on Aug. 22. Matt Grzelcyk signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract July 1 and could land on a defense pair with either Letang or Karlsson.
A power play that ranked 30th last season (15.3 percent) will also have some, but not overwhelming, change.
David Quinn was hired as an assistant coach June 12 to focus on the defense and power play, replacing Todd Reirden. Crosby, Malkin, Rust and Karlsson are likely to remain on the top unit.
Mike Sullivan is still head coach. The headlining names remain the same. And it's not enough to barely miss the playoffs.
"Guys that have been here, and even guys coming in, I think it just puts a little bit more of a chip on our shoulder," Rust said. "Like, 'Hey, it didn't go our way, now, for two years in a row.' And I think it [ticks] guys off a little bit and I think it kind of lights the fire a little bit more."
Rust, 32, is one of four players remaining from the 2016 and 2017 championship teams. Crosby, Malkin and Letang are the other three. It's a core that led Pittsburgh to 16 straight postseason appearances from 2007-22. Malkin, 38, is the oldest. Crosby and Letang are each 37.
On Monday, Crosby signed a two-year, $17.4 million contract ($8.7 million average annual value) running through the 2026-27 season, likely keeping him with Malkin and Letang for the next two.
Malkin signed a four-year, $24.4 million contract July 12, 2022. Five days earlier, Letang signed a six-year, $36.6 million contract. Each has an AAV of $6.1 million.
"We all want the same thing," Letang said. "That's the main thing. We want to win. We know how special this city is, all the commitment we have from our fans and our organization to put a good team on the ice to try to make us successful. We want to accomplish the same thing, so it's not something we question or think about.
"I think these two guys (Crosby and Malkin) come to the rink every single day with one goal in mind. It's to win and trying to find a way to win another Cup."
Crosby, Malkin and Letang are used to chasing championships and have played six seasons since last winning a playoff series in 2018.
But Sullivan isn't as focused on the Stanley Cup. Not yet. Not in September.
"We're all competitors and we all want to win," Sullivan said. "Ultimately, when you set out today, Day One of training camp, the ultimate goal is to make the playoffs, to give ourselves an opportunity to compete for the Stanley Cup, which is what we're all in it for. That's what drives every one of us when we get up in the morning.
"Having said that, I'm not sitting here on Day One thinking about making the playoffs. My mindset is to stay in the moment."
