With four consecutive wins and eight consecutive points, the Pittsburgh Penguins have advanced to the playoffs. It may seem almost unthinkable, but the Penguins have climbed from a 1.9% chance of making the playoffs to a playoff spot just one week ago, controlling their fate for just over the final week of the NHL regular season.
There was a mixture of relief and excitement for the next game in the Penguins' locker room. The Penguins claimed a 4-1 lead against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second period, but the score was tied 4-4 by midway through the third period.
Far from losing the game, the Penguins managed to get back into the game. Michael Bunting scored the game-winning goal at 2:32 p.m., giving the Penguins a 5-4 victory, but the drama wasn't over until the final horn sounded.
A new Colorado-style collapse seemed to be on the horizon. The Penguins led Colorado with an eight-game winning streak, but allowed five shutouts, including the overtime winner.
This time it was different. After the game was tied 4-4, the Penguins fought back. Evgeni Malkin's batting line invaded the offensive zone. After Malkin hit the post for the second time in the period, he sent a pass through the crease to Bunting, who scored the winning goal.
And his celebration was louder than the fans.
“I'm so excited. The adrenaline is pumping. All my emotions came out. I'm sure the whole rink heard me scream.”
Colorado continued on the power play for the final 96 seconds after Marcus Pettersson cleared the puck through the glass on a delay of game penalty. With the extra attacker, Tampa Bay gained a 6-on-4 advantage on him and applied strong pressure.
penguins locker room
Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic may soon become a national hero like former Penguins netminder Johan Hedberg. Nedeljkovic started all eight games of the Penguins' winning streak, and the Penguins, who narrowly fell out of playoff contention, have emerged as a surefire favorite to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in two weeks.
Nedeljkovic pointed out that (Ned's) dramatic turnaround technically started with the OT loss to Colorado.
“We didn’t find a way to finish (the Colorado game), but I would say we played pretty good hockey after that,” Nedeljkovic said. “So, I can't say for a moment, but I think over the last two weeks and a little bit, we've played pretty consistent, pretty good hockey.”
sidney crosby
Evgeni Malkin scored two goals and recorded an assist. Kris Letang and Crosby also scored. Although there are calls for young players in the Penguins' lineup, it is certainly the star players in their mid-30s who carry the team on their shoulders.
Crosby was flying on Saturday. He scored the first goal of the game and almost scored several more. The Penguins captain filled the net and led his team from the brink of disaster to the playoffs.
The Penguins aren't celebrating how far they've gotten this far, and they keep their eyes glued to the playoff prize. That's part of Crosby's influence.
“What we have to do hasn't changed in a while. So our game is pretty good and we've got to keep growing the game here at a time, and that's really helped us. ,” Crosby said. “This approach has gotten us this far and brought us success. So we need to keep playing the same way. And I think that's good for us. We don't need to change much. I We just have to keep going.”
michael bunting
The main character of the story. Bunting made a big change to the Penguins' lineup, adding grit and intense puck pressure. He also gets his nose dirty around the internet.
Bunting scored his 18th goal of the season and his sixth in 17 games with the Penguins. That was a big deal.
Evgeni Malkin, feeling frustrated after missing some great opportunities, pounced on the puck as it hit the post. Malkin made a pass across the crease to Bunting, who slammed the winner into the net.
Bunting's voice echoed over the packed crowd, who cheered in approval. Penguins hockey is once again exciting, if not impressive and dramatic.
“I'm so excited. The adrenaline is pumping. All my emotions came out. I'm sure the whole rink heard me scream.”
