Stanley’s Sequel

Back-to-back Stanley Cup champions. No NHL team this century could stake that claim. Until the Pittsburgh Penguins topped the Nashville Predators in the 2017 Final to bring Lord Stanley home for the second consecutive season. In their 50th NHL season, the Penguins overcame adversity en route to the franchise’s fifth Stanley Cup. Key players, including Kris Letang and goalie Matt Murray, missed time due to injuries and the team played a compressed schedule. But led by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh finished with 111 points, the second-most in the NHL. In the eastern conference playoffs, the Penguins prevailed over the Columbus Blue Jackets and Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals before topping Ottawa in a thrilling seven-game series reach the Stanley Cup Final.