The Pittsburgh Penguins moved to the brink of the Stanley Cup finals by routing the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 on Saturday.
Evgeni Malkin had two goals and an assist while captain Sidney Crosby added a goal and an assist for the Penguins, who lead the Eastern Conference finals 3-0.
The defending Eastern Conference champs can sweep the best-of-seven series tomorrow and make a return trip to the NHL finals.
PHOTO: EPA
Ruslan Fedotenko had a goal and an assist, Bill Guerin also scored, and Craig Adams was credited with a late goal after Carolina’s Jussi Jokinen won a draw but sent the puck down the ice and into an empty net.
Matt Cullen and Sergei Samsonov scored for the Hurricanes, who haven’t lost a playoff series since Detroit beat them in the 2002 Cup finals. In their only other postseason appearance since, they won the Cup in 2006.
History isn’t on the Hurricanes’ side. Only twice has a team rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a series, and it hasn’t happened since the New York Islanders did it against Pittsburgh in 1975.
That trend shouldn’t be in much jeopardy, as long as the Penguins’ young stars keep playing like this.
Malkin has 16 points in six games, including nine points in this series. He followed up his first career NHL playoff hat trick by threatening to do it again with his sixth straight multipoint game.
Crosby has 10 points in his last five.
They helped the Penguins pepper Cam Ward for a third straight game. The Carolina goalie turned aside 34 shots but was overwhelmed again by Pittsburgh.
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