Pittsburgh Penguins’ Round Two MVPs
The Pittsburgh Penguins are off to the third round of playoffs after knocking out the Washington Capitals. It was a tough series, but some guys really stood out.
The Eastern Conference Final begins tomorrow night, following only a short period of rest for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They finished off the Washington Capitals just a couple of days ago in six games.
Though that series was hard-fought and far more evenly matched than round one against the New York Rangers, a couple players really stood out. Several guys had to step up to the plate in the absence of players like Kris Letang and Olli Maatta, while others had to carry the scoring when Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin couldn’t find the back of the net.
Matt Murray was strong in the net. But that’s becoming a tired refrain by now (in the best of ways, of course!). Head coach Mike Sullivan trusted in the young goalie to get them through the Capitals and he did just that. Murray shows no signs of being overworked or under pressure, which is more than we could have asked for.
Admittedly, we’re getting spoiled with our goalies. Murray’s lived up to all the hype and that doesn’t even make him a standout player on this roster anymore. But credit where credit’s due – he’s done amazing.
Trevor Daley is a player who really helped make that happen. When Letang was suspended for a game, Daley was the main player who was called on to eat up his minutes. Not many people had hope in the Pens to win the game without Letang, but Daley was more than up to the task.
In that same game, he also scored a goal and posted a +3 while playing nearly 30 minutes. Not only does that show how good the Pens’ conditioning is up and down the lineup, but it also is proof that this is a special team. The mental game is almost as important as the physical game, and when these Pens believe they can do something, they almost always can.
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Patric Hornqvist also made an impact, giving the Penguins their first overtime win in eight playoff games. That gave them the momentum and mindset to win another – which happened to be the series winner.
The top lines failed to produce to the level they should, but Hornqvist was really the most reliable of any of them. His gritty netfront presence often hides just how good of a scorer he actually is.
The whole third line was the most effective overall, in my opinion. That was pretty evident in the final game where all four goals came from the combination of Nick Bonino, Phil Kessel, and Carl Hagelin. Bonino actually did a great job throughout the series, scoring the series winning goal.
Bonino was also effective on the penalty kill, a crucial thing against the strong Caps’ powerplay.
Kessel had been the subject of scrutiny for not playing up to his full potential, but he’s put that to rest. “Phil the Thrill” scored the first two goals of the final game and put up quite a few points throughout the series. In fact, he’s first in the league for powerplay goals scored during the playoffs, with four.
The third player on the line, Hagelin, has had a bit of trouble actually converting on goals, but he’s had a lot of close calls. He also scored in game six, on the powerplay, and has been a clutch player since his acquisition – scoring seven game-winning goals. One of those came during the Washington series.
Honorable mention, as always, goes to Old Man Matt Cullen. He was dominant on faceoffs against the Capitals, especially must-win ones in the defensive zone. It’s just a bonus that he’s continuing to put up points.
On the other hand, I’m going to give Chris Kunitz the anti-MVP award. Though he did score a goal against the Capitals, he also took a few dumb penalties that led to Washington goals – especially in the last game.
Related Story: Pittsburgh Penguins' Round One MVPs
The Penguins will need to avoid unnecessary penalties like those in this upcoming series if they want to make it through. Additionally, these players will not only need to contribute playing at this level but the others who haven’t quite been clicking yet will have to step up. The Pens are in a good place right now, but it can always get better.
Game one against the Tampa Bay Lightning is Friday night at 8 pm.