Detroit — Even for the defending Stanley Cup champions, this was impressive.
The Pittsburgh Penguins headed into Game 7 of their second-round series against Washington injured, slumping, and going into a hostile environment in Washington.
No matter. The Penguins played a near-perfect road game in blanking Washington 2-0 and moving into the Eastern Conference Finals against Ottawa.
“I don’t know that I can say enough about this group of players,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said after the victory. “They just always find a way to respond the right way.”
Pittsburgh has had to get past two of the best regular-season teams (Columbus, Washington) and have key injuries — but now look utterly capable of defending the Stanley Cup.