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The man in charge (photo creds to nhl.nbcsports.com

The Pittsburgh Penguins are the champions of the world. Those nine words fill our city with great pride, as they damn well should. An unlikely team with unlikely heroes were as cohesive of a group as any I have seen; in any sport, in all my years as a fan. It's a damn good feeling, and if anything negative comes out of this, it's that we don't know when we will see it again.

As the Penguins victory drew near, I had a hard time thinking about what I would write if they won. I knew I couldn't talk about the players, as I did that when they won the Eastern Conference Finals. I knew I couldn't stress too much how this is my favorite Penguins team of all time, as I did that in the same article. Finally, as time dwindled down on Game 6 in San Jose, I settled on writing about the uncertainty of when we will be able to have this euphoric joy again. My message to all Pens fans that are assuming that the Penguins will win multiple cups within the next decade; don't be so sure.

The Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Detroit Redwings, Montreal Canadians and Toronto Maple Leafs make up the "original six", as between 1942 and 1967, they were all there was in the National Hockey League. In 1940, the Rangers defeated the Mapleleafs in the Stanley Cup Finals.  As one of the NHL's flagship franchises, fans expected many more titles to come New York's way. In the 76 years since the New York Rangers have won but one Stanley Cup (1994). You think fans will savor it if the Rangers brought another cup to the garden?

In 1967, the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated Montreal to win their 13th Stanley Cup. What would the rabid fans of hockey's capital have thought if you told them they'd go 50 years before winning another? They probably wouldn't have wanted to live on the planet anymore. Another flagship franchise. Another long ass drought. The way the Maple Leafs are going, another half-century could very well go by without a title for the Leafers.

In 1955, the Detroit Redwings defeated Montreal in seven games to win their 7th Stanley Cup. It would be 42 years before they would win another. An image that I still think about is from the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals. That image is a Redwings fan pressing his face against the glass and breaking down crying tears of joy as his beloved Wings finished off the Philadelphia Flyers in 4 games. That's how championships affect people, and that's why no Penguin fan should take this for granted. It's cliche as all hell, but it's also accurate as all hell. You just don't know when it will happen again.

And if it does happen again, I don't think we will ever see another postseason in Pittsburgh quite like this one. Usually, over the course of a two-month NHL postseason, some series will be snoozers. For example, in 2009, the Penguins swept the Carolina Hurricanes in a forgettable four-game set. In 1991, the Penguins beat the Washington Capitals and an unremarkable 5-game series. The 1992 Penguins swept two teams on their way to winning the cup. 2016 was different.

There were no sweeps this time around, and only the opening series went less than six games. Even that 5-game set with the New York Rangers was a thrill ride (what's more exciting than knocking one of the best goalies in the world out of the game- twice?). Then there was the six-game set with the Washington Capitals in which there were three games decided in overtime, followed by that seven-game thriller with Tampa that was as evenly matched as any playoff series in Penguin history. Finally, everything climaxed with an evenly matched 6-game set with San Jose that saw two overtime games and no blowouts. There was never a dull moment this postseason, and we may never see something quite like this ever again.

Out of the Penguins 16 wins, 11 different players scored game-winning goals. Nine different players were named the game's first star, and even though the Penguins have the best player on the planet in Sidney Crosby, there was plenty to debate on who deserved to win the Con Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. Phil Kessel, Matt Murray, and even Nick Bonino all had a case to win that award. To say that it was a team effort would be an understatement. It was beyond a team effort, and it was beyond special.

This article is not meant to be negative or discouraging. It is meant to help my readers realize that this thing may be even more special than they realize. So as Wednesday's parade dawns upon us, fans; do whatever you have to do. If you want to go down in the hopes of getting close enough to touch a player, go for it. If you want to stay home and watch on TV, go for it. If you want to do something else with your life, go for that to. But whatever you do, keep in mind what has recently occurred in our great city. Keep in mind what these guys went through to get their jewel. Keep in mind how unusually breathtaking these playoffs were, and keep in mind that this may never be relieved.