Penguins Wrap Up the Flyers with an Emphatic 6-0 Shutout

I'd only been living in Pittsburgh for a few years when a young team captain named Mario Lemieux led the Pittsburgh Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup championship wins in 1991 and 1992, and introduced this Southern girl to the excitement of professional hockey. Now 16 years later, Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux (as owner) and another young captain (20-year-old Sidney Crosby) have once again captured the hearts and enthusiasm of Penguins fans everywhere - putting an emphatic stamp on their place in the Stanley Cup final with a 6-0 shutout win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Championships.

Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, 23, recorded his third shutout of the playoffs -- one in each series to date. Other young players also did well, including Evgeni Malkin, 21, and Jordan Staal, just 19, who each picked up a goal apiece. But the veterans were a big part of the win as well; Ryan Malone, 28, scored two goals, with Marian Hossa, 29, scoring another. Pascal Dupuis, also 29, tipped in the sixth and final shot in the third round, sealing Pittsburgh's mastery of the Flyers. It was definitely a team performance and a team win.

Now Sid and The Kids are off to the Stanley Cup finals to take on either the Detroit Red Wings or the Dallas Stars. What a transformation for a team that had four consecutive last-place seasons from 2002-2006.