The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins have made it halfway to the Stanley Cup, and there are just eight more wins required to reach hockey's promised land.
The Lightning have only been beaten twice in the playoffs—once by the Detroit Red Wings, and once by the New York Islanders—and they've won with some of their most effective players out with injuries. Although the Lightning are going to be tested by the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final, this is a team that made the Stanley Cup Final just a year ago and has the balance and depth to win it all.
The Penguins won their series against the Washington Capitals with a thrilling overtime victory in Game 6, and they appear poised to head back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since winning it all in 2009.
A key element in the victory over the Capitals was the overall quality and depth of the Penguins roster—something that likely held the team back in the past. Getting to this point without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin carrying the team is a major story in this year's playoffs.
Tampa Bay won all three games during the regular-season me ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Allan Mitchell
Penguins vs. Lightning: Preview and Prediction for 2016 NHL Playoffs Matchup
May 11th, 2016 by Allan Mitchell Leave a reply »
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