The streak continues (with apologies to Nathan Smith)

The Penguins are perfect in the playoffs. Tonight's 5-3 win over the New York Rangers wasn't textbook playoff hockey, but it was good enough to erase a sloppy second period to take a stranglehold on the series.

This is not like the New England Patriots flirting with a perfect season. They don't have to be perfect; tt is reassuring to know that the Pens can still afford to loose three games in this series, and three games in the next two series.

It is also reassuring to know that of the 11 teams that started 7-0 in the the playoffs – eight went on to win the Stanley Cup. Strangely, the last team to pull that off was the 1994 New York Rangers.

As for Nathan Smith, who played 13 games this year with the Pens, well...here's the story on his streak.

Fleury's "cup checks" keeping focus on the Cup

Marc-Andre Fleury is starting to focus like a championship caliber goaltender.  His play between the pipes has been spectacular.  His play between the legs of opponents has been perfect. 

Just ask Martin Lapointe, or  Sean Avery.

Fleury, usually the mild-mannered netminder,  has "grown a set" by delivering a stick to the "set" of Lapointe and Avery.

Unsportsmanlike?  Yeah, so what?  Just ask players that stood  in front of Billy Smith, Ron Hextall or Tom Barrasso if they ever felt comfortatble in front of the crease?  It's part of the edge a goalie needs to focus on the bigger Cup.

Fleury is starting to develop a swagger and other players are starting to notice.

"Even if you are wearing a (protective) cup and you get hit like that, it hurts like hell," Bob Errey commented after Lapointe was rung up in the first series.

White-Out almost a whitewash

The Penguins spotted the New York Rangers a 3-0 lead in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Looked like all the Rangers had to do was dot the "I"s and cross the "T"s.

But Jarkko Ruutu erased the shutout and the rally started.  Four unanswered goals, capped by a Sidney Crosby slapper that bounced of Evgeni Malkin's shin into the net behind Henrik Lundqvist with 1:41 left in regulation.

The game had the same feel as the Game 1 of the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks when Jaromir Jagr tied the game late and Mario Lemieux beat Ed Belfour with 0:12 seconds left.  By the way, that was the only other time the Pens erased a three goal deficit in the postseason.

The White-Out won't soon be erased from our memories.

"How sweep it is!"

Highlights from the Pittsburgh Penguins four game sweep of the Ottawa Senators. Posted by steelcityassault... No commentary needed here ... great editing...great song!

Bulletin board material

They don't have bulletin boards big enough.

Someone in the Ottawa Senators organization thought an oversized image of the handshake after last years Pens-Sens series would intimidate the Penguins.

The image is placed near the Pens dressing room in Scotiabank Place.

Sens Coach Bryan Murray denied any involvement.

More pucks than you can shake a stick at...

The Penguins established a post-season franchise record for putting 54 pucks on net tonight (in regulation) against the Ottawa Senators, surpassing the mark of 49 set on April 26, 1970 against the St. Louis Blues.

Speaking of a lot of pucks, the Penguins introduced the 19th Official Game Puck in team history.

Not many people will get an up close peak at the pucks. In our "unofficial tally," we counted at least 18 pucks that left the playing surface from the ice or were flipped over the glass when an errant puck made its way onto a team bench in Game 1 & 2.

Here's a link to a closer look at this year's playoff puck. You can see all the other styles used throughout the years on that page too.

LWGRD?

Look What Gary Roberts Did: He scored two goals and played a very physical game to help the Pens dominate the Ottawa Senators, 4-0, in the series opener.

Roberts started writing the final chapter in for his career's storyline with an impressive, opening round playoff game against his favorite whipping boys.

Roberts has tortured the Senators by scoring 14 of his 32 playoff goals against the very team that tried to acquire him at last season's trade deadline. 

The Hollywood-like script started a mere :68 seconds into the game when Roberts pushed a backhand past Ottawa's Martin Gerber from six feet out and later scored from the edge of the crease.

  

This was Roberts second game back after missing three months with a broken leg and a high-ankle sprain.  Not quite the legend of Toronto's Bobby Baun, who returned from a broken leg to score an overtime goal in the 1964 Stanley Cup Finals, but Robert's grit has become legendary.

Roberts played like there is no tomorrow, because there might not be an NHL tomorrow after this season.  Roberts turns 42 next month and he's simply adding to his legend with performances like tonight. Roberts became the oldest player in NHL history to score two goals in a playoff game.

The 26-stop shutout turned in by Marc-Andre Fleury was crucial, but Roberts rang the opening bell and answered the call.  He deserved to be named the Number One Star.

It's not a coincidence that Roberts has "WARRIOR" branded on his stick and gloves. He plays the role well.

Pittsburgh loves a bad ass like Gary Roberts.

Western Pennsylvania no longer interested in Senators Clinton and Obama

Senators Hillary Clinton & Barack Obama are no longer the focus of Western Pennsylvania.

The primary focus is on the Ottawa Senators - yeah, the same Sens that eliminated the Pens from the playoffs last year in five games .

At least the Penguins will have one banner to raise next season, to mark their first Atlantic Division Championship.

The next banner chase will start on Wednesday night so it could be possible to see a Game 7 there on April 22...the same day as the Pennsylvania presidential primary.

We'll see how different this year's Pens will match-up against Bryan Murray's Senators who are mired in mediocre goaltending and are without captain Daniel Alfredsson, Mike Fisher & Chris Kelly.

This year's Pens finished first overall in the Atlantic Division, charging back from the bottom of the division - the Pens were in last place with 15 points on November 13.

Here's to the fall of the skating Senators.

"Et tu, Bryan."

The numbers game... Part deux

The old sports cliche says a starter shouldn't loose his job because of an injury, but what about his number?

Adam Hall will be back in the lineup tonight wearing number 28. He used to wear 18 before his sports hernia. While he was busy mending, Pens' equipment manager Dana Heinze was busy   mending a new #18 jersey for Marian Hossa.

Hall was gracious and surrendered his number to Hossa - who wore that number in Atlanta before a trade deadline deal.

TRIVIA: Two current Penguins now wear a different number than their original number issued to them. Who are they?

For a hint look at our all-time Penguins uniform number roster, click here.

If you still didn't come up with the answer, scroll down to the February 27 entry to find the answer.