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Pittsburgh Penguins Have to Prevent Blowing it All

By Matthew Rodrigopulle

May 6, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) skates with the puck against the Washington Capitals in game five of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
May 6, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) skates with the puck against the Washington Capitals in game five of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the Washington Capitals in game six and are now face a do or die situation heading into game seven.

The manner in which the Pittsburgh Penguins got to game seven is one that can pose a real problem. It seems as if 2016-2017 was the season of blown leads in the playoffs. The Golden State Warriors of the NBA blew a 3-1 series lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals. The Cleveland Indians also blew a 3-1 series lead as well to the Chicago Cubs in the World Series.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins /

Pittsburgh Penguins

The narrative of the year has been 3-1 leads blown. Well the Penguins had a 3-1 lead over the Capitals….and now it’s tied 3-3 heading into game seven. We’ve pretty much already blown a 3-1 lead, but if Washington eliminates us in game seven, it will become a living nightmare.

The 3-1 jokes came upon both of those teams throughout this year. Nobody thought it would spread to hockey, and if anything, nobody thought it would be done by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Well if the Penguins want to avoid living this nightmare, they better shape up quick. What should we do in game seven to prevent a blown lead?

Playing Our Game

We have to hit them where it hurts, and we know how to do that. We just need to play like we’ve been playing these entire playoffs, except for the last two games.

Fast offence is key. We need to beat them in speed right off the bat. If we can get the initial scoring touch, we can propel ourselves to victory.

We need a big game from our main guys. Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary may still not be 100%, but they should still be capable to bring it. We need Malkin, Kessel, and Hagelin to really perform the way they have been. We also need strong defence, especially from Justin Schultz.

Goaltendings Not the Problem

I’ve seen it enough today online. For some reason, people feel like Marc-Andre Fleury is to blame for the Penguins recent struggles, and they wish Matt Murray would come back sooner than later.

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Marc-Andre Fleury has been the backbone of this Penguins team throughout the playoffs. He has been playing excellently considering he came in cold, and he has excelled in so many ways that many are even considering him as an early Conn Smythe candidate.

Look at game six. How can you blame Fleury for letting in five goals when the Penguins offence barely really showed up until the final three minutes of the game? Fleury is not the problem, he is still the answer.

Next: Pittsburgh Penguins Have to Find a New Level of Play

The Penguins have a lot of things they must fix heading into game seven. This is crucial, but let’s prepare ourselves for the best.

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