NHL Stanley Cup 2017 Champions: Pittsburgh Penguins Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

NHL Stanley Cup 2017 Champions: Pittsburgh Penguins Blu-ray Movie Review

Lord Stanley, Lord Stanley, get me another brandy!

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 1, 2017

The last time the Penguins won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in the Mario Lemieux/Jaromir Jagr era, the team was celebrating its 25th anniversary. It seems fitting, then, that the club's second such streak would take place a quarter-centry later in the Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin era as the franchise celebrated its 50th and fifth Cup, not a bad little resume for half-a-century's worth of skating. It also marks the third Cup in the Crosby/Malkin era, surpassing Mario in on-ice wins and establishing the duo the most successful, in terms of Cup wins, in team history. Add that no team had won back-to-back cups in 20 years, and the 2017 Penguins run seems all the more special. It wasn't an easy run, though. Besieged by injuries, frequently outplayed by playoff opponents, and battling through a whopper of a goalie controversy didn't leave the Penguins on easy street. But Mike Sullivan and the ultra-talented squad always found a way to beat adversity, skate hard, and put the puck in the net when all the chips were down, when hope seemed lost, and a second straight Cup a distant wish. They weren't the flashy, fast team of last year, they were instead a gritty, determined bunch capable of scaling hockey's Everest with the weight of the hockey world on its shoulders.

87 x 3 = #1

Injuries, more than anything, seemed to be the Penguins' most challenging opponent throughout the post season. Absent their star defenseman, down their top young goalie, and banged and bruised and eventually dealing with short-term losses to players like Sidney Crosby and Nick Bonino, the Pens were forced to transform from high-flying juggernaut to bend-don't-break playoff-hardened warriors, even with young talent dotting the roster out of sheer necessity above all else. For the finals, the story was the Penguins' forwards versus the Predators' defense. The story would quickly become about Nashvill'e superior play, Pittsburgh playing escape artist, and Nashville's dominance at home. That's not to mention that the Predators cruised through the playoffs (though they sustained their share of key injuries, too) while the Penguins fought through two grueling seven-game series against the Capitals and Senators. The result may not have been a classic Cup finals series, but it was one to cement legacies and epitomize the warrior mentality and team-centered focus necessary to hoist Lord Stanley's coveted hardware.

Game One: Nashville Predators at Pittsburgh Penguins
May 29, 2017. PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Predators dominated the play early on (which would be a trend throughout the game) and scored the opening goal...which was overturned when the eagle-eyed Penguins video team spotted a hard-to-see offside on the play leading into the Pittsburgh zone, reminiscent of the Lightning series from last season that turned momentum in a crucial Eastern Conference Finals game. And that happened here, too. Pittsburgh scored on a 5-on-3 power play off a Evgeni Malkin shot from back in the middle of the ice between the circles. Only minutes later, after a few rare dominating minutes by the Penguins, second year forward Connor Sheary netted his first goal of the playoffs to put the Pens up two. With only sixteen seconds left in the period, third-line center Nick Bonino threw one off a Predators player that deflected into the net to give the Penguins a seemingly comfortable 3-0 lead going into the second period. In the second twenty minutes, the Penguins would kill off one penalty but not a second. Ryan Ellis scored to cut the lead to 3-1, and the Predators would not take the foot off the pedal. The Penguins, without a shot in the second, would survive a final rush that included goalie Matt Murray without a stick to maintain a comfortable 3-1 lead. Halfway through the third, with Nashville still dominating the play and the Penguins still without a shot since the end of the first period, the score was cut to 3-2 with a goal off the stick of Colton Sissons. The Predators would quickly tie the game after killing off a penalty to knot the score at 3. The seemingly hapless Penguins appeared to be on the ropes and on the way to a 1-0 series deficit, with the Predators absolutely dominating the play and appearing ready to net the winner at any moment, but the resilient defending Cup champions would respond, scoring on the team's first shot in around 37 minutes of play, this one off the stick of diminutive rookie forward Jake Guentzel, his first goal in eight games but his tenth of the postseason. The Penguins would put one into an empty Nashville net in the final minute to cement the very fortunate 5-3 victory. Penguins lead series 1-0.

Game Two: Nashville Predators at Pittsburgh Penguins
May 31, 2017. PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The story coming into game two was Nashville's dominance of game one and Pittsburgh's "luck" for having won a game in which they were severely outplayed everywhere but on the scoreboard, which included 37-plus minutes without a shot. The Penguins would rebound to play a better first period, though Nashville would again dominate much of the play, keeping the puck in Pittsburgh's zone for many of the game's early minutes. Pontus Aberg opened the scoring for Nashville halfway through the first, an inevitable result with the pace of play favoring the Predators. But Pittsburgh's quick-strike offense and high-speed talent means any chance is a scoring chance, and Jake Guentzel would pot one right in front of the net, squeezing the puck through a minuscule opening between Nashville Netminder Pekka Rinne and the post, to knot the game at one at the end of one. The second period would prove uneventful in terms of scoring, but it was a bit unnervingly familiar for Penguins fans; the home team would, at one point, go four power plays in a row without registering a shot. But only ten seconds into the third, practically right off the face-off, Bryan Rust took a shot and, off a juicy rebound, Jake Guentzel would put one home into a wide-open net to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead. Three minutes later Scott Wilson would deflect a Phil Kessel shot past the goal line to put the Penguins up 3-1. Only seconds later Evgeni Malkin, certainly one of the favorites to win the Conn Smythe Trophy at this stage of the playoffs, scored to put the Penguins up by three. Former Predator Patric Hornqvist would momentarily add to the total. That goal would be disallowed by video review for an offsides call, but it didn't matter. The Penguins suffocated the Predators and shut them down the rest of the way, which was highlighted by a nice little brawl between Malkin and Predators defenseman P.K. Subban. Final score: Penguins 4, Predators 1. Penguins lead series 2-0.

Game Three: Pittsburgh Penguins at Nashville Predators
June 3, 2017. Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee.
In terms of outcomes the 2017 Cup finals so far resembled the 2016 Cup finals. Pittsburgh took care of business in each series at home, taking to the road with a 2-0 lead. A few questions loomed with the extra day off going into Nashville. Would the series return to Pittsburgh with the Penguins finding ways to win and rattling the Preds' net minder? NBC Analyst Keith Jones boldly predicted after game two that Nashville would win both games on home ice, not a far-fetched call with the pace of play favoring Nashville but something of a diss to the defending champs. Another question: who would start in net for Nashville? Were the Penguins in Rinne's head? Could the Penguins play a 60-minute game? The answer to everything? Nashville and Pekka Rinne came to play. Though Penguins rookie forward Jake Guentzel would open the scoring only minutes in, the Predators would sustain pressure in the Penguins zone for much of the first, all the while killing off a couple of penalties, but have noting to show for it. That would change in period two. Roman Josi would nail a power play goal early in the period, which was followed in quick succession by a Frederick Gaudreau score. The action was fast at both ends of the ice and the energized home crowd, living up to its reputation as rowdy bunch, cheered on the home team which continued to put pucks in the net. Former Penguin James Neal chipped one in behind Matt Murray with only 22.6 seconds to go in the period. The intermission would change nothing. A bad move by Chris Kunitz, the Penguins hero of game seven of the Eastern Conference Final, led to a breakaway goal by Craig Smith. Add a fifth off the stick of Mattias Ekholm on the power play and the rout was complete. Things would get very chippy at the end, but it didn't matter. At least not for this game. Penguins lead series 2-1.

Game Four: Pittsburgh Penguins at Nashville Predators
June 5, 2017. Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee.
The raucous Nashville crowd seemed no worse for wear heading into game four, and neither did the Predators. A flurry of icings, broken sticks, and slow play dominated the first few minutes of the game, but from there things kicked into a much higher gear, one that would favor Nashville for the rest of the game. Heavy action in front of Matt Murray would lead to the first tally of the night, coming off the stick of Calle Jarnkrok. The Penguins would challenge the goal, claiming goaltender interference resulting in Matt Murray unable to properly play his position, but neither the referees nor the NHL's video review office in Toronto would have any of it, keeping the goal on the board. But only 66 second later, Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby would score on a breakaway off a sweet backhand move to get the Penguins right back in the game. The Predators, and their fans, would be unfazed by the momentary blip and temporary tie. Period two saw a strange play in which a puck snuck past Matt Murray and just behind the goal line. In real time, it appeared to be a fantastic save by the young Pittsburgh netminder. Play would continue, for quite a while, until the goal horn would sound, signaling a stoppage in play and the announcement of a good goal. It would prove to be the game winner. The Predators enjoyed the delayed gratification, the fans built on the momentum, Viktor Arvidsson would pot a third, and with an empty net goal moments after the Penguins pulled Matt Murray with more than three minutes to play in the game, the Predators, and their fans, would celebrate another seemingly easy win over the reeling Penguins, a team that has been seriously outplayed in the series and, frankly, for much of the playoffs. Could Nashville pull this thing off? Series tied 2-2.

Game Five: Nashville Predators at Pittsburgh Penguins
June 8, 2017. PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Would the extra day of rest serve the Penguins well? Would the break, and the departure from the very friendly and star-studded confines of Nashville, negate the Predators' momentum? If anything seemed certain for game five, it was that it was a must-win for Pittsburgh. Outplayed in the first two games and dominated and appearing lost, slow, and lacking crispness and sound positioning in Nashville, a loss in game six for the Penguins, which would be back in Nashville, seemed an inevitability, even days before the puck would drop for game five in Pittsburgh. Even with a sixth game assured for both teams no matter the outcome, this one had the feel of the determining game for the Stanley Cup. And if it did determine the Cup, then it's Pittsburgh's running way. Momentum apparently doesn't exist in this series as it moves from building to building because Pittsburgh, losers of two straight, came out flying and dominating. Justin Shultz scored from back near the blue line. 1-0. Bryan Rust chipped in a backhand. 2-0. Evgeni Malkin slapped one home in the waning seconds of the first period. 3-0. And it would continue in the second against a different goaltender. Pekka Rinne out, Juuse Saros in. It didn't matter. Conor Sheary scored on his birthday. Phil Kessel, the original "breath" man (sorry P.K., but it was funny) scored. Even defenseman Ron Hainsey, playing in not only his first Cup final but his first playoffs, scored. 6-0 Pens. That is the way it would end. The pace of play would slow in the third, but tempers would run white hot. Eighteen penalties would be called in the third, four for fighting and five game misconducts amongst them. And that's all she wrote. Still no home team with an L. Oh. And Sidney Crosby. No words to describe his greatness in this game. Penguins lead series 3-2.

Game Six: Pittsburgh Penguins at Nashville Predators
June 11, 2017. Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee.
Unlike the lead-up into game three, where there were doubts about whether Pekka Rinne would start on not, there seemed to be none this time. He'd been awful on the road and brilliant at home. There was no reason to doubt the stats now. The Predators had been dominant in their building this playoffs, and that obviously had to continue if they were to force a game seven. Well, they didn't necessarily need to be dominant, they would just need to score more goals than the Penguins, be it in graceful or ugly fashion. For the Penguins, it was about carrying momentum over to another building and not allowing the crowd or event history to dictate play. Faith Hill performed the national anthem, fitting, it would seem, given that facing elimination does require a bit of faith beyond sheer skill and determination on the ice, while the fans had to have faith that they wouldn't see Lord Stanley's hardware on the ice that night, which would mean a Pittsburgh victory. Both teams came out ready. Play was fast, the goalies were outstanding, and the game seemed to have its first turn when the Predators scored...moments after the whistle blew. The ref lost sight of the puck just before it was whacked into a largely empty net. Cat calls reigned after replay confirmed it was not a good goal. As the score remained knotted at zero, the pace of play continued at a high level. Both goaltenders were magnificent. The Predators failed to capitalize on a 5-on-3 power play. Matt Murray stood tall and stood his ground as large chunks of play occurred in the Penguins' own end. But with just over 90 seconds left in the third, the game still scoreless, the defending champs got on the board. Patric Hörnqvist, the former Predator, scooped up the puck from behind the net and whipped it off Pekka Rinne's back. 1-0 Penguins. Nashville would pull Rinne right off the next face-off but Karl Hagelin would chip in an empty netter to settle the game and the series, keeping the Cup in Pittsburgh, giving the franchise its fifth, and becoming the first back-to-back winners in the salary cap era. Penguins win series 4-2.

The 70-miniute film is a finessed, well-paced, and engaging presentation that offers a flowing narrative that spends precious little time reflecting on last year's Cup run and the Pens' regular season (injuries, trade acquisitions, milestones, and line adjustments) before beginning with first-round playoff coverage about 12 minutes in. The deeper the team pushes through the playoffs, the more comprehensive the coverage. Fans are granted a healthy allotment of support interviews with players, coaches, and media personalities. Raw locker room footage and some interesting Mike Sullivan sound bytes are included. On-ice action is presented with a number of angles not seen on the TV side. It's very well done and while it's a shame NHL isn't releasing each finals game as MLB has been doing with its World Series collections, this is certainly going to satisfy Penguins, and hockey, fans with its inside access and excellent presentation.

NHL Stanley Cup 2017 Champions: Pittsburgh Penguins Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

2017 Stanley Cup Champions skates onto Blu-ray with a 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer that's put together from a number of different sources and presentation styles. On-ice action, static interviews, artistic shots around Pittsburgh and in the locker room make up much of it, and while there's no mistaking the transfer's dominance in several key areas -- Pittsburgh black and gold pops off the screen, jersey details shine -- there are some issues. Heavy banding infects a number of static interview shots to the point that backgrounds look like a series of congruent circles. Noise is prone to intruding, and some slowed-down game footage is so thick with it the scenes look practically snowy. Fortunately, the good outweighs the bad. When it's on, it's a wonderful presentation, full of enticing colors seen on the various NHL jerseys and some amazing in-tight details, but there's no mistaking a couple of key shortcomings, too.

NHL Stanley Cup 2017 Champions: Pittsburgh Penguins Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The final horn blows on the 2016-2017 NHL season by way of this release's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. The presentation is simple, comprised primarily of interview clips, narration, and some on-ice and locker room chatter. All of the dialogue plays well, imaged nicely to the center and presenting with good, clean accuracy and prioritization. Musical width and detail impress, and some of the support sounds, like cheering crowds, airhorns, and on-ice elements present nicely. The track is certainly not in-depth, but it gets the job done fairly and efficiently.

NHL Stanley Cup 2017 Champions: Pittsburgh Penguins Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

2017 Stanley Cup Champions features several bonuses, including last year's video. A DVD copy of the program is included.

• Extended Parade Celebration (1080p, 2:55): Video images from Pittsburgh's parade.
• Extended On-Ice Celebration (1080p, 4:14): More video highlights from the moments after the Pens won the Cup.
• Extended Locker Room Celebration (1080p, 2:47): The Pens party it up in the locker room after game six.
• Round 1 Best of Wireless (1080i, 1:54): Video and sound highlights from the 2016 playoffs, first round.
• Round 2 Best of Wireless (1080i, 2:11): Video and sound highlights from the 2016 playoffs, second round.
• Round 3 Best of Wireless (1080i, 1:41): Video and sound highlights from the 2016 playoffs, conference finals.
• Stanley Cup Final: Best of Wireless (1080i, 1:41): Video and sound highlights from the 2016 playoffs, Stanley Cup Finals.
• Playoff Monage (1080i, 4:59): Additional video and audio highlights from around the playoffs.
• Top 10 Plays from the 2016-2017 Regular Season (1080i, 4:12): Several breathtaking highlights from the year that was in hockey.
• Day with the Stanley Cup -- Game 6 (1080i, 1:07): A quick video highlight compilation with "The Keeper of the Cup" as he gets the prize ready for the Penguins.
• 2016 Stanley Cup Championship Film (1080p, 1:17:24): Last year's Stanley Cup video in its entirety.

NHL Stanley Cup 2017 Champions: Pittsburgh Penguins Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

2017 Stanley Cup Champions offers a quality retrospective on the Penguins' playoff run, quickly pulling through the regular season but offering more and more screen time for each round, going in-depth into each game and exploring the drama and controversies surrounding the team as it made its run to history. It's well put together, engaging, and informative with enough highlights and inside detail to keep up fan interest. Video and audio are fair but the supplements add little to the experience, though the addition of last year's video is a great touch, even if chances are most of the people who buy this sort of release already own the last one. For Penguins fans, it's a no-brainer buy.