I’m gonna keep doing the music thing, cause I like it. For this entry, the Penguins were 46-0 when leading after the second period. I say were, because they gave away the game to the Lightning in the last two periods. Jason Garrison (or Tyler Johnson depending upon how you look at that goal) echoed Sidney Crosby’s early series quick OT winner with one of his own, and the Lightning are a game away from their second consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. The Penguins have become the Red Hot Chili Peppers singing “Give it away, give it away, give it away now.”

This Penguins team should be the ones a game away. But they were unable to play the high-octane, defensively sound game they developed int the first three games. It looks like Trevor Daley has been a crucial add for the Penguins, and the loss of a top four guy defensively is never easy, but when he is as good a contributor to the offense that Daley has been for the Penguins, it hurts just that much more. They truly gave this game away, because after grabbing a 2-0 lead, they gave up two but answered. And then they couldn’t finish.

The Lightning could finish and did. They started off the game very poorly, with no knowledge of where the puck was and the defense could not help out the goaltender. The offense were running into a brick wall for a time, because Marc Andre Fleury made key saves early, and the Penguins D was on top of rebounds and clearing the paint for a time at the beginning.

And again, the later periods were a swing. The Lightning were able to get two goals past, with a booming shot from Killorn and the defense not paying attention to the one guy they absolutely must if they want to win – Kucherov. Kucherov would go on to score the GTG, sending the game to overtime, by circling the net.

I don’t think Matt Murray would have fared much better against how the Lightning were playing in the last two periods vs. how the Penguins were.

This is a playoffs where the teams that need to learn to finish are being punished for it. The teams that are able to seize a lead and continue controlling the game are winning. Look at the Blues Game 4. That’s how you win this year. And the Penguins aren’t doing it. The Lightning are an extremely capable team, and if you let them close you will regret it. And the Penguins need to learn to control and take advantage of that regret. Desperation is powerful motive. It got the Caps another game, got the Blackhawks three more. If the Penguins are able to control desperation, I don’t see them going the way of these teams. The Lightning have momentum and are a game away. They better learn the lesson and close.