Around the NHL: Penguins Win 2nd Straight Stanley Cup

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

For the first time since the late 90s, a team has won the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons.

Patric Hornqvist, a draft pick of the Nashville Predators, scored the game-winning goal with 1:35 left to give the Pittsburgh Penguins the win in Game 6 and the Stanley Cup title for the second straight season.

The game went scoreless for over 58 minutes. Both teams had chances throughout the first two periods.

But it will be the perceived goal that wasn't that defines the final result of the game. 

In the second period, a shot by Filip Forsberg squeezed through the arm of Matt Murray and sat in the crease. Colton Sissons saw it and poked the rebound in, but the goal was disallowed for the intent to blow the whistle.

That set the tone for the rest of the game. The Predators had their chances, three power plays, including a 5-on-3 in the third period. They did not score.

Finally, with under two minutes to play, the Predators could not clear the zone and a point shot by Justin Schultz went wide. Patric Hornqvist was there and banked a shot off the back of Pekka Rinne and in to put the Penguins on the board first.

Carl Hagelin iced the game just over a minute later with an empty-net goal.

Matt Murray made saves on all 27 shots he faced, clinching his second Stanley Cup while still technically being a rookie. Rinne stopped 27 of 28 shots faced.

Sidney Crosby, who scored eight goals and had 27 points in the playoffs, was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner for the second straight season and third time in his career.

And so ends another NHL season. Now begins the preparations of the offseason, the NHL Draft, the Expansion Draft, free agency and the wait for another season of Flyers hockey in the fall.