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This season keeps getting worse: The Penguins are headed back to Stanley Cup Final after beating the Senators in Game Seven

By Ian Oland

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May 25, 2017 11:53 pm

For the second year in a row, the Washington Capitals have lost to the eventual Eastern Conference Champions.

Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena, the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 (OT) of Game Seven. The Pens will now move onto the Stanley Cup Final where they will face Filip Forsberg and the Nashville Predators.

Pittsburgh, like they have during this entire postseason run, owned the big moments.

After a scoreless first period, Chris Kunitz got the Penguins on the board first 9:55 into the second stanza. On a two-on-one break with Conor Sheary, Kunitz one-timed the puck past Craig Anderson.

20 seconds later, the Senators answered. After doing a fantastic job to stay onside, Mark Stone, driving the center lane, took a pass from Erik Karlsson and roofed it over Matt Murray’s outstretched glove.

The Pens go-ahead goal came off a controversial penalty. 11:19 in the third period, Dion Phaneuf was whistled for interference after he barely clinked skates with Phil Kessel during an icing call. Phaneuf raised his hand in disgust as Kessel clearly embellished.

25 seconds later, the Penguins would take advantage. Justin Schultz blasted home a power-play goal from the point, finding the far corner past Anderson.

But like they did earlier in the game, the Senators rallied.

After Erik Karlsson bombed a shot from the blue line, Ryan Dzingel knocked the rebound, which dinged off the post, past Murray.

Here’s another look.

Unable to settle the game in regulation, the Penguins and Senators went to overtime.

Late in the first overtime, Phil Kessel almost ended the game, but some weird physics kept the game tied. After putting his shoulder down and driving hard to the net, Kessel chipped the puck past Anderson, but the puck hit off the post, rolled overtop the crossbar, and fell harmlessly to the ice.

Penguins fans thought it was a goal (it wasn’t) and began throwing debris on the ice when officials would not review the play.

Craig Anderson was kind enough during a stoppage in play to show Pens fans how the puck stayed out of the net.

The two teams then went to a second overtime. It was the first time since 1994 that a Conference Final needed double OT.

Chris Kunitz would end the game five minutes later. Kunitz one-timed a pass from Sidney Crosby past Anderson short side.

The Penguins overcame their own miserable history in home Game Sevens tonight. Before Thursday’s game, the Pens were an all-time 3-7 during Game Sevens in Pittsburgh.

Welp. The Finals are going to be miserable. Go Preds.

Your fancy mustache deserved better, Erik.

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