What a ride it has been thus far. The ups and downs of an 82-game season with the addition of 18 more games in the playoffs can take a toll on any team. The Pittsburgh Penguins have shown resiliency in the last few months and deserve to be in the position they are in. San Jose equally deserves the opportunity heading to their first ever Stanley Cup Final. In many respects, the Sharks play similarly to the Penguins. One major commonality is that San Jose wants their defense involved in the ... Read More
Penguins edge out Lightning to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals
The stage is now set for what should be one of the best Stanley Cup Finals in recent memory. Following last night's win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be tasked with playing the San Jose Sharks, a team that has features of each opponent Pittsburgh has played in these playoffs. Matt Murray and Bryan Rust were the Penguins two biggest contributors last night. This isn't to say that the work of Chris Kunitz, Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby went unnoticed, but the ... Read More
Can Penguins continue winning ways in Eastern Conference finals vs. Lightning?
The Pittsburgh Penguins have come a very long way in the past five months. In December, the season looked bleak, and the team looked like it would miss out on the playoffs. Now, after beating the President's Trophy winner, the Washington Capitals (the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference), in six games, the Penguins are looking dangerous. And they're looking to carry their stellar second-half play into the Eastern Conference finals where they'll face the Tampa Bay Lightning. In the series ... Read More
Bonino’s overtime goal sends Penguins to Eastern Conference Finals
In only their second-ever meeting in the postseason, the Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated their bitter rivals, the Washington Capitals, 4-3 in an overtime thriller. Nick Bonino scored the winning goal for the Penguins, ending the Capitals’ season. Washington battled back from a three-goal deficit with goals from T.J. Oshie, Justin Williams and John Carlson to send the game into overtime. But the Capitals were no match for the Penguins. Netminder Matt Murray continued to be the backbone of ... Read More
Hornqvist’s overtime goal puts Penguins in the driver seat
After a tight and intense game, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals went into overtime, where Pittsburgh forward Patric Hornqvist scored the game winner to make it a 3-2 final. The Penguins now hold a 3-1 series lead over the Capitals and have three chances to eliminate the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Even without the support of defenseman Kris Letang, who was suspended for the game after a high hit on a Capital in Game 3, Pittsburgh's defense was able to clamp down ... Read More
Game 4 Preview: The Penguins must continue to pressure Capitals without Letang
Pittsburgh Penguins (6-2) In Game 4, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ defense will be under a lot of stress following the news that defenseman Kris Letang was suspended one game for his hit on the Washington Capitals’ Marcus Johansson. Pittsburgh’s Olli Maata has also been ruled out of Game 4 and will miss his second-straight game. Playing without two of their best defensemen will be a big test for the Penguins. Washington has made each of its last two losses close, so a weaker Pittsburgh defense ... Read More
Three reasons why series against Capitals is far from being over
While Game 3's victory over the Washington Capitals was a step in the right direction for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the series is far from over. Yes, optimism is running as fast as Pittsburgh's offense, but do not forget the havoc Washington caused in the NHL during the regular season. Of course, there is reason to have a positive mindset going into Game 4, but with the news of Kris Letang's suspension, the weakest part of the Penguins just got weaker. The defense has already had a tough task ... Read More
Kris Letang suspended one game for hit on Marcus Johansson
The NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday afternoon that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang will serve a one-game suspension for a hit on Washington Capital Marcus Johansson in Game 3. While it was known this second-round series would get testy and physical, no one could predict there would be three hits in as many games that would require discipline by the league. Washington's Tom Wilson was fined $2,403.67 for his hit on Conor Sheary in Game 1. Capital defenseman ... Read More
Penguins secure series lead at home; Murray continues to shine in net
With a stellar performance in Game 3 of the 2016 NHL Playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins took it to the Washington Capitals, winning 3-2. The Penguins got off to a quick start with two goals in the first period — one of a nice tip from Patric Hornqvist and then another, a minute later, off a rush that ended with an attempted pass ricocheting off Tom Kuhnhackl's back into the net. Pittsburgh then extended its lead after Nick Bonino made a nice play, dragging the puck across the mouth of the ... Read More
Three up, three down: Pens beat Caps, have a long road ahead
Game 2 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals exemplified why there was so much hype headed into round two. After T.J. Oshie barley nudged in a goal under Matt Murray's right leg pad, Eric Fehr and the Pittsburgh Penguins stormed back to tie up the series. A win is a win, especially against one of the league's most challenging opponents, but here are the takeaways from Saturday night's game. Three Up: One and Only One The Penguins ... Read More