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For the second straight season the Stanley Cup will be in the building for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final and the Penguins will have the chance to win it. Following a letdown in Nashville, the Penguins came out on fire in Game 5 and pushed the Predators to the brink with a 6-0 victory at PPG Paints Arena. [Pensburgh]
Game 6 is on Sunday in Nashville.
Unless you were watching carefully, you may have missed Sidney Crosby throwing a water bottle on the ice prior to the Pens 5th goal last night. The bottle toss had no direct effect on the play and garnered little coverage from the NBC crew. **eye roll** [Fox Sports]
Spending most of his 2016-2017 in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, forward Josh Archibald was re-called after the Baby Pens were eliminated from the playoffs. Amidst all the chaos of the Stanley Cup Final, Archibald is simply playing his game and enjoying the ride. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
Actor and Pittsburgh native Michael Keaton does not shy away from supporting his hometown sports teams any chance he gets. On Wednesday night, Keaton appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live sporting a Pens hat to support the local hockey club’s push for a second straight Stanley Cup championship. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
Before Mario. Before Double J. Before Sid. Before all the winning the Pens started from the very bottom and built a champion. It all started back in 1966 when original owner Jack McGregor was awarded the franchise as a part of the NHL’s original expansion to begin play the next year. 50 seasons of hockey later, McGregor’s dreams of hockey in the Steel City have been realized. [USA Today]
A couple in Westmoreland County have continued the tradition of naming area newborns after a member of their beloved Penguins. Please welcome Baby Bonino to Penguins fandom. [KDKA]
Members of the Tennessee Titans have been very vocal in their support of the Predators this postseason. On the Pittsburgh side, the Steelers have upped their game in support of the Penguins during their bid for a repeat championship. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
Even the most diehard fans like myself must admit there were times this season where it looked like the Pens were down and out. Through injuries, bad luck, and bad losses the Pens have persevered and brought themselves within reach of history. [KDKA]
News and notes from around the NHL...
EA Sports dropped a teaser trailer for NHL 18 on Wednesday and featured Senators goalie Craig Anderson getting scored on by Mitchell Marner of the Maple Leafs. Anderson’s wife took to twitter to let the world know her husband would never be caught out of position like the game shows. [The Comeback]
Unions of the four major North American sports league’s are working together on how they will handle sports betting when it inevitably becomes legal in the United States. [ESPN]