Penguins win Stanley Cup over Predators: Twitter reacts
The Pittsburgh Penguins repeated as Stanley Cup champions, and Twitter had some mixed reactions to how the game played out.
In typical Pittsburgh Penguins fashion, the defending Stanley Cup champions pulled off the back-to-back, as they defeated the Nashville Predators in Game 6 on the road to win the 2017 Stanley Cup.
After over 55 full minutes of scoreless hockey, the Penguins scored an awkward game-winning goal, courtesy of Patric Hornqvist, to take a 1-0 lead late in the game, and weren’t about to give it up anytime soon. They added an empty-netter in the last minute, and pulled off the repeat in impressive fashion.
The game wasn’t without controversy, as what looked to be an early goal for the Predators was taken away on an early blown whistle from a referee, much to the Nashville fans’ chagrin.
The team won their fifth Stanley Cup in franchise history, and third with Sidney Crosby as their captain. Crosby won the Conn Smythe trophy again, becoming just the seventh player in league history to win the award more than once. Crosby, after a feud with Predators defenseman P.K. Subban throughout the series, wasn’t the most popular player in Nashville, so him skating with the Cup upset many of the Predators fans in attendance watching the ceremony.
Obviously, a lot of people won’t be happy for a repeat champion, especially fans of the Penguins’ rivals, which leads to some mixed reactions on Twitter. While local teams in Pittsburgh and others showed their support for the team after the win, others weren’t as pleased.
Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter to the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup:
Congrats, @penguins. What a series.
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) June 12, 2017
PARTY HARD, PITTSBURGH! pic.twitter.com/fulTA2etqB
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 12, 2017
One for the thumb‼️
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) June 12, 2017
Congratulations, @penguins‼️#BurghProud #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/nS3hOEN4JU
Congratulations @penguins!
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 12, 2017
Back-to-Back #StanleyCup Champs! #BurghProud https://t.co/AIRHmj2MdK
Congrats to the @penguins, the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cups since the Detroit Red Wings (1997 & 1998). #StanleyCup https://t.co/ksEOKuVcpB
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) June 12, 2017
https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/874100404891508737
Back to back. Congrats, @penguins, enjoy it!
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) June 12, 2017
And stick taps to the @PredsNHL for their incredible run in the postseason.
Hey @PredsNHL - we feel you. pic.twitter.com/RnHb4saQVC
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) June 12, 2017
Congrats to @penguins fans everywhere. Back to back.
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) June 12, 2017
Pittsburgh Penguins: first back to back Stanley Cup champs in the salary cap era. Unreal accomplishment in the parity filled NHL of today.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 12, 2017
THE CUP STAYS HERE! The @Penguins are back-to-back #StanleyCup Champions! pic.twitter.com/ooyJOM834u
— KDKA (@KDKA) June 12, 2017
When you win the Stanley Cup and then win the Stanley Cup again pic.twitter.com/jWJ4SaYYpr
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) June 12, 2017
The Penguins’ win means the end of an incredible season of hockey, and one that saw the Predators rise to become of the league’s best, and most popular, teams out there.
Next: 10 reasons Stanley Cup Playoffs are better than NBA Playoffs
Now, fans must wait until October for some more NHL hockey and will have to recover from what was a shocking and excitement-filled 2017 postseason.