oldnumberseven

Penguins move to brink of Cup finals with 4-1 win

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Ryan Whitney’s wide smile told several stories.

He and the Pittsburgh Penguins are one win away from the Stanley Cup finals, and the path was paved by his goal that was three months in the making. Quick strikes by Whitney and Marian Hossa raised the Penguins to heights not reached since Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr donned the black and gold.

Whitney and Hossa scored less than 3 minutes apart in the first period, and the Penguins held the Philadelphia Flyers to 18 shots Tuesday night in a 4-1 victory that gave Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

“This might have been our best defensive effort all year,” Whitney said.

Another win against their cross-state rivals, and the Penguins will advance to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since Lemieux and Jagr led Pittsburgh to titles in 1991 and 92.

“We’re five wins away from our goal, but this next game is so important,” said Whitney, who scored for the first time in 30 games. “They’re playing for their season.”