Pens 9-1 in their last 10 Game 3’s
Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma mentioned this weekend that he isn’t a fan of two day breaks.
“I’d rather play every other day, for sure, ” Bylsma said today.
For the Penguins who are coming off an embarrassing 5-1 loss on home ice, the two-day break is great for them as it has given them a chance to regroup and the momentum that the Lightning built in Game 2 has kind of died down due to the two-day break.
The Penguins have had a tremendous amount of success in Game 3’s, winning five straight and the numbers suggest that the Penguins will rebound from Friday’s 5-1 loss. However, last spring eight opening round series were tied 1-1 after two games and the winner of Game 3 went on to win just three of the eight series.
Here’s a look at the Penguins success in Game 3’s….

The Penguins are 31-18 all-time in Game 3s with a 19-8 mark on the road.
The Penguins have won five straight Game 3s and are 9-1 dating back to the 2008 postseason.
During their past 10 Game 3s, the Penguins have surrendered a total of just 21 goals for a goals-against average of 2.06. They have allowed more than two goals just twice during that span.
The Penguins one Game 3 loss since 2008, was against the Philadelphia Flyers in 2009.
This is the 20th instance in Penguins team history where the series has been tied at 1-1 heading into Game 3. The Penguins have a 9-10 series record when a series is even at 1-1, including a 6-8 record when they are even at 1-1 following a pair of home games.
The Penguins have won five of their past seven Game 3s when a series is even at 1-1.
Since the 2008 postseason, goaltender Marc Andre Fleury is 11-4 following a loss with a 2.01 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.
(*Game 3 Stats courtesy of the Penguins Communications Department*)