Penguins’ Hopes Survive Trip, Barely; Tales From the Roady from Hell (+)

SALT LAKE CITY — Sitting inside the Salt Lake City airport hours before the flight home, it is hard not to reflect on the most grueling road trip undertaken by the Pittsburgh Penguins in this century. Three wins, four losses, far too few goals, and a few memories that will stick with players.

For at least one of us covering the trip, add hellacious to the adjectives list, too.

It has been a wild two weeks that began with the Penguins (and me) just missing a snowstorm in Buffalo and being rewarded with Alex Nedeljkovic’s goalie goal and the radiating smile that he could not wipe the smile from his face, even as he tried.

By one day, we dodged the biting cold in Washington, D.C., as tens of thousands of people descended upon the city for political parties and probably a few Irish wakes leading to the inauguration. But the Penguins were handed a plate of lemons by the superior Washington Capitals, who let them hang around but never let them in.

In an omen of things to come, this writer was stranded in Connellsville for several hours on an Amtrak train bound for D.C. as a disabled freight train blocked the tracks.

There could be no greater symbolism for the Penguins’ season than a disabled freight train, except for the apartment that I rented on Booking.com. The potentially solid rental was trashed, complete with dead flowers, half-eaten chocolates, and Dude Wipes. That seems pretty fitting for the Penguins’ season, too.

The Penguins chose to focus on the positives after the Washington loss. The Capitals led only 2-1 until the final two minutes of the game. However, the anger and frustration were just being seeded.

“It was a one-goal game,” said coach Mike Sullivan, but we were just beginning the trip.