The Pittsburgh Penguins have a chance to lock up their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final berth tonight. Can they end the Eastern Conference Final in Ottawa?
| Penguins vs Senators ML -154 / +125 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
The Pittsburgh Penguins gave the Ottawa Senators a sound thrashing in Game 5. The pain started 8:14 into the first period, as Olli Maatta netted his second career playoff goal on a one-timer from the left point. Maatta has now tallied in two straight games.
Four minutes later, the Pittsburgh powerplay went to work. Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel weaved magic around the Ottawa defense and opened up space for a Trevor Daley one-timer. Sidney Crosby was on the doorstep to get a stick on the shot and deflect it by Craig Anderson.
Great plays on this goal:
-Crosby changes angle for zone entry
-Kessel knocks down pass
-Malkin breaks Stalberg's ankles
-Crosby tip-in pic.twitter.com/Qk3OnyfbBs— Sean Tierney (@ChartingHockey) May 22, 2017
The entire play is one of the best examples of just how lethal the Penguins’ powerplay can be. Malkin shakes and bakes Viktor Stalberg like he’s a pee-wee player and finds Phil Kessel to open up space for himself. Ottawa never had a chance, and neither did Anderson.
Another four minutes went by. Marc Methot’s attempted breakout was far too slow and his pass for Kyle Turris went into Turris’ skates as opposed to simply over the blue line. Brian Dumoulin kept the puck in the zone and sent a pass to the high slot where it was fielded by Carter Rowney. Rowney’s shot was saved by Anderson and the follow-up shot by Nick Bonino was redirected by Bryan Rust. Anderson was undone by his own defense.
After the goal, Anderson made his way to the bench to converse with Senators head coach Guy Boucher. Mike Condon took the net. After missing a shift, Anderson took the ice once more in an unconventional move.
On the first shot he faced, Scott Wilson snuck one through Anderson’s wickets from behind the goal line.
A 3-0 deficit after one would have been bad but not necessarily impossible from the Ottawa Senators’ standpoint. Given their ability to grab momentum back, it would have been a reasonable deficit. Four goals at the end of one was simply too much.
Anderson sat out the rest of the game. Matt Cullen scored less than two minutes into the second period. Erik Karlsson, Cody Ceci and Derick Brassard all rested the third period for the Senators. Phil Kessel and Trevor Daley would tack on two more to take Game 5 7-0.
There have been a couple of instances of “wake-up call” games already this postseason. The Edmonton Oilers lost 7-0 to the San Jose Sharks in the opening round then proceeded to win the next two games to clinch the series. In the second round, the Oilers won Game 6 7-1 but the Anaheim Ducks responded for a Game 7 victory.
Even earlier this round, the Senators thumped the Penguins 5-1 and now the Penguins are a win away from making the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row.
Will this game serve as a wake-up call for the Ottawa Senators?
My money is on no.
While the Ottawa Senators are a profitable +125 as the home underdog tonight, which is intriguing, their problems run deeper than just one game. Their blueline was slow as molasses as it has been all series. Marc Methot, Dion Phaneuf and Cody Ceci have all been terribly immobile. I’m sure injuries are hindering them, but if that’s the case, the Penguins are going to feast on the Sens tonight.
Karlsson, Brassard and Ceci are all expected to play tonight. As is Craig Anderson.
Guy Boucher, ladies and gentlemen. pic.twitter.com/5JusjPXIKL
— Ashley Chase (@AshleyChaseTV) May 21, 2017
Pittsburgh’s Patric Hornqvist, Justin Schultz, Chad Ruhwedel and Tom Kuhnhackl are all out for Game 6 as they were last game. Though Scott Wilson is banged up, he is probable to play.
So who keeps the Senators alive? An inspired effort out of the defense is required. Erik Karlsson simply cannot do it alone, especially when his foot is proving to be more of a factor with each passing game. Guy Boucher dressed seven defensemen last game. While it proved to be helpful in the sense that Karlsson was allowed some rest, none of the seven d-men could hang with Pittsburgh’s ferocious attack.
You all probably know how much I love my heat maps, especially when it comes to analyzing just how good the Pittsburgh Penguins are at getting to high-danger areas.
Well…
Dang.
There really is not too much else to analyze from the last game for the Ottawa Senators. All they really have to do is do a complete 180 and find the mojo they had in Game 3. The only problem is that they are shooting on a better goaltender and going up against a team that is no longer bleeding shot quantity.
The Penguins smell blood in the water. Last game was a statement victory. While Game 7 at home is certainly a luxury, there is no reason to let the Senators hang around. Nashville has already locked up their place in the Stanley Cup Final.
Pittsburgh ought to be eager to punch their own ticket. They clinched the series on the road last round in Washington. They can do it again here in Ottawa.
Make no mistake, the Ottawa Senators will put up a good fight. They certainly won’t be shut out. If there’s a prop bet to be made on the Senators scoring first, I might actually make it.
But the fat lady is doing vocal warmups in the dressing room. The Senators’ run, which was terrific, is going to come to a close tonight.
The Senators are 0-5 in series in which they trail 3-2. They have only forced a Game 7 when down 3-2 twice in their franchise’s history. In 2013 when the Pittsburgh Penguins trounced the Ottawa Senators 7-3 on the road in Game 4 of the second round, the Penguins came back home and won 6-2 to clinch the series.
In short? History is not on the side of the Ottawa Senators.
Prediction: Take the Pittsburgh Penguins to win their second straight Prince of Wales Trophy tonight. Play the over.
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