There’s something to be said for a double overtime Game 7 with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line. The Penguins and Senators played over 85 minutes of hockey on Thursday, to the tune of a 3-2 victory for Pittsburgh.
NHL playoff scores 2017: Penguins head back to the Stanley Cup Final thanks to Chris Kunitz’s double overtime winner
Kunitz had two goals in the extremely exciting end to the Eastern Conference Final.
Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
Which, if you haven’t heard, has the Penguins back in the Stanley Cup Final for a second year in a row.
The Senators gave the Penguins everything they had. Pittsburgh led for the entire game, but with each score, Ottawa battled back. Chris Kunitz’s first of the evening was nullified 20 seconds later by Mark Stone. Then when Justin Schultz gave the Penguins the lead in the third, Ryan Dzingel tied it with less than six minutes to go in regulation.
Kunitz, however, had the last laugh. It took double overtime for it to happen, but the veteran sealed the win for Pittsburgh.
In a few days, the Penguins and Predators will face off in the Stanley Cup Final. Get your yellow ready, folks.
Scores
Penguins 3, Senators 2 (2OT)
Three Things We Learned
Hearts should break for Craig Anderson
Yes, that Craig Anderson. Who took time off to be with his wife Nicholle as she underwent cancer treatments. Anderson was by far and away the Senators best player this series, and he stopped 39 of 42 Penguins shots in the Game 7 loss. If that doesn’t tug at your heartstrings, here’s what he had to say after the loss.
Power plays could have decided the game, but didn’t
The referees wisely put their whistles away in Game 7, as they only called three penalties during the 85 minute affair. While the Senators did nothing on their two power plays, the Penguins promptly scored on their first and only chance in the third period that looked to be the game-winner until Dzingel’s goal.
Penguins fans were falsely led to believe their team scored, when they didn’t
At the end of the first overtime, Phil Kessel looked to score but the puck went off the top of the net. However, the in-arena folks in Pittsburgh only showed the top-down view of the play, which looked to be a goal. Obviously, Penguins fans were not pleased.
Impact Moment
Kunitz’s game-winner. Enough said.
Conn Smythe Watch
It’s hard to nominate Matt Murray as he only played a handful of games in this series and this postseason, but he did stop 27 of 29 Senators shots. Something to keep an eye on in the Stanley Cup Final for sure.
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