Should it of come to this? No, I really don't think so. Did it come down to this? Best believe your ass this is real, this is game 7. Stanley Cup playoffs round 1, game 7. Win, and move on, lose and cry over what could of been.When we started this journey it was wrought with a lot of questions. Can the Power Play do anything? The answer to that so far is a resounding unfortunate, no. Can the Penalty Kill stand up to the Power Play of the lighting? Again a resounding and unfortunate, no. Can the Penguins stop the offense of St.Louis, Lecavalier, and Stamkos? Well part of that equation but St.Louis has lit the lamp far too many times. Would Ryan Malone be a factor? In the first 5 games he was a joke, penalty after penalty putting his team in the wrong spots. Game six? He comes out and roofs Fleury for a goal that would put the Pens in crisis mode and send Game 7 back to Pittsburgh.
The past 82 regular season games and 6 Playoff games have been for one reason, getting to the Stanley Cup finals. Game 7, is no different. Everything is on the line in these final 60 minutes (barring OT) of round 1. Sid's possible return, reaching round 2 and getting a step closer to the finals, Kovalev's future in Pittsburgh, Marc Andre Fleury's confidence, Bylsma overcoming all the injury adversity and showing the league that superstars don't always have to carry the load... Much more than that and beyond for each of the 18 men who will be dressed to play tonight against Tampa.
This game, is it. The finality of it can be crushing to either side. You win here, you feel like you can do anything and ride that confidence into round 2. You lose? Well you go home and practice your golfing until training camp starts. Pittsburgh didn't battle all this way, through all this pain and through all this adversity, to lose against Tampa Bay. To lose against anyone. Until I see it happen, I won't believe it's possible. This is Consol Energy Centers biggest game of it's young lifetime and everyone in that arena tonight, outside, and in the city of Pittsburgh better be wearing white. Playoff beards are being grown for this by more than just players. Lives are on the line.
Pittsburgh's Power play isn't going to win them this game, it's at a dismal 4% or worse and won't improve drastically for this game. What needs to be done, is disciplined play, Tampa can take the penalties because they're killing all of them they take, Pittsburgh cannot afford this luxury and must keep themselves out of the box. No stupid hooks, or trips, no elbows, no damn interference calls, just play disciplined hockey. Keep the puck in the offensive zone and in the 70/30 ratio of control Bylsma likes. Out forecheck the opponent and get a handle on the dump and chase. Most of all pepper Roloson until he sneezes the rest of the game, he can get confused easily and make mistakes, capitalize off of it!
This one is for everything, every fan from infancy to elder adult hood has their hopes and dreams riding on this last game of the first round. Heart Attack city. Every shot by the Pens will bring you out of your seat, every shot by the Bolts will make you dread the outcome. Every hit, every play, should bring a roar from the crowd. They need to energize this team, they need to keep Tampa out of the game and most of all, Pittsburgh needs to bring this one to round 2, so they can face whomever it is gets reseeded against us. Buffalo lost to Philly and won't be advancing. Montreal and Boston are tied in their own game, so it's still up in the air who will be reseeded to face whom. Either way, one has to believe the Pens will play someone, whoever it is, they won't let them get in the way either.
Lets Go Pens, This what everything was for.
