Bryan Rust Leads Penguins To 2-1 Victory Over Lightning In Game 7 To Reach Stanley Cup Final

The Pittsburgh Penguins secured their place in the Stanley Cup Final with a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night thanks to two goals from Bryan Rust. 

Bryan Rust Leads Penguins To 2-1 Victory Over Lightning In Game 7 To Reach Stanley Cup Final

“The third period was electric. It was the loudest I’ve heard a building in all my years in this league,” said Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan of the crowd of 18,600 at the Penguins’ Consol Energy Center.

The Penguins will next begin their best-of-seven championship series on Monday when they host the San Jose Sharks, who defeated the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals Wednesday.

Pittsburgh is back in the Stanley Cup final for the fifth time overall, and the Sharks are in it for the first time in franchise history.

“It is going to be fast hockey,” said Penguins forward Sidney Crosby of the upcoming final round.

The Penguins will be playing in their first final in seven years. They won three of the first four they played in.

“We are having a lot of fun. One more to go,” Rust said. Rust, 24, has now scored five playoff goals, the most by a Penguins rookie in 46 years.

Rookie goalie Matt Murray made 16 saves on 17 shots for the Penguins, who came back from a 3-2 series deficit. Murray is now 11-4 in the postseason after beginning the playoffs as the team’s backup goaltender. The 22-year-old made a big stop when he stuck his right pad out with 7:14 left in the game when Brian Boyle had a step on defenseman Kris Letang just moments after Tampa Bay killed off a Penguins power play.

After a scoreless first period with few shots and scoring opportunities, Rust beat Tampa Bay’s Russian goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy after being left alone in the Lightning zone at 1:55 of the second.

Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin tied it at 9:36 of the second to earn his fifth goal of the playoffs. However, Rust answered just 30 seconds later.

Lightning centerman Steven Stamkos played for the first time since March 31 due to a blood clot discovered in his collarbone that required surgery on April 4.

Even after the morning skate, Stamkos and Tampa Bay Coach Jon Cooper said there had been no change in the Canadian captain’s status. But when the pre-game warm-ups began, Stamkos, 26, joined his teammates.

“First couple shifts, once you get those under your belt, it comes back,” Stamkos said regarding his return. “When you don’t play for that period of time and you come back for a Game 7, it’s not easy. But it felt like the legs were good.”

Tampa Bay was also missing Vezina Trophy finalist goaltender Ben Bishop, who has been out with an undisclosed injury since the first period of Game one.

PHOTO: PITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 26: Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning tends goal against Bryan Rust #17 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Final during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Consol Energy Center on May 26, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Matt Kincaid/Getty Images)