The Penguins' recently completed season was so stunning in its success that losing in five games in the first round of the playoffs could dim its luster.

What a season it was:

Sidney Crosby became a teenage scoring champion and established himself as the best player in the NHL.

Evgeni Malkin led all first-year players in scoring, has the look of another superstar and is the leading candidate to win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.

Jordan Staal tied for second in goal-scoring among rookies and, at 18, looks to be another major building block of the future.

Sergei Gonchar was second among defensemen in scoring and, after a dismal start last season, is looking more and more like he's worth the $25 million the Penguins have invested in him.

The team accumulated 105 points, second most in franchise history, and its 47-point improvement was fourth best in league history.

It was a bonanza of excellence, which means, since this is Pittsburgh, the Penguins will be expected to not only do the same next season but perhaps a bit more. The Penguins have joined the Steelers and Pitt basketball in that very dangerous area of town known as the land of outrageous expectations.

Just as the Steelers and Bill Cowher and the Panthers and Jamie Dixon discovered, once things start to go good, they're only allowed to get better.

While it's true that no fans of local teams are more loyal than those of the Penguins and they are less likely to criticize, the fact remains the Penguins have established expectations they might not be able to meet.

Already, some people, media and fans alike, are suggesting this team, when the young players gain a bit more experience, has a chance to win not just one but several Stanley Cups. That's beyond outrageous.

It's true, the Penguins won two Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992, but those teams were thick with future Hall of Famers. From those teams, the following players are either in the Hall of Fame or will be: Mario Lemieux, Paul Coffey, Ron Francis, Jaromir Jagr, Larry Murphy, Joe Mullen, Bryan Trottier and Tom Barrasso.

It would not be shocking to pronounce Crosby as a future Hall of Famer, but there is no one else on this team worthy of that designation yet. More good to excellent players must be added before this team can talk about winning Cups. As skilled as the Penguins are, it was clear in the series against the Ottawa Senators, hardly a team of old-timers, they have a distance to travel.

But let's forget future Cups and concentrate on next season. The Penguins established such highs this season they might be difficult to duplicate. It's possible, for example, the team might accumulate 105 points, but no wise man would want to place a wager on that.

Even Crosby, whose magnificent season became all the more remarkable when it was announced yesterday he played the final month with a broken bone in his foot, admitted it might be difficult for the team to duplicate what it did this season.

"We're setting our standards high for next year," he said "and making sure that we don't just settle for hanging around maybe for the last playoff spot. Even though that might be possible it's such a competitive league.

"Who knows what's going to happen next year?"

This much we can tell Crosby about next year. If the team stumbles early or one of the players who excelled this season does not continue at that pace, people will want to know why and there will be criticism. Beyond doubt, Michel Therrien, even if he wins the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year, will be reviled if the Penguins fail to live up to expectations.

The Penguins were fortunate that most of their key players escaped serious injury this season. What happens if Crosby misses 10 games?

By his play in the few months he was with the team, Gary Roberts, who will be 41 next month, showed the team's significant need for a power forward. If the Penguins can't sign Roberts, who will be an unrestricted free agent, they need to acquire a similar type player.

Roberts was asked where the Penguins need to improve.

"I think we need to be more consistent defensively," he said. "I thought [Marc-Andre] Fleury was outstanding [in the playoffs], and we didn't play our best in front of him. To win in the playoffs, you need to be a little more desperate in your own end. And that's not just the defensemen, that's the whole team.

"I think we shrunk a little bit defensively in our own end, and you need to battle every night."

The future is exciting and highly promising. But to suggest there's a clear path to greatness is wrong. It's just not that easy.