Bruins Make The Cover Of Sports Illustrated While The Penguins Play Hangman

Jun 3, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) is greeted by the Boston bench after scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period in game two of the Eastern Conference finals of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Boston Bruins won 6-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

What a difference a few days/games can make.

Last week the Pittsburgh Penguins were there consensus Stanley Cup favorite and they were going to sleepwalk past the Boston Bruins and on into the Stanley Cup finals.

Fast forward to this Wednesday and the Bruins are up 2-0 on the Penguins after two convincing wins in Pittsburgh. Also, NHL superstar and all-world player, Sidney Crosby, has been held pointless and even JetBlue pilots have started taking jabs at the polarizing center.

Then we find out today that Bruins goaltender, Tuukka Rask, who has stopped 55 of 56 shots in the series will be featured on this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated:

As you can see, things are good in Boston and not-so-good in Pittsburgh. However, this is the NHL playoffs and a series isn’t over and a team isn’t eliminated until they’ve lost four games. So, even though the Penguins haven’t looked very good in the first two games, they still have ample time and opportunities to turn it around. If any team can, it’s a team as stacked and experienced as the Pittsburgh Penguins and some think all they need to do is change their strategy.

Through the first couple of games the Penguins have outhit the Bruins by a wide margin, 71-38. That has lead to the Bruins outscoring the Penguins 9-1 in the goal department. It as if they’ve swapped roles and the Bruins are the high-scoring superstars, while the Penguins are the big, tough guys that want to wear you down.

It’s obviously not working for the Penguins and as the teams Instagram gave away yesterday, they do indeed have a new strategy and it appears to be pretty simple. The Penguins are simply going to play “Hangman” and make a “C-O-M-E-B-A-C-K”:

Penguins play hangman. Mandatory Credit: Pittsburgh Penguins Official Twitter Account.

Seriously, you cannot make this stuff up. I didn’t really know what to say when I first saw this photo and actually thought/hoped it was photoshopped. I was then informed it wasn’t.

I mean, good on the Penguins for trying to keep things light and loose but keep it to yourself.