Penguins Forward Believes They Would Have Won in Playoffs
The Pittsburgh Penguins firmly believe they could have beaten the New York Rangers in the playoffs.
PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins looked like one of the hottest teams down the stretch of the season but ultimately missed the playoffs by three points. Had they made it in, they likely would have gone up against the President’s Trophy-winning New York Rangers.
In their opening-round series against the Washington Capitals, the Rangers made things look easy and won in a clean four-game sweep. Could the Penguins have at least put up a win?
Penguins forward Bryan Rust jumped on a Twitch stream with one of the most popular gamers in the world, Ninja, and was asked that exact question.
“I think we would have beat the Rangers,” Rust said. “Depending on a couple of factors, but I think we would have beat them.”
That’s some real confidence from Rust, but he noted that if the Penguins had vastly improved their special teams play, they could have won the series.
“If we could have figured out our penalty kill against their power play,” Rust said. “If we could have figured out our special teams, we would have had a chance.”
The Penguins' lack of power play production was an issue all season long, and Rust recognizes that.
“Our power play was absolute trash all year.”
The Penguins lost two of three against the Rangers in the regular season, but one of their losses was by a 1-0 score. Of course, Rust will be confident in his team, but league-average special teams may have given them a boost over the Blue Shirts.
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
- Follow Inside the Penguins on Twitter: @InsidePenguins