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
Sidney Crosby named 2016 Hart Memorial Trophy finalist
Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby has been named a finalist for the 2016 Hart Memorial Trophy, the MVP award of the NHL. He won the trophy in 2007 and in 2014, but it's the first nomination for the other two finalists, the Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane and the Dallas Stars' Jamie Benn. While Crosby had a tough start to the season, he picked up steam in the second half, leading the Penguins to a playoff berth many deemed out-of-reach. He finished the season with 85 points (36 G, 49 ... 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
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
Old rivals square off in second round
Pittsburgh Penguins (0-0) So far this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have played the Washington Capitals five times, winning three games and losing two. Going into Game 1, the Penguins continue to rely on goaltender Matt Murray, who came back after an upper-body injury to win the final three games in the series against the New York Rangers. Marc-Andre Fleury is still suffering from a concussion, and it is unknown at this time when he will be returning. In general, after a much-needed ... Read More
Penguins can win series at home after decisive win
The Pittsburgh Penguins (3-1) dominated against the New York Rangers (1-3) and came one step closer to capping off the sweet revenge the Pens have sought for the last two years. Matt Murray got the start tonight in net and outperformed himself. Pittsburgh was able to put up an early 2-0 lead thanks to Eric Fehr and a Patric Hornqvist power-play goal. The 5-0 win by the Penguins puts Pittsburgh right in the driver seat of this series. The series will shift to Consol Energy Center, and with ... Read More
Mighty Penguins rebound and steal Game 3 from the Rangers
The Pittsburgh Penguins (2-1) played a stellar game to take back the lead in the series against the New York Rangers (1-2) at home, winning by a score of 3-1. Goaltender Matt Murray got the nod tonight — making his first career playoff start — and was a force in between the pipes for Pittsburgh. The Rangers squandered four power-play opportunities but played tough against the boards. However, this time, the Penguins didn’t show any signs of fatigue as they were able to put up 30 shots against ... Read More
Hornqvist’s hat trick leads charge in Game 1 victory
In his first career NHL playoff start, Pittsburgh Penguins backup goaltender Jeff Zatkoff played lights-out hockey and helped the Penguins (1-0) nab the 5-2 win against the New York Rangers (0-1) at Consol Energy Center in the first game of the series. Zatkoff finished the game with 37 saves. The Rangers were able to keep the game close heading into the final period, tightening the score to a 2-1 Penguins lead. But goals by rightwingers Tom Kuhnhackl and Patric Hornqvist further separated the ... Read More