After being beaten up and down the ice in Game 5 and falling behind 2-0 despite having played well in the first period of Game 6, the Penguins buckled down and defeated their cross state rivals in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Things would get worse before they got better though.

Knuble (2) and Lupul (1) both beat Fleury in the first period and Briere (1) added a power play goal early in the second to extend the Flyers lead to 3-0. But Fedotenko (1) and the Penguins answered right back scoring 0:29 later to make it 3-1. Eaton (2) added another goal two minutes later to make it 3-2. Eaton swatted the puck out of mid air in front of Biron with the shaft of his stick and then into the net and already has two goals in the playoffs for a defenseman now known for his scoring prowess. But as the saying goes, good things happen when you stand in front of the net.

Crosby (3) then evened the score late in the second, also batting a puck out of the air and behind Biron who began to look like the goal tender the Penguins spanked in Game 1. The Penguins mustered an amazing 20 shots on net in the period.

In the third it was Sergei Gonchar (1) at 2:19 that put the Penguins up for good with a long shot that found the upper corner of the net and Crosby (4) added an empty netter after several furious attempts by the Flyers to tie the game and great saves by Fleury and good defense by the Penguins.

The win earned the Penguins the right to advance to the next round against an opponent to be determined as the league awaits the results of the remaining first round games.

After the Penguins clinched a playoff birth on Tuesday with their win over Tampa Bay, they could have just looked past the New York Islanders. But with playoff positioning still to be determined they did not. The game last night saw Mathieu Garon in net instead of Fluery and the return of Philippe Boucher to the lineup against the lowly Islanders.

Boucher was obviously overwhelmed in his first shift starting the game and quickly was replaced on the ice after several fumbles and missteps. The Penguins as a team played sloppy as well and took two penalties in the first five minutes which lead to an early 0-1 deficit for Pittsburgh. But Boucher and the Penguins stormed back. Boucher (3) scored off a rebound and, crashing the net late in the first to tie the game and the team never looked back as they rattled off five more unanswered goals from Dupuis (12), Cooke (13), Guerin (21), Crosby (33) and lastly Misterrrrrrrrrrr Kennnnneddyyyyyyyyyyy (15) to end the scoring.

The win keeps the Penguins with an outside chance at home ice advantage in the playoffs however, for that to happen Carolina must lose their final game against New Jersey (a possibility) and Philadelphia must do no better than split their remaining games against the Islanders and Rangers (also possible). But the Penguins must also win Saturday against the Canadiens which would give them, if this scenario plays out, two more points than Carolina, and the either the same or two more points than Philadelphia with the Penguins holding the head to head tie-breaker.

Regardless, the Penguins have the 6th seed locked up and can drop no further. All that is left to be determined is who they will face in round one and where.

Pittsburgh had the game yesterday against Carolina literally stolen from them by the goal tending of Cam Ward as they fell to the Hurricanes 3-2 in overtime. Believe it or not, despite really needing the win to have a strong chance at sneaking up into 4th place in the East, knowing this is the reason they lost is a good thing. It is good because I will tell you this much; if the Penguins continue to play like they have since the month of March started and like they also played yesterday, I do not think there is a single goal tender in the league right now and that they will face in the playoffs that can best them 4 out of seven games in a series.

Now they will have to dig down deep and beat the Panthers today to work towards locking up a post season birth. Florida will be desperate because heading into today’s game they are on the outside looking in and two points back of the eighth place Rangers.

All the Penguins have to do is play the same way they played yesterday and hope they do not get robbed again by another goal tenders and they can be well on the way to the playoffs after 60 minutes of hockey today.

The Los Angeles Kings perhaps thought that they might be giant killers for the second night in a row. Before last night’s showdown with the Penguins the Kings had knocked off Eastern Conference leading Boston. But then again, who hasn’t lately?

It was clear from early on when the Penguins handed the Kings several early power play opportunities on which they failed to scored that Los Angeles was just simply over matched. Crosby (28) opened the scoring at 12:33 of the first by taking the puck off the wall and walking in on Kings netminder Jonathan Quick who he beat high to the glove side. Later in the same period Evgeni Malkin (33) scored on the power play to make the game 2-0 at the end of 20 minutes. Tyler Kennedy (13) and Bill Guerin (19) both added goals in the second to make it 4-0 before the Kings Handzus (17) finally found the net on the power play in the third to make it 4-1.

There was not much of a surprise that the Penguins took care of business at home versus Los Angeles considering the Kings are one of the worst teams in the league while Pittsburgh has been one of the hottest lately. Fleury made 24 saves on the night.

The win keeps the Penguins in 5th place in the East and just behind Philadelphia who also won on Friday but also have three full games in hand setting up a Sunday showdown between the two teams at the Igloo. Honestly, if the Penguins want any chance of leapfrogging the Flyers they will have to dip down deep and win another game.

Pittsburgh dominated then slumped then dominated again last night against the Florida Panthers and in the process salvaged a much needed two points over a conference foe just barely a head of them in the standings. With the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings more jammed than the parkway at rush hour, the Penguins had to win last night. Anything less would have seen them once again on the outside looking in. Conceding a point to the Panthers was not the ideal way to win, but considering how the game transpired, the Penguins should be thankful for getting the win.

Vokoun allowed only 3 goals on the fifty shots that he saw. Many more were blocked. Had he not been on his game, the score would never have been tied heading into the end of regulation. Fleury stopped 18 of the 21 shots he faced in 65 minutes of regulation and sudden death overtime with a few spectacular ones as well.

Malkin (30) opened the scoring in the first and the Penguins opened the second period with a 1-0 lead. But Florida somehow managed to escape the period with not just the lead, but a substantial 3-1 lead on only seven shots in the period. The third goal by Ballard (6) was in fact a good goal despite what fans at the Igloo thought. There was no kicking motion as the puck came off his skate leading to a review and the goal being upheld.

Pittsburgh however answered back quickly in the third with goals from Staal (18) just 2:20 in and then Crosby (26) a hair over three minutes later to tie the game. Pittsburgh squandered many power play opportunities and their troubles with the man advantage continue.

In the shoot out Fleury was perfect, stopping both of Florida’s first two shooters. For the Penguins, Letang scored on Vokoun, Crosby was stopped and Malkin made Vokoun look foolish with a move that in the end was simply him dragging the puck past the sprawled out net minder and pushing it into a yawning net.

The win vaulted Pittsburgh over Florida in the standings and 6th place in the Eastern Conference and just a point behind struggling Montreal. At 36-26-6 (78 pts) the Penguins are just four points behind Philadelphia for fourth and just two points ahead of the Rangers who are in ninth.

Next, the Penguins have to travel to Columbus where they will meet the not as bad as previous years Blue Jackets in another must win game against a hapless opponent in order to maintain their playoff position. Columbus is 34-27-6 (74 pts) and at 6-4-0 in their last 10 games are also trying to hang on to a playoff spot in the West.

Pittsburgh is doing well so far on this current road trip but excitement over three straight road wins (and four straight overall) has to be tempered by the knowledge that both the Stars and the Bolts are pretty banged up and sinking fast. Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Tampa Bay was important for the standings but the real test will be Thursday as this team heads into a must win game against the Panthers who are ahead of them in the standings.

Kunitz is proving his worth for the Penguins, although I still cringe at giving up a talent like Whitney to get him, and scored the opening goal last night for his 18th of the season between Pittsburgh and Anaheim. He also got a second goal in the game bringing his season total to 19 and the Staal line has been firing on all cylinders since the acquisition meaning Shero might be looking for another winger to play with Crosby which was what Kunitz was supposed to be. But how can you break up a line playing so well?

Obviously you cannot.

Carolina also won yesterday so the Penguins needed a win to remain in eighth place overall in the East.

Satan was also placed on waivers despite playing which seems to point towards the Penguins looking to make as move before today’s 3:00PM trade deadline. We will have to wait and see.