Schedule and 2015-16 Results
Regular Season Records: Pittsburgh 48-26-8=104pts, Tampa Bay 46-31-5=97pts
Game 1 on Friday, 13 May: Tampa Bay wins at Pittsburgh, 3-goals-1
Game 2 on Monday, 16 May: Tampa Bay loses at Pittsburgh, 3-goals-2(OT)
Game 3 on Wednesday, 18 May: Pittsburgh wins at Tampa Bay, 4-goals-2
Game 4 on Friday, 20 May: Pittsburgh loses at Tampa Bay, 4-goals-3
Game 5 on Sunday, 22 May: Tampa Bay wins at Pittsburgh, 4-goals-3(OT)
Game 6 on Tuesday, 24 May: Pittsburgh wins at Tampa Bay, 5-goals-2
Game 7 on Thursday, 26 May: Tampa Bay loses at Pittsburgh, 2-goals-1

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: The Pittsburgh Penguins hosted and topped the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-goals-1 to complete a 4-games-3 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1299 victory. With the series 1299 win, the Pittsburgh Penguins improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 32-22 overall and 5-4 in the Semifinals round. With the series 1299 loss, the Tampa Bay Lightning see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 12-8 overall and 2-2 in the Semifinals round. The win order for the victorious Pittsburgh Penguins in series 1299 was LWWLLWW: Series 1299 thus becomes the fifth NHL Semifinals-round series, the tenth NHL series (all rounds), and the 16th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. With the series 1299 Game 7 victory on home ice, the Pittsburgh Penguins end a Game 7 home-ice losing streak of four games.

After Game 6: The Pittsburgh Penguins visited and topped the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-goals-2 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1299 at 3-games-all. When tied 3-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a Game 7 record of 7-7, while the Tampa Bay Lightning have a Game 7 record of 5-1. The Pittsburgh Penguins have a home-ice Game 7 record of 2-7 with an active four-Game 7 losing streak on home ice. The Tampa Bay Lightning have a road-ice Game 7 record of 2-1. With one more home-ice Game 7 loss, the Pittsburgh Penguins would tie the NHL Boston Bruins for most MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series Game 7 losses at home (eight). Irrespective of win/site order, NHL teams on home ice for a best-of-7 playoff Game 7 have a 96-69 (.581) record across all rounds, and a 21-11 (.656) record in the NHL Semifinals.

After Game 5: The Tampa Bay Lightning visited and outscored the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-goals-3 in overtime to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1299 lead of 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a series record of 4-0 and a Game 6 record of 2-2. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 6-7 and a Game 6 record of 6-7. The Tampa Bay Lightning in series 1299 Game 5 trailed the Penguins in Pittsburgh by two goals as late as 13:14 into the second period, and by one goal as late as 16:43 into the third period. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2015, inclusive, road teams trailing by two goals as late as 13:14 into the second period had a game record of 31-429 (.067), and road teams trailing by one goal as late as 16:43 into the third period had a game record of 35-601 (.055). Trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a 6-7 series record, but a 6-0 series record after then winning Game 6.

After Game 4: The Tampa Bay Lightning hosted and bested the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-goals-3 to knot best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1299 at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 12-8 and a Game 5 record of 12-8 (with an active three-Game 5 winning streak), while the Tampa Bay Lightning have a series record of 5-4 and a Game 5 record of 3-6. Series 1299 Game 4 is the fourth in best-of-7 NHL playoff history (1939-2015, inclusive) in which the home team tallied the first four goals and the visitors the last three. Previous such occurrences were series 612 Game 5 (Vancouver over Edmonton 4-goals-3, 1992 NHL Quarterfinals), series 1128 Game 2 (Detroit over Phoenix 4-goals-3, 2011 NHL Preliminary round), and series 1227 Game 1 (Anaheim over Dallas 4-goals-3, 2014 NHL Preliminary round). Series 1299 marks the third LWWL @ HHVV win/site order through four games of a best-of-7 NHL playoff series posted by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The previous two were in series 578 (in the 1991 NHL Preliminary round, which Pittsburgh won to begin the Penguins' 1991-92 NHL championship run) and in series 635 (in the 1993 NHL Quarterfinals, which Pittsburgh lost to end the Penguins' 1991-92 NHL championship run).

After Game 3: The Pittsburgh Penguins visited and defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-goals-2 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1299 lead of 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 13-7 and a Game 4 record of 9-11 (with an active three-Game 4 winning streak). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a series record of 4-3 and a Game 4 record of 4-3. The Pittsburgh Penguins tallied the first goal of series 1299 Game 3 at 19:50 into the second period - the latest goal into the second period to begin the scoring in a best-of-7 NHL playoff game since series 680 Game 2, when the Toronto Maple Leafs scored the first goal of the game 19:53 into the second period in Chicago against the Blackhawks in their 1995 NHL Preliminary-round series en route to a 3-goals-nil road shutout victory. Through three games of series 1299, the win/site order posted by the leading Pittsburgh Penguins is LWW @ HHV - the last three NHL teams to post this win/site order through three games were Tampa Bay (series 1295 in the 2016 NHL Quarterfinals; they won), Tampa Bay (series 1268 - the 2015 NHL Finals; they lost), and Pittsburgh (series 1230 in the 2014 NHL Quarterfinals; they lost).

After Game 2: The Pittsburgh Penguins hosted and defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-goals-2 in overtime to knot best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1299 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 13-13 and a Game 3 record of 16-10, while the Tampa Bay Lightning have a series record of 7-5 and a Game 3 record of 7-5 (with an active three-Game 3 winning streak).

After Game 1: The Tampa Bay Lightning visited and defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-goals-1 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1299 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a series record of 6-1 and a Game 2 record of 4-3. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a series record of 13-15 and a Game 2 record of 16-12 (with an active three-Game 2 winning streak). In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff series from 1939 through the 2016 NHL Quarterfinals, inclusive, teams such as Tampa Bay in series 1299 which win Game 1 by a 3-goals-1 tally on the road have a 13-4 (.765) series record with an active nine-series winning streak (all rounds).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2015-16 NHL regular season, the Pittsburgh Penguins finished seven points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning. From 1939 through the 2016 NHL Quarterfinals round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by seven regular-season points, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 16-13 (.552) with an active seven-series losing streak in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1299 is the 54th best-of-7 NHL playoff series for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the 20th for the Tampa Bay Lightning. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Pittsburgh Penguins have an all-rounds series record of 31-22, a Semifinals-round series record of 4-4, and a Game 1 record of 25-28, while the Tampa Bay Lightning have an all-rounds series record of 12-7, a Semifinals-round series record of 2-1, and a Game 1 record of 7-12. Series 1299 is the second best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Pittsburgh defeated Tampa Bay in series 1125, in the 2011 NHL Preliminary round.