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.