Analysis: Seven musts for Penguins in Game 7
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The Penguins' Marc-Andre has a 2.77 goals-against average and .890 save percentage in these playoffs.
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The legacy of Game 7s spanning the Penguins' 44-year history, with the latest coming tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Consol Energy Center, would suggest a significant surprise is at hand.
Superstars scoring in the clutch?
In the franchise's only two Game 7s to go overtime, fringe forward David Volek ripped his infamous one-timer past Tom Barrasso in the New York Islanders' upset of 1993, and low-scoring defenseman Darius Kasparaitis did his belly-slide across the Buffalo ice after beating Dominik Hasek in 2001. In the only Game 7 in a Stanley Cup final, it was grinder Max Talbot producing all the offense two years ago in Detroit.
Home-ice advantage?
The Penguins are 7-5 all time in Game 7s, 2-5 in Pittsburgh, and they have not won one at home since May 18, 1995, a 3-0 shutout of the Washington Capitals. After that, they fell to Tom Fitzgerald and the Florida Panthers the following year, then to Mike Cammalleri and the Montreal Canadiens last spring.
In that context, here are seven things that likely need to happen for the Penguins to prevail in Game 7:
Game: Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 8:08 p.m., Consol Energy Center.
TV, radio, Internet: Root Sports, WXDX-FM (105.9), penguins.nhl.com.
Probable goaltenders: Marc-Andre Fleury for Penguins. Dwayne Roloson for Lightning.
Penguins: Are 7-5 all time in Game 7s. ... Are 1 for 30 on power play in series. ... D Kris Letang's 10 giveaways among most in postseason.
Lightning: Is 2-0 all time in Game 7s. ... Has outscored Penguins, 12-4, in past two games. ... RW Martin St. Louis is tied for postseason lead with eight points.
Of note: : With win, Penguins coach Dan Bylsma would clinch club-record sixth series win.
It was a different year, different team, even a different building, but many of the 18,087 filling the new place tonight surely will carry memories of Montreal's no-doubt 5-2 victory that silenced, then closed the Civic Arena on the evening of May 12.
First Published April 27, 2011 12:00 am
