Penguins Return to Stanley Cup Finals with Double Overtime Win Over Senators

The Pittsburgh Penguins booked a return trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in a thrilling end to a great Eastern Conference Finals series by beating the tenacious Ottawa Senators 3-2 in the second overtime of Game 7.

With the season and that trip to the Finals on the line, both teams, though exhausted, reached back for something extra and played intense hockey in the extra periods. Superb defense and goaltending kept the game going, treating hockey fans to an extra 25 minutes of action in this playoff series before Pittsburgh’s Chris Kunitz scored his second goal of the game at 5:09 of the second overtime to give the Penguins the victory and allow them to defend their title in the Finals. Ottawa’s Craig Anderson had 39 saves and Matt Murray had 27 for Pittsburgh.

It’s an emotional ending to Ottawa’s season, but the Senators had a great run and have a lot to look forward to next season. Ottawa didn’t make the playoffs last season, and came within one goal of the Finals this season. Pittsburgh will host the Western Conference champion Nashville Predators in Game 1 of the Finals on May 29th, and will try to become the first back to back winner of the Stanley Cup since the Detroit Red Wings did it in the 1996-97 and ‘97-‘98 seasons.