Keep the Faith

In honor of tradition/superstition, we don't recap playoff games until the Pens have won one game in the series.

That being said, Games 1 and 2 of this series belonged to the Red Wings, but if you feel like the Pens are done, you haven't been here before.

Last season, the Pens were physically, emotionally, and mentally dominated in each of the first two games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

This year, they've fallen victim to some bad bounces and missed opportunities.

Detroit scored one legitimate goal in Game 1.

Letang rung a puck off the post in Game 1. Crosby and Guerin each rung a puck off the post tonight.

Justin Abdelkader has scored two goals that Fleury should probably have stopped. Those two goals have been the difference in the series so far.

If you're looking for something to pin your hope on, Evgeni Malkin supplied it for you by engaging in a round of fisticuffs with Henrik Zetterberg.

The game was over. The Pens were broken. Malkin's spirit was not.

Don't think that things like that don't go a long way in motivating the group of men looking on from the bench.

The Wings should be anything but comfortable with their two game lead in this series.

They are arguably the best team of the past decade, so chances are, they aren't comfortable.

Good teams know how to keep the pedal to the metal and finish off a weaker opponent.

The trouble is, the Penguins haven't been a weaker opponent thus far.

With the Penguins trailing two games to none, Old Lady Mellon awaits.

Remember the feeling you had last year when you had to watch the Red Wings parade the Stanley Cup around the Mellon Arena ice?

Each and every player on the Penguins' roster who was there remembers that feeling too.

The old cliche says that a team isn't out of a playoff series until they lose a game on home ice.

The Pens will put that theory to the test on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

Keep the faith, and don't stop believin'...

Let's Go Pens