Penguins Rebound to Down Devils, 6-3

Bryan Rust (Notre Dame) set up two goals, and Jack St. Ivany (Boston College) notched his first NHL point with an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied in the third period to defeat the host New Jersey Devils, 6-3, last night in Newark.

Down by a 3-1 score after two periods of play, the Penguins responded with five goals on nine shots over the final 20 minutes, including a empty-net tally, before 16,514 at the Prudential Center. Pittsburgh (34-30-11 overall), which missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year for the first time in 17 seasons, is now three points ahead of New Jersey in the race among several teams for the second and final wild card spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference.

John Marino (Harvard) assisted on both Devils' goals in the second period, after Luke Hughes (Michigan) set up New Jersey's first period power-play score. New Jersey (36-35-4) outshot Pittsburgh on the night, 26-21, but fell to 17-19-2 at home this season. The Penguins are 5-3-2 in their last 10 outings overall.

And Then There Were Four ...

Drake Caggiula (North Dakota) scored the game-opening goal and Cam Talbot (Alabama-Huntsville) made 26 saves, but the Edmonton Oilers' first Stanley Cup Playoff run in 11 years came to a close with a 2-1 loss in Game 7 at Anaheim on Wednesday. Andrew Cogliano (Michigan) scored one of the two goals for the Ducks, who advance to the NHL conference finals for the second time in three years.

In Washington, Bryan Rust (Notre Dame) broke a scoreless tie in the second period as the Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated the Washington Capitals, 2-0, in Game 7 Wednesday. Jake Guentzel (Nebraska-Omaha) and Justin Schultz (Wisconsin) had assists on the night for the defending champion Pens, who had lost the previous two games of the series.

Anaheim will now meet the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference Final beginning Friday in California, while Pittsburgh will host the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Final starting Saturday in Pennsylvania.

NCAA Players Prominent in Start to NHL Playoffs

Former NCAA players made their mark during the first two days of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

On Wednesday, Tanner Glass (Dartmouth) backhanded home the game-winning goal for the New York Rangers in a 2-0 victory at Montreal, while rookie Frank Vatrano (UMass Lowell) tied the game for the Boston Bruins in an eventual 2-1 overtime win at Ottawa. Bryan Rust (Notre Dame), Phil Kessel (Minnesota) and Nick Bonino (Boston University) accounted for the Pittsburgh Penguins' goals in a 3-1 win over Columbus.

In Minnesota, Zach Parise (North Dakota) tied the game late for the host Wild, but Jaden Schwartz (Colorado College) set up the game-winner in OT to lift the St. Louis Blues to a 2-1 triumph. In Edmonton, Paul Martin (Minnesota) scored the tying goal and Joe Pavelski (Wisconsin) assisted on the overtime winner as the San Jose Sharks came back for a 3-2 win over the Oilers, who got 41 saves from Cam Talbot (Alabama-Huntsville).

On Thursday, James van Riemdsyk (New Hampshire) set up the first goal of the postseason for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the host Washington Capitals escaped with a 3-2 overtime victory, with T. J. Oshie (North Dakota) and Kevin Shattenkirk (Boston University) drawing assists on the evening. In Anaheim, Kevin Bieksa (Bowling Green) set up the tying goal and Patrick Eaves (Boston College) assisted on the winner as the Ducks edged the Calgary Flames, 3-2, despite 38 saves by Brian Elliott (Wisconsin).

Penguins Take Game One Late

Bryan Rust (Notre Dame) opened the scoring in the first period, Conor Sheary (UMass) added to it, and Nick Bonino (Boston University) finished it in the third on Monday night as the Pittsburgh Penguins took Game One of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, 3-2, over the visiting San Jose Sharks.

Pittsburgh, which is seeking its first Stanley Cup since 2009 and its fourth overall, jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one period, only to watch the Sharks, who are making their finals debut after 25 years, tie it up with two goals in the second stanza. The two teams then went back and forth until Bonino, a former San Jose draft choice, wristed home a shot from the slot with less than three minutes remaining in regulation for the win.

The Penguins outshot the Sharks, 41-26, but were 0-for-3 on the power play. San Jose was 1-for-2 with the man advantage, but couldn't get anything going on its second power play just after the hosts took back the lead late in the game. Game Two is Wednesday night (8 p.m., NBCSN) at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.