Pittsburgh Penguins For the first time in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins face elimination, as they trail Tampa Bay, 3-2, in the Eastern Conference Finals. And, in Game 6, head coach Mike Sullivan has, somewhat surprisingly, given the nod to rookie goaltender Matt Murray over veteran Marc-Andre Fleury (who played the last period in Game 4 and started Game 5). Another change from Sunday's game will likely be the addition of Conor Sheary back in the lineup on the first ... Read More
Penguins take 2-1 series lead vs. Lightning behind Crosby, third line
It looks like Sidney Crosby is back. After struggling early in the playoffs, Crosby netted his second goal in as many games and helped lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-2 win Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the win, the Penguins took a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. The first period was pretty even (the Penguins had 10 shots on goal to the Lightning's 12), but nothing went in, keeping the game locked in a defensive battle. The second period was ... Read More
Game 3 Preview: Penguins’ offense needs to keep momentum
In Monday night's game, the Pittsburgh Penguins got a crucial overtime goal from captain Sidney Crosby to tie the things up against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Now, the series has moved to Tampa Bay for Wednesday night's Game 3, and the Penguins are hoping Crosby & Co. can keep the offense moving to take the series lead. Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins' offense was firing on all cylinders Monday. If the offense continues to play as well as ... Read More
Penguins hope Lightning doesn’t strike twice
Pittsburgh Penguins In tonight's crucial game, goaltender Matt Murray will once again start over Marc-Andre Fleury, a choice that helped the Penguins win the last round against the Washington Capitals. In the most recent game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, however, Murray didn’t play his best, which showed in Pittsburgh’s 3-1 loss. Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby haven’t been on their scoring game this postseason, and the Penguins had many unnecessary turnovers and didn’t create many ... 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
Penguins must push back against Capitals with possible return of Orpik, Maatta
Pittsburgh Penguins Game Six of this series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals is crucial if the Penguins want to keep their lead; currently, the series is at 3-2. There is a possibility defenseman Olli Maatta will return to the lineup tonight after being out with an injury, which will add some much-needed padding to the Penguins’ defense — as long as Maatta continues to play as he has all season. The Capitals have been doing a good job of getting around the ... 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
Game 3 Preview: Can the Penguins claim series lead on home ice?
Pittsburgh Penguins (5-2) The Pittsburgh Penguins played their toughest game on Saturday and will continue to be challenged as the series goes on. Matt Murray played incredibly well and made big stops to keep their team within range of tying the series. Coach Mike Sullivan knows these challenges will continue to be seen, but he has the utmost confidence in his team to come away with the series win. Pittsburgh must continue to play a speedy style of hockey and protect Murray and the net ... 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