Penguins Win The Stanley Cup With Dominating Defense

Even sweeter for Rutherford and the Penguins is that the Leafs are paying $1.2 million a year of his $8 million cap hit.

The most special aspect of these Pittsburgh Penguins, Stanley Cup champions of the National Hockey League, is the stories of redemption nearly each and every one of them could reflect on as they hoisted hockey’s Holy Grail into the air Sunday.

In 2006 it was Cam Ward, after appearing just 28 regular season games for the Hurricanes, that got hot in the playoffs and posted a.928 save percentage on the way to the Stanley Cup.

Despite not scoring, Crosby was a force throughout the final, especially early in the series and then again in Game 6.

The 2006 Hurricanes and 2009 Penguins are also the only two teams to win the Stanley Cup after ranking outside of the top 10 for score-adjusted Corsi percentage.

“I thought he was sensational every game we played, ” DeBoer said. “Our whole team did an unbelievable job and we got it done”.

The turnover this season was a major reason for the turnaround in fortunes after six straight years of playoff disappointments.

The fact that the decisive game came on the road did not tiresome the party, as Penguins players charged off the bench and mobbed rookie goalie Matt Murray while throwing their gloves and sticks into the air in a wild and boyish celebration.

Bran Dumoulin, Kris Letang and Patric Hornqvist were on target for the Penguins, with Logan Couture replying.

“This shows how much this team has stuck together”, Crosby said afterward. “He’s that good in my mind”.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I do have to disagree with the Conn Smythe selection of Sidney Crosby. His numbers don’t indicate the impact he had on helping this team win, or the impact he had on a game-to-game basis.

His long, winding road – through Boston and Toronto, and the unflattering narrative that followed him – led the American winger to the greatest moment in his National Hockey League career Sunday night at SAP Center. The Penguins star is expected to be a leader for Canada at this year’s World Cup of Hockey in Toronto.

Phil Kessel, Stanley Cup champion, playoff warrior, and now forever more seen in a different light. The rough start to this season that led to a coach being fired.

“For them to be able to come through this year and win their second Cup is big”, Penguins legend Mario Lemieux said.

One of the few times they didn’t do that was in the third period of Game 4 when the Sharks were desperately trying to come from behind and rally from a two-goal deficit in an effort to even the series.

The early goings of the season weren’t easy for Pittsburgh. “You need to have some luck along the way”, Crosby said later. “Obviously, I’m the same guy that I’ve always been”. Having a team peaking in front of him – one that doesn’t think twice about stepping in front of shots before they ever make it to Murray – helps. The Penguins captain set up Letang for the 2-1 go-ahead goal, finishing with four points (all assists) against the Sharks and 19 points in the playoffs.

As the final seconds ticked away and the Penguins dog-piled onto Murray, San Jose watched with misty eyes and somber stares. They did not trail until Game 5 at home and responded to a strong push from San Jose in the clincher to avoid a decisive seventh game. In his first Cup run in 2009, teammate Evgeni Malkin won the Conn Smythe. Pittsburgh’s line of Carl Hagelin-Nick Bonino-Phil Kessel combined for 20 goals and 56 points in the Penguins’ first 23 playoff games.

The Penguins are also disrupting the power play’s rhythm by giving it an average of just two opportunities per game by staying disciplined. “We knew where each other was going to be”. “It’s just tough right now”.