Pittsburgh Penguins

The first round of the 2013 NHL playoffs are in the books, eight teams have been sent packing to hit the links while eight teams remain to square off in the conference semi-finals. (Photo Credit: Torch Creative)

The first round did not disappoint hockey fans who have come to expect physical, fast, dramatic hockey in the playoffs and year after year they are not disappointed.

One year after the Los Angeles Kings became the first eight seed ever to win the Stanley Cup both seven seeds and both six have managed to advance to the semi-finals. The Eastern Conference Semi-final match-ups pit the Pittsburgh Penguins (1) against the Ottawa Senators (7) and the Boston Bruins (4) face off with the New York Rangers (6), while the Western Conference will feature the Chicago Blackhawks (1) who will try to hold off the Detroit Redwings (7) and the defending champion Los Angeles Kings (5) will face their fellow Californians, the San Jose Sharks (6).

Two series start today:

After a tremendous 6-4 victory at the Nassau Coliseum that evened up the series 2-2 with the Penguins, the Islanders will head back to Pittsburgh for Game 5. The last time the Isles played in Steel City was Game 2, where the team battled back from a 3-1 defect to win the game 4-3.

Arrogance

To act in a way of overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner towards inferiors.

Is there a more appropriate term to accurately describe the overall demeanor of the Pittsburgh Penguins in this Eastern Conference Quarter Final? No.

The term does not describe someone who boasts, talks, or brags towards their superiority, but to one that acts in this manner. The Pittsburgh Penguins have manifested themselves to be the most arrogant team in all of hockey.  

They have, on multiple occasions, displayed their arrogance throughout the season. They coasted through victories in which they scored at will, only to allow teams to punish their goaltending in...

After two games of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, the Pittsburgh Penguins have found themselves in an interesting position.

They are tied with the New York Islanders with one victory per team. The problem is, both teams played a bit of Jekyll and Hyde in the first two games and gave little indication as to who is going to show up in game number 3.

In game one, it appeared to all that the Penguins were exactly what we figured them to be: well oiled offensive machine that was physically underrated and defensively sound. In game two we saw a Penguins team that quickly abandoned their philosophy of playing up and down, sound hockey.

Despite the Penguins hot start to g...