Chris Kunitz’ Goal In The Second Overtime Period Of Game 7/Semis Sends The Defending Champion Pittsburgh Penguins To Their Second Straight NHL Final

The defending Stanley Cup champion, Pittsburgh Penguins, now (4-7) in home 7th games, (10-7) in any seventh games, (did Emrick need to say “series tied” after imparting it was game seven, which also was largely unnecessary) advanced to their second straight NHL Final, and 6th in franchise history, (4-1) in previous), riding Chris Kunitz’ goal in the second overtime period, to a (3-2) win vs the courageous Ottawa Senators, whose goaltender Craig Anderson was brilliant in defeat.

Pittsburgh will face the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup finals which open on the Monday of Memorial Day weekend, in Pittsburgh, for the second straight year.

It is the second straight season in which the Pens who led (1-0) and (2-1) won a Thursday night home game 7/semis by a goal, without trailing.

Their coach, Mike Sullivan, hired during last season, has won all 7 series thus far, as Penguins’ coach while netminder Matt Murray, who was in goal for 15 Pens’ wins en route to the 16 needed for the crown last season, won #7 semis, also for a second straight season, this on his 23rd birthday.

Ottawa coach Guy Boucher was again denied in a 7th game road semis loss in a series in which the home advantage winning team (the ’17 Pens and eventual ’11 winners, the Boston Bruins) won games 2, 5 and 7 at home, while Boucher’s teams (the ’17 Senators and ’11 Tampa Bay Lightning) won #1 on the road and #6 at home. This time Boucher’s team won the third at home and lost #4, in ’11 Tampa Bay did the opposite in #’s 3 and 4 at home.

Chris Kunitz, pictured above.