"It was a triumph of commitment, a testament to power of perspiration.

And, in the end, it was utterly irrelevant.

Mind you, all that the Penguins accomplished during the regular season -- the second-highest point total in franchise history, a serious run at the Eastern Conference championship despite a cruel run of injuries to core players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin -- was nothing shy of remarkable. But ultimately, what did it get them?

Some well-deserved respect. A lot of praise from outside the organization. And, of course, the right to play Game 7, if there was one, in the opening round of the playoffs at Consol Energy Center.

Only one of those truly counted.

And, as it turned out, even that couldn't have mattered less, because the only benefit the Penguins got from playing Game 7 against Tampa Bay here on Wednesday was having a short drive, not a long flight, home after the Lightning ended their season.

The Penguins could have -- should have -- won that series. Take a 3-1 lead against any opponent, up to and including the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens, and you should be able to close it out, especially with two of the final three games on home ice.

That the Penguins didn't is an indictment of all concerned."