Penguins: Crosby Awakens to Even Series

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in Overtime to even the Eastern Conference Finals at 1-1.

Resilience has been the Penguins’ calling card during the second half of the season. On Monday night some of the most influential drivers of the team’s identity took center stage. Facing a win or go down 2-0 heading to Tampa Bay scenario, the Penguins responded in kind evening the series at a game a piece with a dramatic overtime win. A win that came after about as much “stick-to-it-ivness,” to use a common sports phrase, as one could possibly see from a team in one game.

Just another day at the office for the Mike Sullivan portion of the 2015-16 Penguins.

Matt Cullen opened the scoring for the Pens at 4:32 of the first period. The goal was Cullen’s fourth of the playoffs; not bad for a guy who came to training camp without a contract and with minimal expectations. He managed his highest regular season goal total in eight seasons and continued to make a profound impact in the playoffs. Competing, much less excelling, night in and night out in a game largely dominated by guys 15 years his junior is a testament to the resilience Cullen has displayed this year, a veteran trait that has clearly rubbed off on his Penguins teammates.

Phil Kessel followed with a goal 5 minutes later to give the Pens a 2-0 lead. You know, the Phil Kessel that was brought over from Toronto in the offseason with expectations as high as the rafters from which the Pens’ three Stanley Cup banners hang but proceeded to ensure a less than monster season that had him overly frustrated in spells and fans confounded over his lack of production. Kessel has been nothing short of magnificent in these playoffs, his goal tonight was the sixth time he’s lit the lamp in this post season. Some pure resilience on display there to keep grinding it out for months when the shots weren’t falling. Now he is producing at his peak when it matters most.

More from Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pens comfortable lead was short-lived though, with Tampa Bay’s Anton Stralman beating Matt Murray at 16:37 of the first and Jonathan Drouin following in the final minute to even the score heading into the first intermission. For as loud and energetic as the atmosphere in the Consol Energy Center was just moments earlier, a feeling of “all that for nothing” had suddenly pierced the air. Shades of the Penguins’ flat performance in Game 1 were starting to creep into even the most optimistic of minds. While the ghosts of recent playoffs past would have without question written the team off, this Penguins squad clearly wouldn’t let that happen.

After a back and forth second period the Pens resilience truly shined in the third. Pittsburgh outskated the Lightning, out shot them and did everything but outscore them, not for a lack of chances. Less than a minute into overtime, Sidney Crosby delivered the knockout blow that evened the series. Taking a feed from Bryan Rust after a Lightning turnover, Crosby calmly snipped the puck past Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to send the gold-clad crowd home happy, his first ever overtime playoff goal

It was nothing if not fitting. Crosby, the subject of about as much second-guessing and critiquing as anyone in Pittsburgh sports these days, who hadn’t scored since the first round series against the Rangers. Hanging in there, making plays, delivering when it was needed most.

Had the Penguins gone down 2-0 to Tampa Bay heading back to Florida this Conference Final series wouldn’t have been over – we’ve seen enough of this latest stretch of Pens hockey to know that nothing is truly over until the final horn sounds – but it would have been about as close as you can get. Worry not, this resilient group did what they’ve been doing so well of late; hanging in there, finding ways to win, viewing adversity as just another obstacle to overcome.

Next: Crosby Deserves MVP

Just another notch for a team that has been forging its identity in resilience.

Home/Pittsburgh Penguins