The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated Nashville, 2-0, Sunday at Bridgestone Arena to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup Championship.
Patric Hornqvist bounced the puck off Pekka Rinne’s back and into the net with 1:35 remaining in the third period for the winning goal.
Carl Hagelin scored into an empty net in the closing seconds to ice the win.
Matt Murray earned the shutout with 27 saves.
The Pens became the first team to win back-to-back titles in the salary-cap era, the first in 19 years. It’s the team’s fifth championship.
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. That marked the third time that a player has won the Conn Smythe in back-to-back seasons. In 24 postseason games, Crosby led the league with 19 assists, and his 27 points were second behind that of teammate Evgeni Malkin.
Fans will not be able to see the team as they get off their flight from Nashville today. The Allegheny County Airport Authority says there will be no public viewing of the team’s return later today. However, Pittsburgh city officials are already at work planning the team’s victory parade.
