Pittsburgh Penguins’ Season of Renewal Began in Mid-December

Pittsburgh Penguins’ Season of Renewal Began in Mid-December.

The Penguins won the N.H.L.’s Eastern Conference title on Thursday night with a 2-1, Game 7 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Pittsburgh. Credit Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

PITTSBURGH — In the waning minutes of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the N.H.L.’s Eastern Conference finals, the decibel level from the delirious crowd here reached 123. That is a little lower than a fighter jet taking off from an aircraft carrier.

The Penguins’ rookies, most notably Bryan Rust and Matt Murray, played their part in securing the win. But as the team looks ahead to taking on the San Jose Sharks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals here on Monday night, the stars are delivering, too.

Sidney Crosby, the generational talent who captains the Penguins, scored the game-winning goal in three of the four victories in the series against Tampa Bay.

Crosby did not score a goal Thursday night; Rust scored Pittsburgh’s two goals. But Crosby led all players with six shots on goal and eight shot attempts and had the most time on ice among forwards, playing 23 minutes.

It is the fifth time in franchise history, and the first time since their championship run in 2009, that the Penguins are headed to the Stanley Cup finals.

“I thought it was incredible,” Pittsburgh Coach Mike Sullivan said of the final minutes. “It was the loudest that I’ve heard a building in all the years that I’ve been associated with this league, to the point where we had to scream to the players on who was up next.”

Few could have imagined the Penguins would be in this position six months ago. The fans were disillusioned. Pittsburgh had a poor start and was near the bottom of the league in scoring.

So was Crosby. As one of the league’s biggest stars, he has been relied on by the Penguins, and by N.H.L.’s marketers and television partners, to produce. But through the first 18 games of the season, he had only two goals and a handful of assists.

In mid-December, the changes began. Sullivan, who joined the organization a few months earlier to head the team’s top minor league affiliate, was promoted to coach the Penguins. Pittsburgh General Manager Jim Rutherford then overhauled the team through trades and minor league call-ups. It worked.

The Penguins roared back in the standings, finishing second in the Eastern Conference. They scored the third most goals in the N.H.L. Crosby went on a torrid scoring run and ended up third in the league in points.

“It wasn’t easy getting to this point,” Crosby said after Game 7.

Against Tampa Bay, the Penguins had to contend with the brilliant play of Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who relieved an injured Ben Bishop in Game 1. Vasilevskiy made some marvelous saves on Crosby and the rest of Pittsburgh lineup. But the Penguins outshot the Lightning, 39-17 in Game 7 and 269-179 in the series. (Murray, playing over the veteran Marc-Andre Fleury, has been strong in the net, compiling a 11-4 record in the playoffs.)

The Penguins have numerous weapons, including Phil Kessel, who forms a triumvirate with Crosby and Evgeni Malkin that will earn $31.5 million this season.

Criticized as aloof and lazy while playing with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kessel was traded to the Penguins last summer. Like many of his teammates, Kessel, a five-time 30-goal scorer, struggled at times this season.

The playoffs have been Kessel’s redemption. Among the players going to the Stanley Cup finals, he is second in goals and fourth in points, making him a strong contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the most valuable player of the playoffs. He scored four goals and added two assists in the conference finals against Tampa Bay.

“I’m filled with joy,” Kessel said Thursday night of his renewal.

Malkin was also important to defeating the Lightning. He ended the round against Tampa Bay with a five-game points streak, collecting assists on both of Rust’s series-winning goals.

But it was Crosby’s overtime winner in Game 2 and a superb one-against-three goal in the Penguins’ Game 6 victory that kept Pittsburgh’s season alive, and which forced a Game 7.

For Crosby, it has been seven years since he lifted the Stanley Cup as a 21-year-old. Then, it seemed as if every team would have to go through the Steel City to pursue the Cup. But Crosby missed most of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons with concussions.

“Maybe what could have been?” Crosby said when asked about the long stretch between his finals appearances.

Crosby and Malkin have been a one-two punch for a decade. They are third and fourth on the franchise’s career points list, behind Mario Lemieux, who now is a co-owner of the team, and Jaromir Jagr.

After the win, Lemieux, who won the Stanley Cup twice as a player and enjoys saintlike status in Pittsburgh, made his way through the crowded locker room to Crosby’s stall.

“Great game,” Lemiuex told Crosby. Both of them beamed. With four more wins, Crosby will have as many championships as Lemiuex had in his playing days.

The Penguins will now turn their attention to the Sharks. Both teams rely on speed to pressure opponents and keep the puck moving toward the offensive zone.

“It’s going to be fast hockey,” Crosby said. “Two teams that want to play the exact same way.”

Defenseman Ben Lovejoy put it more succinctly.

“It will be a battle,” he said.


source: www.nytimes.com