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Pittsburgh Penguins Top Five Wins Countdown: #3

By FS Staff

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 07: Sidney Crosby #87"n talks with Phil Kessel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the game against the Washington Capitals in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena on May 7, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 07: Sidney Crosby #87"n talks with Phil Kessel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the game against the Washington Capitals in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena on May 7, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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At #3 in our countdown, we look at a Pittsburgh Penguins victory over their rival Flyers. A game where the Penguins controlled the controllables.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers (4-1 Victory) – February 11, 2019

When doing an experiment, there are always two groups. One is the “control group”, and the other is the “experimental group”. I’m going to show you how the control group for the Pens shined in this particular contest. Of course, this won’t perfectly relate to how the Penguins got the victory in this game, but hear me out.

For every roster in the NHL, you have the players who are expected to do great things (control group), and then you have the guys that are inconsistent, or just are not relied upon as much (experimental group). For Pittsburgh, the stars earned their title, and did what they are expected to do… shine.

It was a game that saw Matt Murray make FIFTY saves, which was his season high by a good margin this year. It was also a game where Sidney Crosby did what we all expect of him each night, as he would finish the game with a goal and 2 assists. And lastly it saw the Pens main defenseman, Kris Letang, have a great outing, registering 2 points in the game.

In the NHL, it is key to have your main players performing at a high level with consistency throughout the course of the season. The goal is for them to do it at such a high pace that it becomes nearly a guarantee that they are going to provide a certain statline each night: hence our comparison with experiments.

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Unfortunately for Pens fans, they did not have persistent great play from their control group when it mattered most, notably looking at Crosby finishing the Islander playoff series with just one point.

The Penguins entered this game on a four game losing streak, and were able to right the ship with this victory over Philadelphia. The Penguins needed their main players to do it, and those players rose to the occasion, which earned this game the #3 spot on our countdown of best wins of this season.

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