With a dramatic double-overtime win in Game 7 on Thursday night over the Ottawa Senators, the Pittsburgh Penguins have given themselves a chance to become the first team to repeat as Stanley Cup champions since the Detroit Red Wings won back-to-back Cups in 1997 and 1998.
Related - Watch: Kunitz's goal in double OT sends Penguins to Stanley Cup Final
Of course, just getting to the finals was a task in itself. The Senators didn't make things easy on the Penguins, as their defensive-minded style at times suffocated any offense Pittsburgh could muster.
Still, when it mattered most, the reigning champs were able to get it done. Looking back, it was these three gentlemen that really laid it on the line for the Penguins in Game 7:
Conor Sheary
His stat line might just show a single assist on Chris Kunitz's first goal of the game, but Conor Sheary was a beast.
The 24-year-old finished tied for second on the Penguins with four shots on goal and was a possession machine, leading all skaters with a 67.74 Corsi For percentage at five-on-five.
The game also served as a bounce-back for the young forward - who also played a personal playoff-high 21:44 - as his assist was his first point of the series, and his first point since Game 6 of the second round against the Washington Capitals.
Chris Kunitz
Kunitz picked the perfect time to snap out of a 35-game goalless skid.
Having not scored since mid-February, Kunitz tallied both the opening goal and the eventual game-winner, ripping a shot over the blocking glove of Craig Anderson.
It was easily one of the biggest goals of his career - capping off his first three-point game of the season - even if he insists it might have been a little lucky.
"I was just trying to get it to a soft spot," Kunitz said postgame. "The puck just fluttered off my stick... Sometimes you just get lucky."
Lucky or not, the goal extended the Penguins' postseason and made Kunitz the oldest player in NHL history to score a Game 7 overtime winner. Not too shabby.
Justin Schultz
Welcome back Justin Schultz.
Playing for the first time since Game 2 of the series, Schultz made an immediate impact. While playing the fewest minutes of any Penguins defender (24:16) - likely due to injury concerns - he tallied a goal and an assist on Kunitz's game-winner.
His power-play tally midway through the third period looked like it could stand as the deciding goal in a tight contest. He looked steady in returning to his rightful spot on the power play and helped a once-ailing blue line to further steady things in front of Matt Murray.
With 10 points in 15 games, Schultz leads all Penguins defensemen in scoring and proved his value in helping propel his club to the next round.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)