The Fifth Liners

The Pittsburgh Penguins perfect start has hit a flat spot as their road trip ended in a surprising 6-3 lost to the Florida Panthers ! So far the Panthers form has been nothing to write home about, but their fans will be dancing in the streets after this result Brad Boyes got the ball rolling when he gave the Panthers the lead after 1.55 of the first period but soon the home side were pegged back when Evgeni Malkin's first goal of the year tied the scores at 1-1! Kris Versteeg then restored their one goal lead as he bagged his first goal in a Florida jersey off an assist from Scott Gomez (yes you heard that right!). But Craig Adams ensured the Pens went in level at the break when he poked in from a goal mouth scramble to make it 2-2! Into the second period and the Panthers offense truly came alive with goals on two successive powerplans, first Jonathan Huberdeau scored off an assist from Versteeg and then Panthers 2nd overall draft pick Aleksander Barkov scored to push the adva...

So, the playoffs might be over and while the Chicago Blackhawks parade the cup around, the rest of the teams get down to trade business. The free agent season starts on July fifth and due to each team being allowed to buy out the contracts of two players before the next season starts; expect to see some big names moving. Here's three of the best players who'll become unrestricted free agents next month and why each would be worth picking up. Damien Brunner Why you would: The Swiss international may only have been Stateside for a year but he's quietly and effectively got on with his job pretty damn well. After signing an entry level contract with the Detroit Red Wings he scored 12 goals in the regular season and 5 in the playoffs. Why you wouldn't: Brunner's agent has said that Brunner wants to stay in Detroit and is happy to sign a lengthy contract. Daniel Brière Why you would: Brière might never have lifted the cup but he's an experienced forward wh...

The Pittsburgh Penguins have successfully seen off the Ottawa Senators to advance to the Eastern Conference final. Game three saw the only dip in the Pen's performance when Ottawa thoroughly outplayed Pittsburgh to take their first win of the series but Dan Bylsma was able to inspire his team to take two convincing wins. The first was on Wednesday when the Penguins came out of the game with the win after James Neal , Chris Kunitz, Jarome Iginla, Pascal Dupuis and Sidney Crosby all found the net. Milan Michalek , Kyle Turris and Daniel Alfredsson netted for the Senators but it was wasn't enough. The Pens finished the game winning 7-3. Last night the action shifted back to the Consul Energy Center for game five. Pittsburgh controlled the game with Brendan Morrow 's controversial goal opening the game. James Neal and Kris Letang then put the game at 3-0. Milan Michalek was on hand to grab a goal for the Sens but Evgeni Malkin and James Neal responded with ...

The New York Islanders haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1983 and when they finished 8th in the conference, I doubt any Isles fan was happy about being drawn against the Pittsburgh Penguins . Expecting a quick end to their playoff campaign. I know I did. But those plucky Islanders are determined to cost me money (I bet on the Pens winning the series) and staged a mighty comeback to draw the series again. The Islanders netted 6 times with Brian Strait , Mark Streit , Kyle Okposo , John Tavares and Casey Cizikas all lighting the lamp. 3 of the goals came in the last 16 minutes of the game. James Neal , Evgeni Malkin , Brandon Sutter and Pascal Dupuis all scored for the Penguins. Playmaker Sidney Crosby managed a single assist for his team. Is this a resurgence from the 4 time cup winning Islanders? Can the Pens' new high profile trades make the difference and fight back? Watch this space.

This season the New York Islanders are playing their first playoff game since 2007 and last night visited the on-form Pittsburgh Penguins . In a game which included 89 penalty minutes, the Pens put five goals past the Isles. Beau Bennett , Pascal Dupuis , Kris Letang and Tanner Glass all netted to give the Pens the advantage in the series. Full story  here. In other Penguins news, superstar Sidney Crosby is on the verge of returning although there's still no timetable. Sid is training with the team in the morning skates and is just waiting for the doc to sign him off. More info  here.

Pittsburgh became the second team to solidify a play off place with a 5-3 win over Carolina Hurricanes and in doing so clinched the Atlantic Division! The Penguins three newcomers, Brendan Morrow, Jussi Jokinen and Jarome Iginla all contributed to the win and also aided by great performances by 1st star Pascal Dupuis and Evgini Malkin, it gives hope that the team can cope in the absence of Crosby. The Eastern Conference playoffs promises to be an entertaining affair and with a strong offensive line like The Penguins, the goals are sure to flow!