Stayin’ Alive: Penguins Clip Wings, 5-1

It was a game our Penguins simply had to win. Lose, and our season was likely over. Along with it, our string of 16-consecutive postseason appearances. Triumph, and we live to fight another day.

And so it was. With their playoff lives on the line, our guys dug deep and turned in a season-saving 5-1 victory over a speedy Detroit team that has given them fits all season long.

On a big stage, you need your stars to shine. And shine they did. Leading the way was captain Sidney Crosby, who netted two huge goals and assisted on another. The other half of the Two-Headed Monster, Evgeni Malkin, scored the put-away goal. Although it was a comparatively low-event game, Tristan Jarry made the big saves when he needed to. Perhaps none larger than his stop on Andrew Copp from the slot when the game was still scoreless.

Oh, and the Pens got help from unexpected sources.

One of those unexpected sources? The third line, Alex Nylander in particular.

The Red Wings had gotten the early jump and were doing a good job of hemming our guys in until midway through the first period.

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