Pittsburgh outshot Tampa Bay 21-5 in the second period alone, yet couldn’t extend its advantage. PITTSBURGH—Bryan Rust scored a pair of second-period goals, lifting the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final on Thursday night and sending them to the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 2009. His teammates in front kept Tampa Bay from getting in his way and when the final horn blared, Pittsburgh’s metamorphosis from the blahs of December to the madness of May was complete. Pittsburgh's Bryan Rust celebrates his second period goal with teammate Evgeni Malkin while Alex Killorn of the Lightning reacts in Game 7. Pittsburgh had dropped five straight Game 7s at home, including a 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay in 2011 in a series both Crosby and Evgeni Malkin missed due to injury.

Source: thestar May 26, 2016 21:38 UTC