Eastern Conference Champions.

For the second straight year, the Pittsburgh Penguins are the Eastern Conference Champions and have earned a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Pens completed their series with the Carolina Hurricanes last night with a sweep, winning game 4, 4-1.
Sidney Crosby, changing routine, touched the Prince of Wales trophy after the win last night. It was not that much of a surprise. He didn't touch it last season and we all know the outcome. Crosby, being superstitious, changed his strategy and touched the trophy as well as his teammates to hopefully bring luck and a different outcome to this year's Stanley Cup Finals.

Canes on brink of elimination.

Going into tonight's game 4 in Carolina, the Pens hold a 3-0 lead in the series. That means, of course, that if the Hurricanes don't win tonight, their season is over. Which also means that the Canes will be battling to keep their season alive tonight, so expect their greatest effort. The Canes know what is at stake and therefore have all the reason in the world to bring their best and prove what they can do.
However, the Pens are most certainly aware of this revelation and know they need to come prepared to face the Canes' best effort. The Pens want to finish them off tonight and need to give it their all to come out with a victory as well. The Pens want to make it back to the Stanley Cup Final. They are determined to do so and want to be guaranteed a spot in the Finals as soon as possible.
Two teams battling for something, putting everything they have into a game, to end up with keeping a dream alive. All they need is a win. Let's see if desperation to keep a season alive, or the desperation to return to the Cup Finals all that much sooner for a chance at Lord Stanley's Cup, will prevail. Should be a great game, where opportunities begin... or end.

Pens vs. Canes. Game 2 Tonight.

The Pens seem to be going with the same lineup as they did for game 1, dressing 7 defensemen once again. Well, seeing as the 7th defensemen was Philippe Boucher and he happened to just add a goal and an assist in game 1, even with less than ten minutes of ice time, Dan Bylsma seems to think it is a good plan. If it produces a win like in Game 1, who can argue with it? We will see if the final decision is to dress 7 defensemen again.

The Pens know they did not play their best in Game 1, so they will hopefully come out stronger tonight and keep their momentum. The Pens had a strong first period in Game 1, but did not really keep that strength going into the later periods, luckily Fleury kept us in the game. Therefore, the Pens need to keep the momentum and the pressure up. The Canes have lost game 1 in each of their series so far and have come back to win game 2. Let's stop that trend tonight.

Game 2 a "Whiteout."

Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes will be a "whiteout." There will be t-shirts and towels given to fans in attendance.

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=423351

Next round opponent will be determined tonight.

The Pens have made it to the Eastern Conference Finals but do not know as of yet who they will be playing. That fate will be determined tonight when the Boston Bruins host the Carolina Hurricanes in a game 7 matchup. Another exciting series, the Bruins and Hurricanes game tonight should be an exciting matchup.