Last night the Pittsburgh Penguins brought to an end an important chapter for hockey in the city as the team played the final regular season game ever at the Igloo. The question now is how many playoff games will be seen before the final post season game is played there.

Facing off against the lowly New York Islanders, the stars looked align for a good night which started with commemorative tickers to all fans in attendance, then a ceremony celebrating all the great players who have skated on the arena’s ice and which fans hopes would end with a victory. Especially considering that there is still a chance for the Penguins to rise in the standings before the end of the season depending on what they and the Devils do.

Just 23 seconds in, Brooks Orpik (2) helped the Penguins stake out a 1-0 lead. At 5:01 Alex Goligoski (8) made it 2-0 on the power play. But the Penguins gave the Islanders a chance with a power play and the lead was cut to 2-1 just three and a half minutes later.

Evgeni Malkin (26) stretched the score to 3-1 with just under five minutes remaining but not even two minutes later the Islanders against scored to make it a 3-2 game. With just 58 seconds left in the first period however Sidney Crosby (49) notched another goal to make it a 4-2 contest.

Fleury, honestly looked shaky in net. When the second period resumed and with just about seven minutes gone the Islanders scored again to once again make it a one goal game and move the score to 4-3.

It took a while but the Penguins put the hammer down. Bill Guerin (20) added his twentieth of the season on the power play and two minutes later Mr. (Tyler) Kennedy (13) added another marker. When the smoke cleared at the end of the second, the score stood at Penguins 6 and the Islanders 3.

Bill Guerin (21) added goal number seven at 1:46 of the third and the Penguins cruised to a victory to put them back into a points wise tie with New Jersey in the Eastern Conference. However New Jersey holds all tie breakers.

Some people have been wondering when the Penguins, who frankly have looked like they were willing to sleep walk through the final month of the season were going to flip the switch and get serious after failing to put up much of a fight against teams like New Jersey and Washington. Well, honestly, it probably still hasn’t happened even though last night was a positive sign. And spare me please the stats about how the Penguins have won more than they have lost over the past thirty some odd days. Their record is not that good.

Since March 1st, by my count, this team is 10-5-4. Which is basically .500 in the win loss department when you properly count the over time and shoot out losses as what they are – losses. This team is 10-9. Not only are they 10-9 but the have lost to both New Jersey and Washington twice in that span. You know, important teams that they will have to face more likely than not come the playoffs?

But there were some good sings that this team actually has their fingers on that switch and are indeed ready to flip it and get serious. After a first period where the Penguins defense and goal tending (yes, Fleury is not playing well and highly at fault so stop making excuses for him about how the defense is letting him down) Fleury played like Fleury on a flurry of shots by the Islanders in the second where he had to stop three point blank shots. The last one he was badly out of position but still defending his net like the man that helped Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup.

The Penguins put their boots on the Islanders necks after this and never let them get up. Again, another problem the Penguins have had is letting teams stick around and not putting them away.

Two games remain. And neither are cake walks despite them being against Atlanta and the New York Islanders again. The Penguins need to build momentum and win both. Not just to convince fans that they are ready for another run at Lord Stanley’s cup but also to convince their opponents that the Penguins are a threat to win against anyone, anywhere and any time. And besides, there is still the chance to finish even higher in the standing at stake as well.

Down two games to none heading back to Pittsburgh the Penguins squeeze out a win to get within striking distance of the Red Wings. Sound familiar? It should because so far the end result of every game in this season’s Stanley Cup Final has been the same as last year. What has happened in each game however has been different.

The Penguins outplayed the Red Wings in Game 1 this year. Osgood stole the game. Last year the Penguins looked shell shocked and got shellacked.

Last year in Game 2 the Penguins improved but still did not outplay the Red Wings and lost. This year’s Game 2 was a push.

In Game 3 last year the Penguins played inspired on home ice and won. In Game 3 this year the Penguins didn’t play bad for 40 minutes and then dominated the final 20 minutes against a Red Wing’s team that looked beat up during the final frame. They also won this year.

Tomorrow night is Game 4 and it will determine, I think, who will win the series. Whomever wins Game 4 has the inside track to being crowned Stanley Cup Champion. If Detroit wins, Pittsburgh would be down 3-1 and need to win out; a tall task against this Detroit team. If the Penguins win Game 4 the series becomes a best of 3 against a Detroit team that might not have enough left in them.

Osgood looked beatable in Game 3. The Penguins defense clamped down on Detroit after 40 minutes and showed what they can do. The refs found their whistles a couple more times than usual although not often enough for Red Wing’s fans who saw the Penguins skating with six men and a goalie on the ice for nearly half a minute. Then again, the interference that has slowed up the Penguins all series and that has not been called was pretty much ignored too. So let’s call that even shall we?

Game 4 will be pivotal because it will prove one of two things. Either it will prove the Red Wings are not a tired and sore team and they will win or it will prove that the Penguins have the fresher legs and that Detroit’s tank is nearing empty and the Penguins will win. However I still fear Detroit on an 1/8th of a tank more than any other team.