Penguins/NHL
Game 5 Pre-Game Notes
— The Penguins look to close out the series this afternoon against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals . Start time is 12:00 p.m.; TV: ROOT SPORTS and VERSUS Network; Radio: 105.9 the X.
— The Penguins are 20-18 all-time in Game 5 with a 13-6 mark at home.
— Under head coach Dan Bylsma, the Penguins are 5-5 when they can clinch a series. They are 0-4 at home and 5-1 on the road.
The Penguins last series win at home came during the 2008 playoffs in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The team was coached by Michel Therrien then.
— Today is another potential milestone game for Bylsma. According to the Penguins, with a win today, Bylsma will earn the sixth playoff series win of his career, putting him in a tie with Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman for most series victories in franchise history.
Bylsma owns the franchise record with 26 playoff victories and owns the top postseason winning percentage (.634; 26-15), ranking just ahead of Detroit’s Mike Babcock (.632; 67-39).
— The Penguins are 6-3 in their last nine Game 5s, including a 3-2 record at home.
— The Lightning are 3-5 all-time in Game 5s, including a 0-4 mark on the road.
— Home teams are 14-21 in the 2011 playoffs.
— Goaltender Marc Andre Fleury is 5-4 all-time in Game 5’s. He has posted a 3-2 record at home in Game 5’s.
— Since the 2008 postseason the Penguins own a 7-7 record when they can close out a series.
– When the Penguins go up 3-1 in a series they have an 8-1 all-time record. There only series loss came in 1975 against the New York Islanders, when the team dropped four straight games.
— When holding a 3-1 series lead, the Penguins have closed out their opponent in five games on six occasions and the other two times they have done so in six games.
— Pittsburgh is 14-7 all-time the next game following an overtime win.
— Tampa Bay is 0-2 all-time in series where they trail 3-1.
— The team that has scored the first goal has won all four games in the series.
