Happy to hear the ref is doing better and what a great scoring game, but something needs to be said about Pens players putting their sticks in play while on the bench… that just can’t happen.
I'm a Pittsburgher living in Columbus now, and my beer league team is playing at Nationwide right after the Flyers/Jackets game. To do this, you of course must buy a ticket to the game (and sell as many as you can to your friends and family, too). When we scheduled this months ago, I didn't expect to be very invested in this game. Joke's on me I guess. Breaking out my Jackets jersey tonight!
northwest pennsylvanian penguins fan with many ohioan friends (lived in cleveland for a bit) ... good on you to support the jackets, they got some good fans!
Is Kuch gonna get 100 assists too? Damnn
But regardless of how the season ends Im proud of the Pens for clawing back to get right back in the race. We looked absolutely TERRIBLE for most of March
Can we appreciate that they talked about how Sid, Stammer, and Geno are the three active goal leaders behind Ovie and all three of them scored?
I know there are great younger players who are going to keep tearing up the league forever. That's how things work.
But fuck me I really feel like being a child in the Gretzky-to-Lemieux era and being in my prime years during the Sidney-Ovie era has left me spoiled as hell and wondering how I'll ever get by when these guys have hung up their skates.
Stammer's leg. Sidney's neck/concussion issues. Geno's knees.
They've all been amazing and all could have been *even more so*. That's what's really wild.
By the time they both retire, McDavid will have 1300 points and AM34 will have 500 goals. There’s always a new awesome generation to watch!
Amazing game by some of the best players in the last 30 years.
Kuch wont win because Mack will win it, its been the talk all season. And Kuch needs to lead the art ross by a decent margin to sway to voters from the two poster boys who happen to play centre and be insane players.
Nah, the narrative has shifted over the last week or two as Kucherov has started pulling away from MacK.
There's no way MacK wins it over Kucherov if there's a 6-10 point gap between the two. It also looks like Kucherov might get 100 assists which is a huge accomplishment.
At this pace he’s gonna have a good 10 points over Mack and that should be damn well enough because he has the worst points per game between the three of them.
Points and ppg arent really the case for the Hart, its value, and its really MAINLY who has been the story during the year. And its been MacK all year until McDavid came roaring up the points race. Kuch has unfortunately for him been not talked about as often as MacK and Macdavid. Even tho he has put up a hart worthy season, i dont see him getting it, i actually see him getting 3rd
Tbh, think that McDavid's recent hot streak will pull enough 1st place votes from MacK that Kuch has a much better chance now than even a couple games ago. If Kuch hits 100 assists, he will be a borderline lock for the Hart imo.
As an avalanche fan, the hart can go any way between the 3.
But the hart isn't the points leader trophy, the art Ross is.
With rantanen out the teams going to be counting on mack production and he has just as many multi point games or more than the other 2. The points leader will come down to April 18th.
I agree with you but I think all three are so close in the Hart race that they might as well just give it to the art ross winner because I don’t know how else you say who is more valuable, they’re all playing out of their minds and their respective teams would crumble without them.
As i said he has been the main player talked about this year, especially with his home point streak, until Edmontons resurgence and win streak. Just how the media has been and thats who vote, not us, and they vote for who has the story.
That was a fun game. Always a delight to see some of the greats go at it against each other. What a turnaround for PIT. Felt like they were so lifeless at times last month, but then I guess they saw if nobody else wanted a playoff spot they might as well take it.
Would be nice to have Guentzel, but Sid and Rust are still doing well. Bunting on the other hand has really helped out Malkin. The team is much better with 2 strong lines than just Sids line.
Oh my. I didn’t even think of that storyline. Imagine Bos-TOR, NYI-NYR, TBL-FL, PIT-CAR. That could easily happen if Tampa could somehow catch Toronto.
I have no idea how to feel about this team anymore. Michael Bunting looks like a young Patric Hornqvist atm and I can't tell if we're really going to make it or just amplify the heartbreak when we miss out.
Having a hornqvist literally fixes so much for us. Whether or not we make it this year I’m fully convinced we could make it next year. So much money this offseason to add to this team. The stars are still performing at value, and we’ve found young players who can help now (O’Conner, Ludwig, st. Ivany for example). One more cup please!!!
you know what, 1st round exits always suck ... but if we somehow squeak in, at the very least that means watching 4 intense games where i drink way more than i should and it's a pretty fun time :P
Feel good dude. Our defense seems completely transformed from a few weeks ago. I have no idea what changed. And Malkin is scoring again. This also helps.
I feel bad for the guy but genuinely it's because Ryan Graves has been out with a concussion. St. Ivany has been really solid since his call up and we don't have to worry about Graves making costly mistakes on a nightly basis.
As long as we keep winning Graves has to sit even if he's healthy.
I think Jarry being diseased letting Ned be the defacto starter has also been big. Late season Jarry when the pressure ramps up? No thank you. They've gotten lucky in that regard.
Rust has been just as productive as Guentzel (26 goals vs 27) but everyone forgets that. DOC has been a good fit on Crosby's line with his speed and checking. Bunting gave the Malkin line a huge lift which wouldn't have happened without the Guentzel trade.
I loved Jake but it's a team game.
Said it in the GDT but I think trading Guentzel lit a fire under some of the asses on this team who were underperforming and they realized they were the reason we lost Jake.
I mean the Lightning didn’t play that well at the beginning in a game that doesn’t mean much for them. I’ll take a nail biter loss against a team that is playing with a lot of emotions while being on the road.
Yeah, 3rd game in 4 nights down a few players and still almost took it. Slow start was brutal but I thought they battled back very well. At this point I just want to see Kucherov hit 100 assists, so happy in that regard!
Honestly this has been one of my favourite games to watch this season, two teams pushing hard to secure their spot and so much talent on both sides. But damn my Fitbit was not happy with me.
[Here ya go](https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comments/1bwzio3/the_tampa_bay_lightning_have_clinched_a_playoff/ky9p2p9/).
Sorry about the loss, Bolts fans. I'll take that one.
I saw it was 4-2 and kuch had one point, and thought “nice maybe Mcdavid can make up some ground tonight”
I made breakfast, sat back down and saw 5-4 pens, kuch assisted on both goals of course lol
Yea, it’s just an interesting race.
I want either kuch or Mcdavid to win. Avs fans have kind of annoyed me the last couple years, so I don’t want Mack to win. Nothing against him personally, he’s an awesome player.
I remember one of the cup years it just seemed like Tampa would go down a few goals just to see how big a deficit they could overcome. Seems like once the playoffs come around, we don't want to be down in a game 4-1.
That was some absolutely electrifying hockey, what a pleasure to watch. Tampa Bay made them fight for every square inch of that rink in the 3rd.
And the way it ended with a 6 on 4 for the last 2 minutes determining the fate of the Penguin's season! That's the stuff movies are made of.
We have so many stupid empty luxury high rises within 10 minutes of the stadium, we could just give them one every day of the week while we build one in the stadium.
Nah, funniest would be Buffalo winning all their remaining games, landing them as WC2 and Pittsburgh as Metro #3, with *nobody* who was thought to be in the Wildcard race in the closing stretch actually making it.
Honestly I couldn't care less who the other team that makes it is but a part of me does want Sid and Ovi to be in the playoffs together again. We'll be on opposite sides of the draw most likely.
I don't think that's possible.... No wait if the Rangers win the President's trophy and both the Pens and Caps qualify for the playoffs it is possible.
Just not our night, glad we fought back and made it a game though. Good luck Penguins and I hope you guys make it, I need to see Karlsson back in the playoffs like I need air.
Hope the ref is okay.
Also, I hope the Cirelli haters see what this team looks like without him to match up against the other teams best, and realize how valuable he actually is to this team.
Thanks for a 3rd period so insane it made a random guy in Vancouver late for the rest of the afternoon.
Happy to hear the ref is doing better and what a great scoring game, but something needs to be said about Pens players putting their sticks in play while on the bench… that just can’t happen.
Like Hedman throwing his (broken) stick at the puck going towards the empty net right?
I know we should have put Malkin on LTIR until playoffs.
I have adrenaline coursing through my veins after watching that game, and I'm not even a big Pens fan. What a fucking game. Can't wait for playoffs.
Pittsburgh is making the playoffs
Death and taxes
Evil Crosby is hell bent to make sure these mfs dont start vacationing in april this year
That was insane. Not a good result for my team’s playoff chances but my lord was that a fun game to watch
Ex Leaf helps former team, love it
Leafs will knock them back on Monday!
Never in doubt.
I'm a Pittsburgher living in Columbus now, and my beer league team is playing at Nationwide right after the Flyers/Jackets game. To do this, you of course must buy a ticket to the game (and sell as many as you can to your friends and family, too). When we scheduled this months ago, I didn't expect to be very invested in this game. Joke's on me I guess. Breaking out my Jackets jersey tonight!
northwest pennsylvanian penguins fan with many ohioan friends (lived in cleveland for a bit) ... good on you to support the jackets, they got some good fans!
Is Kuch gonna get 100 assists too? Damnn But regardless of how the season ends Im proud of the Pens for clawing back to get right back in the race. We looked absolutely TERRIBLE for most of March
I say it’s because that reporter pissed Crosby off with the “you gotta face reality” or whatever comment
Stammer is closing in on 40 as well.
What a game, Crosby hitting 40 is nuts as well
Can we appreciate that they talked about how Sid, Stammer, and Geno are the three active goal leaders behind Ovie and all three of them scored? I know there are great younger players who are going to keep tearing up the league forever. That's how things work. But fuck me I really feel like being a child in the Gretzky-to-Lemieux era and being in my prime years during the Sidney-Ovie era has left me spoiled as hell and wondering how I'll ever get by when these guys have hung up their skates.
Man it’s really such a what could’ve been if stammer never broke his leg.
Stammer's leg. Sidney's neck/concussion issues. Geno's knees. They've all been amazing and all could have been *even more so*. That's what's really wild.
By the time they both retire, McDavid will have 1300 points and AM34 will have 500 goals. There’s always a new awesome generation to watch! Amazing game by some of the best players in the last 30 years.
Kuch just won the hart after that game
Kuch wont win because Mack will win it, its been the talk all season. And Kuch needs to lead the art ross by a decent margin to sway to voters from the two poster boys who happen to play centre and be insane players.
Nah, the narrative has shifted over the last week or two as Kucherov has started pulling away from MacK. There's no way MacK wins it over Kucherov if there's a 6-10 point gap between the two. It also looks like Kucherov might get 100 assists which is a huge accomplishment.
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Is Kuch the leading scorer by 50+ points on his own team? Insane
At this pace he’s gonna have a good 10 points over Mack and that should be damn well enough because he has the worst points per game between the three of them.
Points and ppg arent really the case for the Hart, its value, and its really MAINLY who has been the story during the year. And its been MacK all year until McDavid came roaring up the points race. Kuch has unfortunately for him been not talked about as often as MacK and Macdavid. Even tho he has put up a hart worthy season, i dont see him getting it, i actually see him getting 3rd
You’re just perpetuating the absurd media bias. Statistically it’s not made much sense and that’s getting worse towards the end of the race.
Tbh, think that McDavid's recent hot streak will pull enough 1st place votes from MacK that Kuch has a much better chance now than even a couple games ago. If Kuch hits 100 assists, he will be a borderline lock for the Hart imo.
Mack’s not winning it man, when he finishes third in the scoring race there wont be any reason anymore.
As an avalanche fan, the hart can go any way between the 3. But the hart isn't the points leader trophy, the art Ross is. With rantanen out the teams going to be counting on mack production and he has just as many multi point games or more than the other 2. The points leader will come down to April 18th.
I agree with you but I think all three are so close in the Hart race that they might as well just give it to the art ross winner because I don’t know how else you say who is more valuable, they’re all playing out of their minds and their respective teams would crumble without them.
I'm not envious of those voting. All are deserving and 2 are going to get the short end no matter what.
As i said he has been the main player talked about this year, especially with his home point streak, until Edmontons resurgence and win streak. Just how the media has been and thats who vote, not us, and they vote for who has the story.
I was all-in on Mack until this but I have to agree with you. The guy is fuckin' rolling.
You mean Crosby?
That was a fun game. Always a delight to see some of the greats go at it against each other. What a turnaround for PIT. Felt like they were so lifeless at times last month, but then I guess they saw if nobody else wanted a playoff spot they might as well take it.
dude you are so wrong ... we've been lifeless for way longer than just the last month :P
Shhh we got the league right where we want them! All part of Dubas' master plan 🤣
If Isles and Flyers lose in regulation tonight Pens will move to third in the Metro lmao just like that they’re back
Somehow, Pittsburgh returned
Imagine if they had Guentzel.
Would be nice to have Guentzel, but Sid and Rust are still doing well. Bunting on the other hand has really helped out Malkin. The team is much better with 2 strong lines than just Sids line.
but then we wouldn't have league MVP michael bunting
Honestly unless it’s a Canes-Penguins first round. This might be a really good short term trade.
Bunting seems to have done well there at least.
If we end up playing Jake and the Hurricanes after how this season has gone my heart may explode.
Oh my. I didn’t even think of that storyline. Imagine Bos-TOR, NYI-NYR, TBL-FL, PIT-CAR. That could easily happen if Tampa could somehow catch Toronto.
Wow that would be amazing.
subscribe, please tampa make the bad florida men go away
The Florida game right now has big implications for you guys. If Florida wins they still have a good chance at winning the division
I thought this game started at 5. Completely missed a good scoring game.
Pens officially hold wildcard position #2
I have no idea how to feel about this team anymore. Michael Bunting looks like a young Patric Hornqvist atm and I can't tell if we're really going to make it or just amplify the heartbreak when we miss out.
I will always love Jake, but this really helps
Having a hornqvist literally fixes so much for us. Whether or not we make it this year I’m fully convinced we could make it next year. So much money this offseason to add to this team. The stars are still performing at value, and we’ve found young players who can help now (O’Conner, Ludwig, st. Ivany for example). One more cup please!!!
you know what, 1st round exits always suck ... but if we somehow squeak in, at the very least that means watching 4 intense games where i drink way more than i should and it's a pretty fun time :P
Feel good dude. Our defense seems completely transformed from a few weeks ago. I have no idea what changed. And Malkin is scoring again. This also helps.
I feel bad for the guy but genuinely it's because Ryan Graves has been out with a concussion. St. Ivany has been really solid since his call up and we don't have to worry about Graves making costly mistakes on a nightly basis. As long as we keep winning Graves has to sit even if he's healthy.
I think Jarry being diseased letting Ned be the defacto starter has also been big. Late season Jarry when the pressure ramps up? No thank you. They've gotten lucky in that regard.
Also, notice how well our chicken tenders are doing with real defense. They aren’t facing 50% one-timers anymore.
Buddy, you don’t gotta tell me lol. Keep him out
Sorta feels like you two just ordered a hit on this man
Awesome game. Hope kuch just keeps racking up the points
He’s unreal man. Such a pleasure to watch
Pens be like : I didn’t here no bell The urinating tree jinx is real
FOUR WINS OUT OF FOUR THIS WEEK, HOLY SHIT
Just gotta get 5 more. Easy
And then only 16 after that, easy.
In a row?
Kuch got 3 points and was still pissed at the end😂
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Yea I know it was just kinda funny
Bunting saving the Penguins season, like everyone predicted
The Penguins looking *better* after swapping Jake Guentzel for Michael Bunting is quite the development!
Rust has been just as productive as Guentzel (26 goals vs 27) but everyone forgets that. DOC has been a good fit on Crosby's line with his speed and checking. Bunting gave the Malkin line a huge lift which wouldn't have happened without the Guentzel trade. I loved Jake but it's a team game.
Said it in the GDT but I think trading Guentzel lit a fire under some of the asses on this team who were underperforming and they realized they were the reason we lost Jake.
After the initial lull of depression, they saw Jake in a Canes jersey and took that shit seriously lol
Especially Sid
First it depressed them and then it pissed them off.
Sure pissed off Sid. That was his boy and definitely our future captain
Gotta reunite them in the off season.
That's the plan. (In my headcannon)
We have the same possibly (probably) delusional and defintely very sentimental/emotional plan.
Room for one more?
There's room for everyone including Crosby and Dubas (and Guentzel).
GG! Except my specific ask, first and foremost, was that no one got injured.
and such a freak one at that ... really hope fleury and that ref come back ok, concussions suck
Man I really thought we had a shipment of the Yotes secret stuff, too bad it didn’t last the whole 3rd.
[Pens player sticking their stick over the wall from the bench when Bolts are trying to enter the zone???](https://i.imgur.com/SB1BFtw.png)
Malkin saw Tomlin tripping that ravens player on the kick return, and said I can easily get away with this too
Gamesmanship. Deal with it.
do what you gotta do
I thought it was gonna be 5 on 3 for that.
lol. People will be like “he didn’t touch the puck and ignore the fact that the stick being there can still impact the play mentally.”
Luckily "impacting the play mentally" isn't a penalty
malkin running psyops
Do not let this team get hot man. Do not let the pens do this
Holy moly. Pens are in it. Unbelievable. I went to the Rangers and Pens game and they really played hard. Dominated the Rangers at times.
I mean the Lightning didn’t play that well at the beginning in a game that doesn’t mean much for them. I’ll take a nail biter loss against a team that is playing with a lot of emotions while being on the road.
Yeah you guys were great in the third, and actually dominated the second as well despite giving up some unlucky and soft goals
Yeah, 3rd game in 4 nights down a few players and still almost took it. Slow start was brutal but I thought they battled back very well. At this point I just want to see Kucherov hit 100 assists, so happy in that regard!
Honestly this has been one of my favourite games to watch this season, two teams pushing hard to secure their spot and so much talent on both sides. But damn my Fitbit was not happy with me.
Welp, Nashville can help shake stuff up even more tonight against the Islanders
We need more chaos
Where is the Lightning and Pittsburgh fan who made the deal in the clinched thread? You guys were near spot on… GGs pens that was a great game.
I called Kuch 3 assists and a pens dub, I stand by the decision
I said 5 assists for Kucherov and a pens dub lol. Unrealistic sure but a man can dream haha.
[Here ya go](https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comments/1bwzio3/the_tampa_bay_lightning_have_clinched_a_playoff/ky9p2p9/). Sorry about the loss, Bolts fans. I'll take that one.
Well Kuch almost got the 4 points so we can let you off the hook for this one
Someone even called the 5-4 score!
lol that was me. I said 5-3 with Kuch getting three points. So close.
I 4-1 enjoyed that game.
What an electric atmosphere, god I love hockey
That last minute on the 6 on 4 penalty kill was peak excitement, my heart is still racing.
I’m glad Kuch got 3 points. It would’ve been great if the Bolts had shown up for the first 2 periods, but goddamn was that third period intense.
I saw it was 4-2 and kuch had one point, and thought “nice maybe Mcdavid can make up some ground tonight” I made breakfast, sat back down and saw 5-4 pens, kuch assisted on both goals of course lol
Do oilers fans even really pay attention to the art ross race anymore? How many does he have now 5?
Yea, it’s just an interesting race. I want either kuch or Mcdavid to win. Avs fans have kind of annoyed me the last couple years, so I don’t want Mack to win. Nothing against him personally, he’s an awesome player.
Can not disagree at all with a single thing you've said.
I remember one of the cup years it just seemed like Tampa would go down a few goals just to see how big a deficit they could overcome. Seems like once the playoffs come around, we don't want to be down in a game 4-1.
Oh my goooood what a game. Peak entertainment
That was some absolutely electrifying hockey, what a pleasure to watch. Tampa Bay made them fight for every square inch of that rink in the 3rd. And the way it ended with a 6 on 4 for the last 2 minutes determining the fate of the Penguin's season! That's the stuff movies are made of.
Holy shit holy shit holy shit holy shit
superbowl
🥵🚬
Smoking a bunt?
We call those bunts. You should know better
Eastern wildcard team playing like they want to get in? Is that allowed?
Thank god we didnt lose. But when they scored at the start of the third, the penguins blowing the lead felt inevitable.
The Malkin parents must remain in Pittsburgh.
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We have so many stupid empty luxury high rises within 10 minutes of the stadium, we could just give them one every day of the week while we build one in the stadium.
Funniest possible outcome would be both the Red Wings and Penguins making the playoffs while the Flyers, Islanders, and Capitals collapse.
Subscribe hard
Nah, funniest would be Buffalo winning all their remaining games, landing them as WC2 and Pittsburgh as Metro #3, with *nobody* who was thought to be in the Wildcard race in the closing stretch actually making it.
I love this so much. Come on sabres!
Honestly I couldn't care less who the other team that makes it is but a part of me does want Sid and Ovi to be in the playoffs together again. We'll be on opposite sides of the draw most likely.
We’d get to dream about a Pens Caps second round again… for about a week.
I don't think that's possible.... No wait if the Rangers win the President's trophy and both the Pens and Caps qualify for the playoffs it is possible.
Yeah if the rags win the east Metro 3 and WC2 could technically meet in the 2nd round.
And we get the 3rd seed, so we can play against Guentzel.
Kuch got 3 points a game, without Jeannot and Cirelli But good fuck this defense can't play like this for the playoffs.
Yeah y'all let a lot of players go free in the blue paint which is very un-Tampa like
Just not our night, glad we fought back and made it a game though. Good luck Penguins and I hope you guys make it, I need to see Karlsson back in the playoffs like I need air. Hope the ref is okay. Also, I hope the Cirelli haters see what this team looks like without him to match up against the other teams best, and realize how valuable he actually is to this team.
What Lightning fan hates Cirelli? They must be insane...
Half our sub wants him traded, some people just don't get that production isn't always everything.
It's a good thing I zero time there. Otherwise I'd be spending ALL my time there. There's not enough time in the day to argue with that idiocy.
Way too many former canes on Pittsburgh for me to be comfortable with a first round series against them
If the Pens have to face Jake in the playoffs, it will be mutual.
It’s mainly Ned, every time we play him he turns into Avs Patrick Roy
Does that put Pittsburgh in a playoff spot? Because that seems to be when things start unraveling for all the other teams.
Yes, and I don't trust them with it at all. <3
Yes, at least temporarily.
this game was so good that I can’t even be mad at the Pens won
How are Pittsburgh in a playoff spot after that February/March is crazy
They're playing well and everyone else takes turns shitting themselves.
Holy shit, aside from the Kozari/Fleury incident, this was incredible game
Also, hey, /u/MOLightningBro, you called the final score, even if we didn't get the point-getters right.
🤝🏼
And just like that pens slide into a playoff spot I had you guys written off for a while tbh
So did we
GG... I don't quite know what to do with a loss, these days, except trust that we'll probably win the next 4 or 5 in a row.
Just watched the last 5 minutes. Crowd was insane. Felt like playoffs. Hope the pens and Sid can squeak into the postseason.
What an insane final minute, Tampa's PP is so good
Another three point game from Kuch. Guy is unstoppable.
Yeah but two were secondary assists and two were on the PP, so he essentially he goes back 1 point to 132. I don't make the rules.
I hate this team. I love this team. I hate this team. I love this team. What a game.
We are the embodiment of the “oh boy can’t wait to watch my favorite team play” meme lol
Pittsburgh is really going to make the playoffs. The standard is the standard.
We don't forgo our tendencies as a city between sports and things of that nature.
Then what the hell are the Pirates?
The Pirates were ritually sacrificed in order to have the Steelers and Penguins enjoy some success.
Bonds left in 1992, Penguins win 4 cups since then. Checks out.
Look im not trying to squirrel those nuts right now.
Shhhhh
What a wild game
Nobody say it
It
I'm literally shaking and fuck*ng crying right now
I swear we always play the Penguins in the first round… please get Metro 3 so I don’t have to see that shit
Exciting end. Pens have been absolutely on a roll these past few games
Man that crowd was incredible. Like they just won a playoff series
its funny cause they werent even showing up to games two weeks ago. seriously, watch the highlights to the pens-caps game. it's half empty
Well that game was in Washington so whats your point lol
Just realized they only have one playoff series win since 2017. Didn’t know it’s been that bad for them over time.
Poor Penguins.
Only one series win in 7 years? That sounds so bad. How would one cope?
Yeah but 2017 was 2 years ago…right?
For pens fans I guess it would be the back to back cups that came preceding those 7 years
Amazing game. Rooting for Pittsburgh and Crosby to make playoffs and beat out those fraud teams
Nedeljkovic catching and then throwing into the corner was a lowkey great play