"We had a dynamic team," Cullen said. "We had a lot of guys that could score. We had a lot of depth. You know, we have that here and it's been big. With the young kid [Murray] stepping into the nets and playing, that's pretty familiar too; we had Cam Ward that year. It's fun. It brings back a lot of memories getting to this point. It's a lot of fun to think about it."
A decade later, Cullen may have another opportunity, one much different than the one he had with Carolina, but no less important. His linemates are certainly grateful for the impact Cullen has had on their young careers.
"For me and the rest of the young guys, he's just a great role model and leader because of the way he handles himself on and off the ice," Rust said. "For me and Kuhnhackl being on his line, it's easy for us to maybe get upset with certain plays that we make, but he's always there. He's a calm presence on the bench; he doesn't get too high, he doesn't get too low. He's there to kind of help us with things here and there to help us be a little bit better."
"It's fun to see those young guys, but it's fun to be on the other end of the spectrum now and do your best to try to help those guys out," Cullen said. "You bring a little bit of experience, but it's funny when you get into something like this; it brings out the kid in you too. You find yourself with the same nerves, the same excitement … all that comes back."
Cullen may not be the offensive force he was 10 years ago, but he is excelling in his current role. His presence certainly has been beneficial for Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, who was promoted from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Dec. 12 after Mike Johnston was fired.
"I can't say enough for the influence he's had on not just young players, our whole group," Sullivan said. "He's a very well respected guy, he's a great pro, a terrific person. His play, I think, speaks for itself, not just in the regular season, but down the stretch when we were fighting for a playoff spot.
"Matt's been a key part of this team's success in a lot of different aspects, whether it be on the penalty kill, taking defensive zone faceoffs, or coming up with a big goal for us at a key time to help us win. I think he's really enjoying this journey that we've been on. He really values his ability to have an impact on some of the kids that we have in our lineup. He's been playing between two guys that are almost half his age, and I think he's really having fun with them."