Penguins: The NHL East's Lightning Rod
Pittsburgh has big names aplenty, but in the end, it was a relatively unheralded rookie who vaulted them into the Stanley Cup Finals.
Matthew Murray was called into action between the pipes when stawalt Marc-André Fleury went down with another concussion just before the playoffs.
Dude was a wall when the Penguins needed it most, blunting assault after assault from Tampa Bay's own version of blitzkrg and getting just enough help from another new name to secure a 2-1 victory in Game 7 for the Prince of Wales trophy:
The Pens are certainly no strangers to the Cup spotlight, but for Maple Leaf refugees like Phil Kessel, this is a moment to savor like no other.
Here's the first of his nine goals -- to go along with nine assists -- in Pittsburgh's post-season to date:
Now, they've gotta devise strategies to handle Sharks as well as their seaside brethren handle orcas.