Pittsburgh Penguins News

After a couple of first-round defeats, the Ottawa Senators are now the lone Canadian team still standing - and they're in tough against one of this year's favourites to win the Cup, the talent-laden Pittsburgh Penguins.

This year's commencement at Boston College looks to be notable for who will be there, as well as who won't. The federal government is moving ahead with plans to sell a tiny island east of New York City, where experiments on dangerous animal diseases have been conducted since the 1950s.

The Penguins went 0 for 6 on the power play against Ottawa at Scotiabank Place, failed to convert on a 5-on-3 situation and then allowed a backbreaking short-handed goal with 31 seconds left in regulation that led to overtime and a 2-1 loss in the second overtime.

Going into Game 3 of the Penguins' second-round series against Ottawa Sunday night at Scotiabank Place, Crosby was 71-82 on faceoffs, a success rate of 46.4 percent.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and GM Ray Shero announced Saturday that they have signed defenseman Nick D'Agostino to a two-year entry-level contract.

Well, it says prepare yourself for awesomeness. The return of Jason Spezza to the lineup is huge for the Senators .

Just a week removed from the violent turbulence of this postseason's first round, the Penguins have reached a comfortable cruising altitude, even as they keep their seat belts buckled, but since the FAA prohibits more than three aviation metaphors in any lead paragraph, we probably should start talking hockey.

The Penguins' second-round playoff series against Ottawa relocates to Scotiabank Place tonight, and that means the Senators will have the usual advantages of playing at home, like a supportive crowd and coach Paul MacLean being able to make the final personnel changes.

Sidney Crosby of Pittsburgh and Washington's Alex Ovechkin are once again finalists for the Hart Trophy, while John Tavares of the New York Islanders is also in the running for the NHL's Most Valuable Player.

Ottawa Senators Jason Spezza looks on during team practice in Ottawa Sunday, May 12, 2013.

Canada's Eric Staal, shown here after a knne-on-knee collision with Sweden's Alex Edler on Thursday, was diagnosed with a third-degree MCL sprain.

They are the players whose national ink comes in thimbles, not barrels. They get the occasional "attaboy" mention, but after most games they are otherwise left alone by the folks holding microphones or notepads.

On a night when Sidney Crosby recorded his second career playoff hat trick and created a buzz around the hockey world with his jaw-dropping performance in the Penguins' 4-3 victory against Ottawa in Game 2 of their second-round series Friday night, it was up to the player with the worst plus-minus rating on the team to score the winning goal.

Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby tends to step it up a notch when playing in the postseason, especially against the Ottawa Senators.

Each remaining NHL playoff team has played at least one game in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Seeking to end their four-year run of postseason disappointments, the Pittsburgh Penguins entered the 2013 NHL Playoffs as the popular choice among many hockey experts to once again hoist the Stanley Cup.

For a brief spot in time, the New York Islanders were the darlings of the NHL . The ne'er-do-well franchise of the past two decades had missed the playoffs in five consecutive postseasons, and failed to advance past the Eastern Conference quarterfinals since 1993.

Start with two NHL MVPs in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Add a future Hall of Famer like Jarome Iginla and a Norris Trophy finalist in defenseman Kris Letang.

Breaking up is hard to do. And so, Chris Kunitz, Sidney Crosby and Pascal Dupuis were back together Thursday as the Penguins top line at practice.

Former Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla is in the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004 and could not be more excited to chase the Stanley Cup with his new Pittsburgh Penguin teammates.