Pittsburgh Penguins Capture Historic Stanley Cup Championship

PITTSBURGH, PA — The Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup-clinching victory over the Nashville Predators on Sunday etched the team into the history books like the players’ names soon will be on the cup itself.

With their 2-0 win, the Penguins became the first team since 1998 and the first team in the NHL’s salary cap era to win consecutive championships. Their fifth Stanley Cup tied them with the Edmonton Oilers for the most cups won by a team other than the six original NHL franchises.

The thrilling game was scoreless until Patric Hornqvist's goal with just 1:35 left in the third period. The Penguins added an empty-net goal moments later to cement the win and the championship, and reaction to their historic accomplishment began immediately.

“This is a special team. This is a unique collection of talent,” USA Today’s Kevin Allen wrote. “This is probably a team that deserves consideration to be called a dynasty. In the last 10 years, they’ve been to five conference finals and four Stanley Cup Finals, winning three of them.

“This was a triumph of sheer will,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell raved. “Pittsburgh survived its way to this championship.”

“Pittsburgh never played scared. Pittsburgh could never be counted out,” wrote Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports. “And Pittsburgh rallied exactly when it needed to. Over and over again.”

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, a Penguins fanatic who plays amateur hockey, compared the team’s perseverance to that of the city he oversees.

“So proud of our Pittsburgh Penguins,” he stated on Twitter. “A city that was reborn through resiliency is proudly represented by the NHL’s most resilient team.”

Added mayoral chief of staff Kevin Acklin on Facebook: “Let’s plan a parade, Pittsburgh!”

People in Nashville obviously weren’t happy about the outcome of Sunday’s game, particularly with an apparent Predators' goal that would have given the team the lead being disallowed.

“A ridiculous officiating error costing the Predators a 1-0 lead early in the second period,” columnist Joe Rexrode wrote in The Tennessean. “You have to lament two huge Predators goals disallowed in this series.”

Looking ahead, Las Vegas oddsmakers like the Penguins' chances to win a third consecutive title.

“According to the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, Pittsburgh is a 8–1 favorite to three–peat,” Scooby Axson wrote on SI.com. “The Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, who had the best record in the regular season, are each listed at 10–1 favorites.”

Photo by Mark Humphrey/Associated Press