Penguins have strong chance at three-peat, GM says

There are less than three weeks remaining in the 2017-18 NHL regular season, and teams are fighting for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With the annual general managers meetings taking place in Boca Raton, Florida, this week, NHL.com is sitting down with some of the biggest names in the game. Today, Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford talks about the potential for a three-peat and their goaltending situation.

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The Pittsburgh Penguins are preparing for a run at a three-peat, and there's good reason to believe it's possible.
"It's the opportunity to win," general manager Jim Rutherford said. "Not only do we have that opportunity again this year, I see it for a few more years."
Pittsburgh has won the Stanley Cup the past two seasons, becoming the first team since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997-98 to win back-to-back championships. No team has won three in a row since the New York Islanders won four straight from 1980-83.
Before the Penguins embark on the journey, they have nine regular-season games remaining, and they're important.
Though it seems like a formality, Pittsburgh hasn't clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Tampa Bay Lightning are the only team in the Eastern Conference to do so.
The Penguins are in second place in the Metropolitan Division, four points behind the Washington Capitals. They were defeated by the New York Islanders 4-1 on Tuesday, but had goalie Matt Murray back in the lineup after he missed nine games with a concussion.

They host the Montreal Canadiens at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; SN, ATTSN-PT, RDS, NHL.TV).
Pittsburgh has five games remaining against Metropolitan opponents, including two against the New Jersey Devils and one each against the Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Rutherford is eager to see how the Penguins finish the season and he's undoubtedly looking forward to them getting in and then seeing who they'll play in the Eastern Conference First Round.
The talk will be about the possible three-peat. The Penguins may be built to handle it, but they've got a lot of work ahead, and Rutherford talked about it with NHL.com.
On how he and the organization will handle talk about the three-peat
"There's nothing to handle. We understand the position we're in. I don't see there being extra pressure on our team because I don't know any teams that wouldn't like to have two under their belt. So, there's no extra pressure. We just play. We play to win every game. We still have to get in the playoffs. I mean, this is going to be tight just getting in, but once you get in you're just playing to win your last game and whatever that takes. There are some teams that have strengthened themselves since last year, but I believe we're as good as any team."
On who has been the Penguins' MVP this season
"Yeah, I don't know. Obviously, [Evgeni Malkin] has really gone on a run here in the second half. Phil Kessel in the first half went on a heck of a run. And, then, of course we have [Sidney Crosby], who to me is always the MVP of not only the team but the League because he's such a special player. I wouldn't want to be the one picking; I just feel fortunate we have them all."

On the goaltending situation with Matt Murray healthy and Casey DeSmith getting the edge over Tristan Jarry to be the backup
"Well, you have to pick one (as the backup) and they've both played well and at this point in time leading up to the playoffs we want to make sure guys are getting enough playing time, but Casey is a little bit older and we just felt that he was the guy that fit that situation here for the remaining few weeks. I would say their play is very close. It's one of those debatable ones where everybody in the organization doesn't totally agree with one or the other. So, there hasn't been a big difference in their play, but for the situation we're looking at now here, the consensus was that Casey was the guy."

On not having the luxury of being able to go to a veteran goalie in Marc-Andre Fleury
"We don't have that same veteran-caliber goalie as our 1-2 punch now, but we feel good about these up-and-coming goalies, DeSmith and Jarry. From a skill point of view, they're very capable guys. They're very capable to win games at any time. But they're also guys who are learning how to deal with the mental part of the game and the pressures of playing the bigger games. Obviously, Matt is going to play the majority of [the] games down the stretch, but we've got some back-to-back situations so I would expect Casey is still going to get three or four games here. They're pressure games now because the points are so valuable."
On how Derick Brassard has fit in since the Penguins acquired him in a trade from the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 23
"Derick has been a good fit for us. We play a different style than Ottawa so there's an adjustment period there. We know what he's capable of doing, especially in pressure games in playoffs. It gives the coach a chance to balance out the lines and that's been our strength over the last couple of years, to have balance right through the 12 forwards. So, it's made a difference from the day he got here but it will certainly make a difference going forward. The other key to getting a guy like him is we have him next year also. This just wasn't a rental where we're taking another shot this year. We're trying to build through here for a few years."

On if Brassard can take on the same defensive-zone responsibilities that Nick Bonino had as the No. 3 center the past two seasons
"Yeah, he can. They're a little bit different as players. We see Derick a little more on the offensive side than Bonino's defensive side, but Derick can kill penalties and he can do well taking face-offs. Just a little bit of a different type of player, but certainly he should have the same impact."