Penguins Defeat Predators To Win Second Consecutive Stanley Cup

The Pittsburgh Penguins were the defending champions and entered the final playoffs against the Nashville Predators as the favorite.

The Predators won Games 1 & 2 of the Stanley Cup finals and it looked like they would run right through the Predators but the Predators showed a lot of fight by winning the next two games and leveling the score at 2-2.

The Penguins put up a brave front and stated that their experience of playing in finals will serve them in good stead and that is exactly what happened as the Penguins trounced the Predators with a 6-0 score in Game 5. That defeat gave them huge psychological advantage over the Predators and also made it a must-win game for them in order to push the playoffs into Game 7.

However on Sunday, the Predators held their nerve in Game 6 and scored 2 vital goals to clinch the game and in doing so secured the second consecutive Stanley Cup. The Penguins won the series 4-2 and created history by becoming the first NHL team to win back-to- back Stanley Cups after the salary cap was introduced.

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The Penguins had a great side with the likes of Kris Letang, Marc-Andre Fleury and Evgeni Malkin. Their standout player without a doubt was captain Sidney Crosby who led from the front and was once again named as the Most Valuable Player (MVP), making it the second consecutive year that Crosby has won the MVP award.

In a statement, Crosby said

You can’t match this. This is what it’s all about, and to be able to share that with a group of guys, and a lot of them guys that you’ve played a long time with and understand how difficult it is and what you’ve had to go through and that kind of thing, to share it with family and friends, you know, it’s just …

Penguins owner Mario Lemieux was thrilled that his side managed to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup and stated that it was a special moment for the side and the organization as it was something that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Speaking about Crosby’s performance and leadership during this year’s Stanley Cup, Lemieux stated that he was not only a phenomenal player but a serial winner who led from the front. Lemieux stated that in his opinion Crosby would go down as one of the top 5 players in NHL history.