Party on Fifth Ave.

[redsox907]

Fuck McDavid. Get that trophy brodie

[Captain Canada]

3 vs. 5 PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA Boeser pots two as Crosby-less Pens slip past Oilers, claim Game 1 on home ice GAME SUMMARY As soon as the puck was dropped between Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Pittsburgh Penguins star veteran center Evgeni Malkin, it was known that the league was in for a riveting and action-packed Stanley Cup Finals. The two teams battled to a deadlock in the first period, trading chances that were swept aside by goalies Stuart Skinner and John Gibson. Malkin would take two costly penalties early, tripping up McDavid on his second shift of the game, but the Pens' ever-improving penalty kill unit proved stout. The opening goal wouldn't come until more than halfway through the game when Oilers' depth forward Travis Dermott snuck one past Gibson after a clever feed from veteran Corey Perry, going low blocker side on Gibson after a defensive lapse. Less than a minute later, PPG Paints Arena would be back on their feet after Rickard Rakell ripped up the right side into the Oilers' defensive zone and sniped one past Skinner, tying the game up. It wouldn't be tied for long as the goals continued to come in droves, as former first overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins regained the lead, taking a feed into the slot from Viktor Arvidsson and putting one past a floundering John Gibson, who couldn't get across in time. About four minutes later, Brock Boeser tied things up once again, scoring his eighth goal of the playoffs, finishing off a 2-on-1 rush feed from Trevor Zegras. Defenseman Matt Grzelycyk would give the Pens' their first lead of the game with only two seconds to spare, sniping one from the point after a point-to-point feed from defensive linemate Jack St. Ivany. "We showed no quit whatsoever," commented head coach Mike Sullivan. "We've seen so many times that when we get pressed against the wall, we fold. We didn't do that today. We walked into the third period with our heads high, knowing another wave was coming. I'm proud of our sense of fight." After killing off Malkin's unfortunate third penalty of the night, the Oilers would knot things up once again with Nugent-Hopkins' second of the game and sixth of the playoffs. Boeser would give the team the lead once again, proving why he was such a clutch acquisition at the trade deadline, tipping a Matt Grzelcyk-slapshot from the point past Stuart Skinner. Evgeni Malkin would ice the game with an empty net marker, putting to bed a game he would ultimately like to forget after three unfortunate penalties. "Need to keep more disciplined, and lead a bit better. I can't do anything from the penalty box." Malkin commented after the game. The Penguins managed to stay alive without their captain Sidney Crosby and survive the waves of the Oilers' speedy and relentless offense behind an outstanding effort from goalie John Gibson. The team has remained quiet on whether Crosby will in fact be available for Game 2. Rookie forward Rutger McGroarty will be a game-time decision for the Penguins after not finishing the game with an upper body injury. SCORING SUMMARY 1st Period NO SCORING 2nd Period 10:47 - Travis Dermott (1) Assisted by: Corey Perry 11:30 - Rickard Rakell (7) Assisted by: Boone Jenner & Bryan Rust 12:18 - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (5) Assisted by: Viktor Arvidsson & Evander Kane 15:41 - Brock Boeser (8) Assisted by: Trevor Zegras & Erik Karlsson 19:58 - Matt Grzelcyk (2) Assisted by: Jack St. Ivany & Boone Jenner 3rd Period 6:29 - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (6) Assisted by: Evander Kane 7:09 - Brock Boeser (9) Assisted by: Matt Grzelcyk & Trevor Zegras 19:19 - Evgeni Malkin (7) Assisted by: Brock Boeser & Matt Grzelcyk Goaltending Matchup vs. Stuart Skinner - 25 saves on 29 shots | John Gibson - 31 saves on 34 shots

[Captain Canada]

1 vs. 5 PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA Crosby returns, teams up with Boeser as Pens take strong 2-0 lead in dominant Game 2 effort GAME SUMMARY "We're playing like we've never been here before - enough is enough." Those were the sentiments of Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid after the Oilers dropped Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 5-1. The Oilers, in their second consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, will hope to right the ship and steal at least one game when they return to Canada for Game 3 in Rogers Arena. The Oilers hoped to split the series' first two games with Penguins captain Sidney Crosby out for the first game with an upper body injury. Crosby returned to the lineup for Game 2, slotting back in between wingers Trevor Zegras and Brock Boeser. He didn't miss a single beat, collecting two assists in his first game of this year's Finals. "It wasn't fun watching from the press box, but I knew I would have been a liability out there had I forced it," Crosby commented during the Penguins' post-game press availability. "I trusted the guys to hold down the fort until I could feel good enough to be a contributing member of the team. We're feeling good where we're currently at, but the job isn't finished yet. This is a really talented team that has overcome a lot of adversity that we're playing, so we can't let out foot off the gas just yet." Evgeni Malkin opened the scoring late in the first period, beating Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner off a narrow-angled shot that clanged off the post and then off his pad before sneaking past the red line. Malkin struggled in Game 1, drawing three different penalties that the Oilers were unable to capitalize on. Brock Boeser picked up his 10th goal of the playoffs, as well as his third of the Finals thanks to a slick, backhanded pass from Crosby to set Boeser up perfectly to rip one past Skinner. Not even a minute later, Blake Lizotte was sprung for a breakaway, sneaking behind the Oilers' defense and capitalizing with a perfectly placed shot to push the Penguins' lead to 3-0. The Penguins capitalized on one of their few powerplay opportunities of the Finals so far after Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was called for a slashing minor. Crosby found Boeser yawning in front of the net, giving him his second of the game and his playoff-leading 11th marker of the game. The Oilers had some life breathed back into them after their pair of superstars - McDavid and forward Leon Draisaitl - linked up for a goal to cut into the Penguins' lead late in the second period. This would end up being their lone goal of the game. Erik Karlsson would open the third period by racing up the right side into the Oilers' defensive zone, sliding a slick forehand-backhand shot past Skinner to push the Pens to a 5-1 win. The team is expecting to show the same lineup for their first game on the road for Game 3, although injured forward Rutger McGroarty is expected to travel to Edmonton with the team. SCORING SUMMARY 1st Period 19:50 - Evgeni Malkin (8) Assisted by: Bryan Rust & Erik Karlsson 2nd Period 12:42 - Brock Boeser (10) Assisted by: Sidney Crosby & Erik Karlsson 13:34 - Blake Lizotte (2) Assisted by: Sam Poulin & Erik Karlsson 16:21 - Brock Boeser (11) Assisted by: Sidney Crosby [PP] 17:36 - Leon Draisaitl (6) Assisted by: Connor McDavid & Zach Hyman 3rd Period 0:48 - Erik Karlsson (3) Assisted by: None Goaltending Matchup vs. Stuart Skinner - 28 saves on 33 shots | John Gibson - 25 saves on 26 shots

[Captain Canada]

4 vs. 5 Rogers Arena, Edmonton, AB McDavid's 4-point night powers Oilers' insane comeback, Hyman pots OT winner GAME SUMMARY Pittsburgh Penguins' head coach Mike Sullivan was shaking his head at the podium during his post-game media availability. Clearly distressed, he took a deep breath, and spoke into the microphone: "That's why he's one of the best players to ever walk this Earth - his ability to just take over a game." The Edmonton Oilers managed to scramble back into the Stanley Cup Finals with a key Game 3 victory in overtime. On home ice, the Oilers clawed their way back from a 4-1 deficit to win 5-4 in overtime thanks to an early Zach Hyman marker to clinch the victory from the jaws of defeat. Captain Connor McDavid has a dominant performance, with two goals and two assists - including setting up Hyman for the game-winner - as the clear-cut First Star of the Night. Bryan Rust and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby would open the scoring early in the first period with a crisp, two-on-one opportunity that Crosby managed to slap past Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner. Oilers forward Jeff Skinner, a veteran despite his severe lack of playoff experience, would tie things up with an impressive solo effort, dancing past Pens defenseman Kris Letang before an impressive wrist shot beat John Gibson blocker side. Pittsburgh would respond immediately and in full, with two quick goals from Philip Tomasino and a point slap shot that flamed past Skinner from Jack St. Ivany - his second of the playoffs set up by Crosby. Rookie Ville Koivunen would clang one off the post and in to open the second period, pushing the Penguins' lead over the Oilers to 4-1. And then everything would fall apart when 97 for the Oilers got going. Lifting the stick of defenseman Matt Grzelcyk in an attempt to clear the zone, McDavid would score on a give-and-go opportunity from Zach Hyman, cutting the lead to 4-2 late in the second period. The Oilers' full-frontal assault would continue into the final period of regulation time. McDavid would pick up his 10th goal of the playoffs to open the third period before penalty troubles would sink the Pens' ability to ward off the Edmonton Oilers' comeback attempt. Evander Kane would pot his fifth of the playoffs off an impressive feed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The two teams would fight to a standstill, forcing extra time. Under four minutes into the extra frame, despite impressive chances from both Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Zach Hyman would pot one past a floundering Gibson, stealing Game 3 and giving Edmonton some much-needed breathing room as they try and get back into this series. SCORING SUMMARY 1st Period 4:59 - Sidney Crosby (5) Assisted by: Bryan Rust & Rickard Rakell 7:51 - Jeff Skinner (4) Assisted by: Travis Dermott & Brett Kulak 8:16 - Philip Tomasino (3) Assisted by: Emil Bemstrom & Matt Grzelcyk 14:58 - Jack St. Ivany (2) Assisted by: Sidney Crosby & Brock Boeser 2nd Period 10:39 - Ville Koivunen (2) Assisted by: Sam Poulin & Ivan Provorov 17:30 - Connor McDavid (9) Assisted by: Zach Hyman 3rd Period 2:25 - Connor McDavid (10) Assisted by: Zach Hyman & Evan Bouchard 6:03 - Evander Kane (5) Assisted by: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins & Connor McDavid Overtime 3:46 - Zach Hyman (7) Assisted by: Connor McDavid & Darnell Nurse Goaltending Matchup vs. Stuart Skinner - 34 saves on 38 shots | John Gibson - 26 saves on 31 shots

[Captain Canada]

2 vs. 4 Rogers Arena, Edmonton, AB Pens' offense dries up at worst time, Oilers knot series all up at two wins a piece GAME SUMMARY The Edmonton Oilers have demonstrated that when it comes to the Stanley Cup, anything can happen. All one has to do is take it one game at a time. After their 4-2 victory in Game 4, the Oilers have tied the series 2-2, heading back to Pittsburgh for a best-of-three series to decide the next Stanley Cup champion. "We knew it was important to be heading back [to Pittsburgh] with this series tied up," commented captain Connor McDavid, who scored his 11th goal of the playoffs, bringing his total to seven points through four games in these Finals thus far. "This is a whole new series for us, and we have to like how we're playing right now. We're playing winning hockey." The Oilers would open the scoring after taking advantage of their powerplay after Penguins' defenseman Jack St. Ivany took a tripping penalty midway through the first period. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tipped a point shot from defenseman Evan Bouchard, beating goalie John Gibson down low after the misdirection. The Penguins would strike back immediately behind the strength of Evgeni Malkin's solo effort, picking up a crisp pass for rookie defenseman Owen Pickering and using a quick release to sneak one past Stuart Skinner for his ninth marker of the playoffs. McDavid's 11th goal of the playoffs would come in the dying seconds of the first period, when he would come bearing down on Gibson and beating him with his quick hands. "His ability to generate such speed through the neutral zone is unfathomable," said veteran defenseman and alternate captain Kris Letang. "You can't get caught skating backwards against a guy like that in transition or he's just going to rip past you. We need to do more when it comes to limiting his opportunities transitioning from offense to defense." After a deadlocked second period where the Oilers turned away key chances from both sniper Brock Boeser and Penguins' playoff stat leader Trevor Zegras both being robbed by Skinner, Evander Kane would push the Penguins' deficit to two with his sixth goal of the game, going top shelf on an unassuming John Gibson, who couldn't track the puck behind a screen. Erik Karlsson would score his fourth goal of playoffs with a slapshot from the blueline that just trickled through Stuart Skinner that thought he had possession of the puck. It would all be for naught, however, after Evan Bouchard put the game on ice after the Penguins were unable to utilize the empty net extra skater successfully. "We need to get back to playing simple hockey," said head coach Mike Sullivan. "We need our stars to play like stars. We need to take care of the puck and make more crisp passes through the neutral zone. We need to take advantage of our opportunities, and we need to stay out of the goddamn penalty box. We do that, and we would have won four games by now. We need to return home, and focus on winning one game. We play sound, and no one can skate with us." SCORING SUMMARY 1st Period 15:10 - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (7) Assisted by: Evan Bouchard & Connor McDavid [PP] 17:37 - Evgeni Malkin (9) Assisted by: Owen Pickering 19:14 - Connor McDavid (11) Assisted by: Viktor Arvidsson & Zach Hyman [PP] 2nd Period NO SCORING 3rd Period 7:19 - Evander Kane (6) Assisted by: Viktor Arvidsson & Brett Kulak 17:02 - Erik Karlsson (4) Assisted by: Evgeni Malkin & Brock Boeser [PP] 19:18 - Evan Bouchard (2) Assisted by: None [EN] Goaltending Matchup vs. Stuart Skinner - 29 saves on 31 shots | John Gibson - 31 saves on 35 shots

[JohnStJohn1987]

Just read through this man. As a Die-hard Sharks fan, I've always had love for Crosby and company. That 2016 Stanley Cup Finals was awesome to watch. When I first started getting into Hockey, the first Cup Finals I ever watched was the Red Wings-Penguins 2008 Finals. This is probably why I'm a fan of Crosby haha. Nothing but love for Pittsburgh man.

Great job tearing through the Season and the Eastern Conference. God damn, the Avalanche had 66 wins?? Seems like this Edmonton-Pittsburgh Cup final is going to be a grind. Especially since they just tied it up.

Grind out 2 more wins man!

[Captain Canada]

Just read through this man. As a Die-hard Sharks fan, I've always had love for Crosby and company. That 2016 Stanley Cup Finals was awesome to watch. When I first started getting into Hockey, the first Cup Finals I ever watched was the Red Wings-Penguins 2008 Finals. This is probably why I'm a fan of Crosby haha. Nothing but love for Pittsburgh man.

Great job tearing through the Season and the Eastern Conference. God damn, the Avalanche had 66 wins?? Seems like this Edmonton-Pittsburgh Cup final is going to be a grind. Especially since they just tied it up.

Grind out 2 more wins man!

Appreciate you checking in, man. That Sharks/Penguins Finals was something else. Those teams were so stacked. The 2008 Finals was peak as well. The amount of Hall of Fame talent on those teams just to run it back the next year was spectacular.

I truly believe in this game, the only team that we would be considered the underdog against was Colorado, so seeing them get folded really shook things up. Oilers made this one hell of a series though, McDavid has gone nuclear. Back in Pittsburgh now, we’ll see if we can snag the all important Game 5.

[Captain Canada]

3 vs. 6 PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA Crosby turns back the clock, leads Pens to huge Game 5 victory GAME SUMMARY "We talk a whole lot about Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Auston Matthews about this new generation of faces that sort of run the league," commented sports analyst and former Penguin Colby Armstrong. "But I promise you, Sidney Crosby stills runs this league. We all just live here. Tonight, he proved it one more time." The Pittsburgh Penguins returned home to PPG Paints Arena, and dominated the Edmonton Oilers in an all-important Game 5, winning the game 6-3 thanks to a legendary game from their captain, Sidney Crosby. Fellow superstar Evgeni Malkin also scored early, his 10th goal of the playoffs to prove the old[er] guys still got a trick or two up their sleeve. The Penguins will be able to win the Stanley Cup next game, being up 3-2 in the series. Evander Kane - having one of the most electric and explosive Stanley Cup Finals in this series so far - opened the scoring after a slick feed from linemate Viktor Arvidsson to collect his seventh goal of the playoffs. Malkin would connect with Rickard Rakell midway through the first period - a booming slapshot from between the faceoff circles ripping past a late Oilers goalie, Stuart Skinner. The second period would be where the majority of the action unfolded, with Emil Bemstrom opening the scoring nine minutes into the second period but Sidney Crosby picked up his sixth goal of the playoffs two minutes later; tipping a Matt Grzeclyk-slapshot from the point with insane precision. Rookie Ville Koivunen would add insult to injury, ripping a wrist shot off the far post and in to pick up his third of the playoffs - two of which have come in the Finals. Bryan Rust would link up with Crosby on a two-on-one rush during four-on-four play after both teams took penalties before Crosby pulled off some magic and dangled his way through the Oilers' defense before faking out Skinner to slip his second of the game past the floundering netminder. Connor McDavid would make things a bit more manageable, continuing his utter dominance to collect his 12th goal of the playoffs on a breakaway sprung by linemate Zach Hyman. Evander Kane would collect his second, ripping one off the crossbar and in to make the score look a little friendlier five seconds before the final buzzer went. The two teams will return to Canada in 48 hours, as the Oilers look to force Game 7. SCORING SUMMARY 1st Period 6:06 - Evander Kane (7) Assisted by: Viktor Arvidsson 14:13 - Evgeni Malkin (10) Assisted by: Rickard Rakell & Owen Pickering 2nd Period 9:07 - Emil Bemstrom (1) Assisted by: Kris Letang 11:18 - Sidney Crosby (6) Assisted by: Matt Grzelcyk & Jack St. Ivany 14:51 - Ville Koivunen (3) Assisted by: Blake Lizotte & Ivan Provorov 18:09 - Bryan Rust (6) Assisted by: Sidney Crosby & Jack St. Ivany 19:16 - Sidney Crosby (7) Assisted by: Owen Pickering [SH] 19:52Connor McDavid (12) Assisted by: Zach Hyman & Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 3rd Period 19:55 - Evander Kane (8) Assisted by: Viktor Arvidsson & Jake Walman Goaltending Matchup vs. Stuart Skinner - 30 saves on 36 shots | John Gibson - 29 saves on 32 shots

[JohnStJohn1987]

Nice bounce back Game 5 win man! Loved Kane in San Jose. You got them on the ropes now, go for the KO!