The Ottawa Senators stunned the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. Can they do it again in Game 2?
| Senators vs Penguins ML +180 / -210 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
Hopefully y’all took my advice for Game 1. If you did, you cashed in big time.
The beginning of the game looked like the ice would be tilted in favor of the Pittsburgh Penguins. They appeared to be the bigger, faster team. Ron Hainsey had a shot ring off the crossbar in the first few minutes.
But the first period rolled on with no scoring. The Senators’ forecheck lulled the Penguins into a false sense of security. A seemingly harmless dump-in with 5:30 remaining in the opening frame had Brian Dumoulin corralling the puck behind his own net. Jean-Gabriel Pageau pressured him and Dumoulin tried a behind-the-back pass to a defensive partner who wasn’t there. Bobby Ryan jumped on the puck and tried a backhand pass of his own. This one found Pageau open in the slot.
Ryan to Pageau to the back of the net. #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/D4gIz3wzOb
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) May 14, 2017
The defensive miscue cost the Penguins and the Sens were up 1-0. It was a careless play by Dumoulin and slow adjustment from Ron Hainsey to not be there to provide support.
Pageau’s goal was especially back-breaking since the Penguins had come up empty-handed on four powerplay opportunities in the first period without coming very close to scoring. They even had 45 seconds of a 5-on-3.
Ottawa thought they had found their second goal of the game when a wraparound stuck to the pad of Marc-Andre Fleury. Alex Burrows began screaming and when the camera changed angles, it appeared the puck had snuck through and crossed the goal line. Upon further review, Fleury had covered the puck with his glove and a stick whacked at his hand while the referee was blowing the play dead. Right call.
Pittsburgh would let yet another powerplay chance go by with only one real quality chance that Anderson made a terrific save on. They would finish 0-for-5 on the game.
That's A LOT harder than it looks. #StanleyCup #OTTvsPIT https://t.co/W9covJ8ZbU
— NHL (@NHL) May 14, 2017
High-danger chances were at a premium in this game. The Senators were back to their usual ways of playing keep-away with the puck, yet they still controlled the pace of play in terms of shot quantity in the third period. Pittsburgh was having a lot of difficulty getting to the inside of the ice.
Finally, with 5:35 remaining in regulation, the Penguins got one back. Chris Kunitz threw a shot to the net from a sharp angle and Evgeni Malkin was able to get a stick on it to redirect it past Craig Anderson. Malkin’s lightning quick hands saved the day and forced overtime.
Pageau won a defensive zone face-off in extra time. Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz pinched in to keep the puck in the zone, but lost the boards battle. The loose puck was chipped ahead by Bobby Ryan. He blew past Bryan Rust. Then Olli Maatta. He had just one man to beat- Marc-Andre Fleury.
It's one thing to end it in OT. It's a whole other thing to end like that. #StanleyCup https://t.co/wNd5HxmMfb
— NHL (@NHL) May 14, 2017
Backhander. Thin Mints. Game over. The first pick after Sidney Crosby in the 2005 Amateur Draft had another game-winning goal this postseason.
Pittsburgh has now been out-shot in 10 consecutive games. They only had two days to adjust to the new defensive system, and it showed. Their play in the neutral zone was sloppy. Their powerplay was ineffective. When given five chances to score a man up, to come away empty-handed is unacceptable, especially when that team is the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The heat map tracking shot attempts from Natural Stat Trick is…well, it is not pretty for fans of the black and gold.
The middle of the ice is completely clogged up, just how Ottawa likes it.
Luck was not on the Penguins’ side, either. They hit at least five posts in the game, two off the crossbar.
The Ottawa Senators played a perfect game. They knew that their opponent was not going to be used to their system and took full advantage of it. Pittsburgh is going to be adjusting, though. Their practice yesterday was focused on playing tighter with the puck and getting used to high traffic in the neutral zone.
Penguins open practice with a drill that intentionally clutters the neutral zone. pic.twitter.com/yBU9L3lBmg
— Bill West (@Just_BWest) May 14, 2017
Money on the Penguins tonight is wise. Pittsburgh is a tough place to play for any opponent, and the Penguins losing both games to start the series would be catastrophic. The last time the Pens lost consecutive games in the playoffs at home was their 2015 first-round loss to the Rangers in Games 3 and 4. The last time it was the first two games of the series? 2013, when the Penguins were swept in the Conference Final by the Boston Bruins.
If history is any indication, when the Penguins lose back to back games at home, it’s usually the sign of a quick exit.
Ottawa won’t have to change much to try and make that happen. Adjustments have to be made entirely by the Pittsburgh Penguins following Game 1. The Sens held their own defensively against the Penguins’ attack and even made Marc-Andre Fleury sweat a bit in net. It was not exactly the adrenaline-pumping showdown that fans got used to watching the Penguins and Capitals play, but in the Sens’ camp, it’s not about drama. It’s about results.
Guy Boucher was ready for the Penguins. He had his group playing their game and it worked to perfection.
Trevor Daley is out until Game 3 at least. Carl Hagelin is likely out again tonight, as no update has been provided.
Now the Penguins have additional concern about Patric Hornqvist. He did not participate in the morning skate this morning and is listed by coach Mike Sullivan as a game-time decision. Also missing the morning skate were Ron Hainsey, Matt Cullen, Brian Dumoulin, Chris Kunitz, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Sidney Crosby, Daley and Hagelin. Some of those names are simply precautionary measures I’m sure, but jeez. That’s a lot of people to be “game-time decisions” as Sullivan says.
Regardless of health, count on a bounceback effort from the Penguins tonight.
Prediction: Take the Pittsburgh Penguins to even up the series tonight. Play the under.
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