The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games in the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It was an intense, well-played series on both ends of the ice, but in the end the Pittsburgh Penguins were able to move on to the second round.
With the Penguins heading into round two against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals, let’s take a look at a few takeaways from the first round.
1) Marc-Andre Fleury Still Has It
Let’s rewind to the trade deadline really quickly, and remember how badly many people wanted Fleury to be traded. After all, his NTC makes him ineligible to be picked up in the upcoming expansion draft. This in turn would leave young goaltender Matt Murray unprotected for Las Vegas to take.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Well when Matt Murray suddenly got injured ahead of game one of the Penguins first round series, the team had to turn to Marc-Andre Fleury to save our goaltending. Thank goodness we didn’t end up trading him.
Fleury came up big in the first round. He made huge saves when needed and really kept the Penguins in close against a very strong Blue Jackets team.
Fleury may be 32 years old, but that age comes with experience. He has solidified himself as a playoff performer and he has shown that he still has his amazing skill.
2) Jake Guentzel is Clutch
Jake Guentzel was a call-up this season, and he really took control of his game. Playing on the Penguins first line with Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary, he rose to become one of the Penguins biggest offensive factors nearing the end of the season. What a pleasant surprise!
Well Guentzel showed that he’s not just a season-performer. He currently leads all players in goals in the first round with five goals. This total includes his game three performance which included a hat trick to win the game in overtime. Guentzel was so clutch that game that he almost single-handedly led the Penguins offence to a 5-4 win.
If Guentzel keeps this offensive play up, he may become the Penguins best player this playoffs. He definitely put up the first-round performance!
3) Injuries Bite–Hard
Seriously. If this regular season could be described by one word, it would be “injury.” And when we think we’ve suffered enough injuries heading into the playoffs, we lose our starting goaltender in Matt Murray.
Next: Marc-Andre Fleury Has to Come Up Big in Round 2
I don’t have much to say here, because I feel like I’ve written about so many injuries this season already. But injuries really sting. We have to hope the Penguins stay healthy, especially against the Washington Capitals.
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