Hornqvist: No doubt 'we're going to come back here for a Game 7'

The opponent has "quiet calm;" Patric Hornqvist has stern conviction.

After the Pittsburgh Penguins lost consecutive games for the first time since mid-January - a letdown that has them within a loss of elimination with the Stanley Cup Final nearly within reach - Hornqvist is confident his club won't suffer a third.

"We're in a tough position," Hornqvist said after Sunday's loss in Game 5 to the Tampa Bay Lightning, per Sportnet's Chris Johnston, "but there's no doubt in my mind we're going to come back (to Pittsburgh) for a Game 7."

There's been virtually no margin for error in the Eastern Conference final, as Tyler Johnson's off-the-rear end overtime winner is the only thing that separates the two teams in the series and the aggregated scoreboard.

But Hornqvist's rallying cry might be required on an emotional level, as the Penguins dominated the run of play throughout the series until the teams' overall performances seemed to level out in Game 5.