Role player Bryan Rust scored both of the Penguins goals, the first one coming on a high velocity wrist shot, set up by Chris Kunitz’s flawless pass. Rust seemed like he was cruising into the slot at Mach 1 when he took the feed and found the top half of the net with his shot.
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For the first time since 2009, his Pittsburgh Penguins are going to the Stanley Cup Final, thanks to a 2-1 victory over the defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final.
“We came out against a really good team that hit its stride late in season and carried that into playoffs”, said Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman, who had been 7-0 in Game 7s. In December, the GM fired head coach Mike Johnston and hired Mike Sullivan, explaining that “We’re not far from the top of the division, but we’re not far from the bottom either”. Then again, the feathery penguins don’t have Sidney Crosby. The Penguins got past the Rangers and Capitals before beating the Lightning. He became the first Penguins rookie with multiple goals in a Game 7.
“He was the rock back there, especially talk about the chances and shots they had”, Cooper said.
Not even the surprise return of captain Steven Stamkos could save the Lightning. It played most of this round without Vezina Trophy finalist goalie Ben Bishop, who was carried off a stretcher in Game 1.
“Watching them in the playoffs so far, I expect a very fast series”, Crosby said, adding that “their power play is very risky”. They were straight-up dominated by the Pens’ four-line frenzy, especially in the last two games of the series.
Stamkos’ surgeon, Karl Illig, told the Tampa Bay Times that the player’s risks were “very, very low”, adding the decision was up to Stamkos. As tough as the loss was, many wondered whether this would be Stamkos’ last game as a member of the Lightning, a team and organization he has known since it selected him first overall in the 2008 draft.
“I think the young kids are bringing the energy and the enthusiasm”, Sullivan said. There was no crystal ball to be found the night he lifted the Stanley Cup at Joe Louis Arena in 2009 – no hint of his concussion issues and the occasional spring of bad Penguins goaltending or bad luck or underperformance to come.
When Rust drifted a shot that beat Andrei Vasilevskiy high glove side at 1:55 of the second period to open the scoring, it looked to be the biggest goal of his career.
Despite only eight shots on goal by the midway point of the second period, a hectic sequence resulted in Tampa Bay’s first goal.
Stamkos underwent surgery for a blood clot in his shoulder back on April 4. Now, they wait and see if he’ll continue to be the captain of the Lightning next season and beyond.
“We are having a lot of fun”. Rust, seeing it sitting loose, poked it through Vasilevskiy, putting the Penguins up 2-1.
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After Rust scored his second goal, the Penguins held the one-goal lead for six seconds short of 30 minutes of playing. His return gave Tampa a much needed boost both in on-ice skill and emotionally, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a Penguins team on a mission.
