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Pittsburgh Penguins: The Blame Game

By Matthew Rodrigopulle

May 23, 2017; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ian Cole (28) battles with Ottawa Senators left wing Viktor Stalberg (24) for control of the puck in the third period of game six in the Eastern Conference Final of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
May 23, 2017; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ian Cole (28) battles with Ottawa Senators left wing Viktor Stalberg (24) for control of the puck in the third period of game six in the Eastern Conference Final of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Pittsburgh Penguins have been tearing through the playoffs, yet they face another game seven tonight against the Ottawa Senators.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have face many obstacles and losses in addition to their many wins. And one thing has come to my attention. It seems as though there are many reasons as to why many people think there are faults in the Penguins success.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins /

Pittsburgh Penguins

Well let’s take a look at some things that people feel are the causes of the Penguins losses. As we may see, not all of them are exactly to blame.

Marc-Andre Fleury is not Matt Murray

I have constantly seen this throughout the playoffs whenever the Penguins suffer a loss. We lost Matt Murray before the playoffs even began, and as a result, Marc-Andre Fleury had to come in cold.

Although Fleury had a few bad games, he was overall an effective goaltender and showed that he can still perform at a high level. In fact, he currently holds a .924% save percentage in 15 starts, showing that he actually played rather well.

Either way, whenever the Penguins suffered a loss, it was easy to point fingers at him. “We need Matt Murray” is what many people have said. However, they fail to realize Fleury is still an outstanding goaltender at his age.

Despite the fact that Murray is finally back, he has not played all that excellently either. Either way, I believe we have two excellent goaltenders who do a fantastic job holding down the team.

Injuries

OK, even I’ll admit I’ve used this as an excuse before. It seems as thought injuries have been the story of the Penguins season. We have suffered many injuries and have had key players out. Despite this, we have still been able to be one of the best teams in hockey.

Using this as an excuse is easy. But is it really correct? I mean, of course if everyone was healthy we’d be way better, but is the team in front of us really that bad? I think we still have what it takes to go all the way no matter what.

No Need for Excuses

I really don’t think we need to make excuses for our team. Our team is so well built that we’ve been making little excuses for every loss. I believe this team can lead us to glory.

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Of course they will have bad games, but the blame has to stop. It’s a team effort after all, and we’ll win together.

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