Our 2010 NHL Playoffs preview starts off with the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins. The young Pens defied expectations last year by defeating the then defending champions, Detroit Red Wings, on the road at Joe Louis Arena in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Can Sid the Kid and Geno win back-to-back championships the same way their predecessors Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr did in 1991-92? Here is our guide for the Penguins in the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Home Games Played At: Mellon Arena

Key Players: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar, Marc-Andre Fluery, Jordan Staal

Head Coach: Michel Therrien

How They Fared in 2009: NHL Champions defeating the Detroit Red Wings in game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals

2010 Penguins Playoff Prediction: On paper, the Pittsburgh Penguins are as good as any team in the NHL playoff tournament. Sidney Crosby is the face of hockey and the NHL, single handedly winning the gold medal for Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games with an overtime goal against Team USA. Evgeni Malkin is part two of the best 1st line-2nd line center combination in hockey, and with Sergei Gonchar manning the blue line, the Pens have arguably the best power play in hockey. In net, goaltender Marc-Andre Fluery proved last year he could carry a team to a cup. As things currently stand, the Pittsburgh Penguins should have home ice in at least one round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. However, they have zero chance of having home ice against the Washington Capitals should they meet up in the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals. Bottom line is, the prospects of beating a team like the Philadelphia Flyers in the East Quarterfinals, The NJ Devils in the East Semis, Alex Ovechkin and The Caps in the Eastern Finals, then The San Jose Sharks or Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals is too big a task to overcome. It would be shocking to see the Pens even make it out of the East in 2010.

2010 Penguins Playoff Tickets: You can negotiate prices for Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 NHL Playoff Tickets right here at SaveFans! We will update the 2010 Penguins playoff schedule regularly so keeping checking back for tickets.

2010 Penguins Playoff Schedule: (Home Games) and 2010 Penguins Stanley Cup Playoff Matchups: (TBA)
April 14th 2010 Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ottawa Senators NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Home Game 1 at Mellon Arena
April 16th 2010 Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ottawa Senators NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Home Game 2 at Mellon Arena
April 22nd 2010 Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ottawa Senators NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Home Game 3 at Mellon Arena
April 27th 2010 Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ottawa Senators NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Home Game 4 at Mellon Arena
Date TBA Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals Home Game 1
Date TBA Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals Home Game 2
Date TBA Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals Home Game 3
Date TBA Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 NHL Eastern Conference Semifinals Home Game 4
Date TBA Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 NHL Eastern Conference Finals Home Game 1
Date TBA Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 NHL Eastern Conference Finals Home Game 2
Date TBA Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 NHL Eastern Conference Finals Home Game 3
Date TBA Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 NHL Eastern Conference Finals Home Game 4
Date TBA Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Home Game 1
Date TBA Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Home Game 2
Date TBA Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Home Game 3
Date TBA Pittsburgh Penguins 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Home Game 4

So here we are… After an 82 game season and three rounds of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs the same two teams are standing as last year, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings. Who is going to go home with Lord Stanley’s Cup? Will it be Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc Andre Fleury and the uber young Penguins? Or will the addition of Marian Hossa to already steller lineup of Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Niklas Lidstrom be enough for the Wings to repeat?

Your humble narrator from SaveFans.com is picking Detroit in 7. Kind of the obvious call but I see Detroit as too deep of a team to beat. Add home ice to the equation and you just can’t go against them. Canadian sensation Sid the Kid will have to wait until 2010 to hoist The Cup.

The good news is a long series means more games for you the fans to see in person at Joe Louis Arena and Mellon Arena! And anyone who has been to an NHL game knows hockey is the best spectator sport in the world by far.

So here you go Penguins and Wings fans… Pay what you want for Stanley Cup Tickets and watch history be made!