Forget about style; worry about results.
- Bobby Orr.

After taking a 3 to 1 series lead against the Ottawa Senators Wednesday night in Ottawa, the Penguins returned to Pittsburgh to open the doors of the Consol Energy Center to the Sens for Game 5. The Penguins were riding on the momentum of a 7 to 3 victory propelled by a dominating third period while the Senators, for their part, were banking on the drive of desperation to keep their playoff dreams alive.

While both teams wanted to come out swinging, the ice was heavily tilted in favour of the Penguins, dominating play and pinning the Senators to their own zone. The first (and only) goal of the period for Pittsburgh game just over six minutes into the game. Credited to Brenden Morrow, the goal would be reviewed as it rebounded off of his skate and into the net behind Craig Anderson. A phone call to Toronto would rule the goal good and the Penguins took the lead. With 13:41 gone, Sidney Crosby would be called for a hook (although picking the pocket of an opposing player with the puck usually isn’t a hook,) sending the Senators to the penalty play. The Penguins penalty kill proved too much for the man advantage and they emerged unscathed with just over four minutes left to go. With the first horn, the Penguins remained ahead by a goal while outshooting Ottawa 12 to 10.

The Penguins continued to force the momentum in their favour through the second, tilting the ice in their favour. Five minutes into the middle, Ottawa’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau was whistled for interference, sending Pittsburgh to their second power play. It would take some time but the Penguins did capitalize on the man advantage with James Neal tallying their second of the night. A shot from Kris Letang bounced before falling at the goal line where Neal was able to jam it into the crease following a sprawling dive. Once again, a call to Toronto was made and once again, the call on the ice stood and the goal remained. The teams headed to four-on-four play when Chris Neil was whistled for interference and a minute later Evgeni Malkin earned two minutes for a hold. It wasn’t all bad news, however, as Kris Letang increased the Penguins lead to 3 and 0 with a shot from the slot. The Penguins head back to the penalty immediately following Malkin’s release when Douglas Murray was whistled for delay of game. Milan Michalek seized the opportunity, getting the Senators back in the game with Ottawa’s first of game. A pass from behind the net from Jason Spezza allowed Michalek to go forehand and then backhand before beating Tomas Vokoun.  With a minute and twelve left in the middle frame, the teams headed to four-on-four hockey once again when Chris Kunitz and Ottawa’s Kyle Turris were given matching penalties, Kunitz for a slash and Turris for a hold. It proved to be Evgeni Malkin’s moment to shine. With 29.2 seconds left to go before the buzzer, a backcheck in the neutral zone forced a turnover allowing James Neal to gain possession of the puck before sending it down the line to streaking Malkin who had no one standing in his way besides Anderson. And Anderson was not stopping him. With that, Pittsburgh headed into the third up 4 to 1.

The parade to the penalty box began in the third period. Less than a minute into the final frame, Daniel Alfredsson was whistled for a hook. Ottawa would successfully ride out their penalty kill. This was followed by a slash against Chris Neil who tried to get something started with Douglas Murray. Murray was having none of it, resulting in the man advantage to Pittsburgh. Thirty seconds into the Neil penalty, Kyle Turris was whistled for a slash while Pittsburgh’s Paul Martin earned two for retaliatory roughing. Nothing would come of any of these advantages but not to be outdone, Matt Cooke would follow with a slash of his own with 7:49 off the clock. Ottawa couldn’t capitalize and halfway through the third the Penguins maintained their 4 to 1 lead. Pittsburgh pulled ahead by yet another goal – the second of the night for James Neal. Unassisted, Neal would get the puck toward the net and send it toward Anderson where it would bounce off an Ottawa defender and into the net. With 6:28 left in the third, Kyle Turris cut the Penguins lead to three goals with Ottawa’s second of the night, beating Vokoun top shelf for the tally. While it brought a little momentum to the Senators, James Neal earned Pittsburgh sixth of the night – his third of the game – and the hat trick with a drag and snap on Anderson.

That would do it. The Pittsburgh Penguins are now headed to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2009 and with a home ice victory.

Kris Letang led all skaters with 24:19 of icetime while Paul Martin had 23:39. Kris Letang tallied 6 shots on goal while Sidney Crosby and James Neal each had 5.  The Penguins sent 33 shots toward Anderson while Vokoun faced 31.

The Penguins will have a few days off before the beginning of the Conference Finals, facing either the Boston Bruins or the New York Rangers.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have the opportunity to be halfway into their goal of winning a Stanley Cup as they look to do something they haven’t been able to do since 2008 – close out a playoff series on home ice. It could be the first time the Penguins close out a playoff series at the CONSOL Energy Center, as-well-as the first series clincher at home under Head Coach Dan Bylsma. However, they’re going to need to beat a desperate Ottawa Senators team in Game Five and it’s always the hardest to get the fourth win in a series.

The last time the Penguins won a series at home, they did so at Mellon Arena, winning 6-0 on May 18th, 2008 against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Penguins look to avoid a Game Six in Ottawa, and would love to get the chance to rest and prepare for what could be their next series against either the Boston Bruins or the New York Rangers.

The Senators look to stave off elimination for the first time in this post season. Ottawa was routed in a disappointing 7-3 shellacking at the hands of the Penguins in on Wednesday night. Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson spoke candidly after Game Four about his belief as to whether or not the Sens had a chance to win three-straight games in the series, saying “probably not.” Tonight’s game could be the last time Alfredsson dons a Senators jersey.

“We’re coming home with an opportunity. I think our team knows exactly how important this opportunity is to get the fourth win… We have one game right in front of us and it’s important to have that mentality and mindset for us tonight.”

-Dan Bylsma

SEASON SERIES

GAME 5: RECAP
GAME 14: RECAP
GAME 45: RECAP | THOUGHTS

PLAYOFFS

GAME ONE: RECAP | THOUGHTS
GAME TWO: RECAP | THOUGHTS
GAME THREE: RECAP | THOUGHTS
GAME FOUR: RECAP | THOUGHTS

Notes and Numbers

Dan Bylsma’s Penguins are 0-6 at home in potential series-clinching games.

Pittsburgh has chased the oppositions goaltender four times in its ten playoff games this season.

The Penguins are 11-3 in their last 14 playoff games against the Senators.

James Neal’s two goals in Game Four was his first goals in six games. Neal has recorded 6 points in 8 postseason games.

Pittsburgh has scored 41 goals in 10 playoff games this season.

Pittsburgh has five different players scoring at a Point-Per-Game pace (Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Iginla and Dupuis.

Craig Anderson has given up 14 goals on 129 shots in his last four starts.

Tomas Vokoun has allowed nine goals on 139 shots in his four starts this series.

Chris Kunitz and Paul Martin have nine points each in ten games.

Mark Stone did not make the trip to Pittsburgh as he was injured in Game Four.

Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek skated on a line in the morning skate. Between the three of them, they have combined for 2,338 regular-season NHL games and 2,084 points.

PROJECTED SENATORS LINEUPS

Michalek-Spezza-Alfredsson
Greening-Turris-Condra
Smith-Zibanejad-Silfverberg
Kassian-Pageau-Neil

Methot-Karlsson
Cowen-Gonchar
Phillips-Benoit

Anderson

PROJECTED PENGUINS LINEUPS

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Iginla-Malkin-Neal
Cooke-Sutter-Kennedy
Bennett-Jokinen-Adams

Orpik-Martin
Letang-Niskanen
Eaton-Murray

Vokoun

Follow me on Twitter: @PensNation_Nick

HOSTS: Joe Depto,  and Ken Will.

Twitter: @ThePensNation

Rundown:

• Audio from the morning skate
• Preview of Pens/Sens game Five

Join in on the conversation  LIVE from 1:00-1:30ish and subscribe to the show on iTunes.

HOSTS: Joe Depto, Nick Richter and Ken Will.

Twitter: @ThePensNation

Rundown:

• Do Daniel Alfredson’s comments really make that much of a difference?
• Evaluating Jussi Jokinen and Beau Bennett
• The Pirates support the Penguins’ on the road to Milwaukee

Join in on the conversation  LIVE from 10:00-10:30ish and subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Pens Lead Series 3-1

Goals
Neal (2), unassisted
Kunitz (4) from Dupuis, Letang
Iginla (3) from Letang, Neal
Neal (3) (PP) from Crosby, Letang
Dupuis (7) (SH) from Cooke
Crosby (7) from Kennedy
Iginla (4) (PP) from Jokinen, Letang

| TPN Recap |

Stat Leaders

Shots: Neal (9)
Missed Shots: Martin & Neal (3)
Blocked Shots: Orpik (4)
Hits: Kennedy (4)
Giveaways: Kunitz & Letang (2)
Ice Time: Orpik (23:42) … Bennett (10:54)
Faceoffs: Crosby (13/20) … Iginla (1/5)

The Good

It's impressive when a guy can earn a takeaway by sticklifting the goalie. (Jana Chytilova/Getty Images)

James Neal: It was the playoff game we were all waiting for from James Neal.  Two days off brought life back to his game as he led the team with 9 shots (12 attempted) and scored 2 goals.  He also drew an interference penalty, added an assist, and was noticeable in a good way in all 3 zones.  Neal looked like he was in last season’s form with how quickly he was releasing shots.  All of his production came in just 18 shifts for 15:31 of ice time, easily making him the most productive player on the team per shift.  Best of all, his skating stride looked normal again so there’s a good chance he will keep up the strong play.

Sidney Crosby: Though the Penguins started off slow as a team, Crosby came out like he was shot out of a canon.  He showed by far the most energy in the first period, even stealing a puck from Craig Anderson behind the net, and he was rewarded later in the game with a goal and a powerplay assist.  Crosby went 13/20 in faceoffs, led the forwards with 18:03 of ice time, and also recorded 6 shots.  It was a much better performance after a sloppy Game 3.  Though he wasn’t credited for any takeaways, I had him marked down for 2 steals and 3 pass interceptions/deflections.

Tyler Kennedy: TK continues to demonstrate incredible playoff form after his disappointing season.  He led the team with 4 hits and was tenacious on the backcheck in the defensive zone.  He only recorded one point, an assist on Crosby’s goal, but it was impressive as he backchecked and stole the puck in the neutral zone before dishing it off to Crosby.  Kennedy is doing all of the right things to keep himself in the lineup right now.

Paul Martin: Paul Martin continues to play unassuming perfect defense in a way that the average fan probably won’t notice.  Aside from a slashing penalty that led to a meaningless powerplay goal for Ottawa late in the game, Martin was just about perfect in the defensive zone.  He has mastered how to handle Ottawa’s forwards in one-on-one situations.  Whether it’s stepping up on them at the blue line, keeping them to the perimeter in the defensive zone, or poke checking the puck off of their sticks, Martin is doing everything perfectly to neutralize his assignments.  Pittsburgh hasn’t seen an individual defender like this in the playoffs in a long time.  Also, don’t underestimate his presence on the powerplay in the third period – puck possession improved immediately.

The second line says kindly go eff yourself. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Jarome Iginla: Iginla joined Neal in telling everyone to shut it about the second line and any “chemistry” issues they may have.  Iggy recorded 2 goals on 4 shots in just 13:56 of play and had several other chances, but wasn’t at his best with puck handling at times.  He stepped in for a few faceoffs as well.  Even though he was a dismal 1 for 5, he still won a faceoff battle at the dot that led to Neal’s first goal of the game.  As some may question why he doesn’t receive more powerplay time or ice time in general, it’s worth considering whether Iginla is more productive with less ice time at this stage in his career.  He looked far more energetic in Game 4 than previous games.

Others: Also worthy of praise – Pascal Dupuis (goal and assist in 18:03 of ice time), Brooks Orpik (good one-on-one defense, drew a penalty), Matt Cooke (shorthanded assist, strong PK work, drew a penalty)

Noteworthy

Likely quote: "Sorry for making your life awful, but I still got 4 points." (Jana Chytilova/The Canadian press)

Kris Letang: Letang played a horrible first period, had a hand in all 3 goals against, and somehow recorded 4 assists to confuse just about everyone on his evaluation.  Teaser – his game changed completely when his pairing changed.  Letang’s final stat line was 4 assists, 1 shot, 1 blocked shot, and 2 giveaways in 21:27 of ice time.  His ice time was eclipsed by both Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin, which tells you how the coaching staff felt about Letang’s play throughout the game.  He continually gets caught up in what he feels should be penalties and he made some mistakes in the defensive zone, but you have to give him credit for what he did to spark offense as well.  When he’s focused, Letang is one of the best defensemen in the league.  The question is – can Letang stay focused for 60 minutes.

Jussi Jokinen: Jokinen had a very tentative return to the lineup and looked serviceable, but not great overall.  He finished with 1 assist, 2 shots, a slashing penalty, a giveaway, and a 6/10 faceoff mark in 12:11 of ice time.  He appeared to shy away from physical contact more than usual and didn’t seem to have that extra gear in him to win puck battles or puck races.  Though he claimed he was healthy, he had the look of a player either coming off of an injury or afraid to make a mistake, maybe both.  Crosby double-shifted into his center spot a few times, so it will be interesting to see how much Jokinen is used moving forward.

The Bad

Niskanen was so out of position, he didn't even get a chance to look bad. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press)

Matt Niskanen: Niskanen might be playing some of his worst hockey in a Penguins jersey during the 2013 playoffs.  He had no discernible offensive stats, only 1 blocked shot, and took a tripping penalty.  While it’s not an issue that he isn’t adding much to the offense, part of the problem is his puck possession.  He passed the puck directly out of the offensive zone twice to kill any pressure the Penguins had.  Meanwhile, on defense, he was gliding and completely out of position on the second goal against.  He has looked uncomfortable in general in the defensive zone, though that did improve once the pairings changed.  Finally, his tripping penalty was a borderline slewfoot and just a dangerous play heading into the boards.  Niskanen has had many forgettable games in this playoff year and Game 4 can be added to that list.

Misc. Thoughts

Lineup: The two big lineup changes going into Game 4 were Beau Bennett and Jussi Jokinen in for Tanner Glass and Brenden Morrow (injured).  Tyler Kennedy was moved up to the third line with Cooke and Sutter while Bennett and Jokinen joined the 4th line with Adams.  The moves were visibly positive as Bennett played well overall, especially in the defensive zone where he is underrated.  He had a timely stick lift on the crease to prevent a scoring chance and also helped out on a couple of clears.  Offensively, he plowed the way for Crosby to undress Phillips and have an open lane to the net.  Kennedy and Jokinen are discussed above, and both certainly played above any level Tanner Glass has shown.  Glass may be valuable to this team in the next round though, so don’t turn on him quite yet (I know, it’s already too late).

Injuries: Chris Kunitz left midway through the 2nd period with an unknown injury.  He came back in the 3rd period, but left again once the Penguins had a comfortable margin.  Based solely on those actions, one would guess Kunitz has a slight injury but could play if necessary.  That being said, it probably wouldn’t hurt to sit him in Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead.  As for Brenden Morrow, he left practice early on Tuesday and didn’t skate on Wednesday.  It sounds like he pulled a muscle, but I have no definitive information on that.  Same advice with Glass and Kunitz on Morrow, there’s a strong chance he will be more valuable next round and the team might as well rest him with a 3-1 series lead and plenty of depth to replace him.

Moving Eaton to Letang's pairing helped on both offense and defense. (Jana Chytilova/Getty Images)

Adjustments: If you’re a Bylsma hater, here is one time you have to give him credit for lineup adjustments as the game went on (or just admit you’ll hate him no matter what).  Letang and Niskanen were awful in the first period, so the 2nd period started off with new (old) pairings of Letang/Eaton and Niskanen/Murray.  Both Letang and Niskanen improved greatly after the switch and the change in Letang’s game is visible on the score sheet as well.  Bylsma also made another adjustment going into the 3rd period.  The first powerplay had Letang and Martin on the point with Malkin, Crosby, and Neal as the forwards (and this was before Kunitz left again).  It resulted in a powerplay goal on their first shift together.  As much as we joke about how there’s so much talent on this team that it’s difficult to determine what to do with it; that actually does hold true.  It’s hard to not use 4 forwards when the team has this much talent, but give the coaches credit for resisting the urge and going with a safer setup that worked out well.

Goalie Situation: No, there still isn’t a goalie situation.  Vokoun played pretty well in stopping 30 of 33 shots.  The first and third goals against were just tough ones to stop (a breakaway and a deflection).  The second goal is partially on him as he gave up a really bad rebound when he looked unsure of how to play the shot.  One bad goal in a 7-3 win isn’t cause for concern though.  The Vokoun train continues along until he falters in a loss.  One thing to watch for though – the defense is starting to get a little lackadaisical in front of Vokoun like they were in front of Fleury.  When it comes down to it, it may be the defense that determines if and when Fleury gets the job back based on how well they opt to play.

Game 5: Paul MacLean had little to say after Game 4 in a 22 second press conference stating that Ottawa was coming to Pittsburgh and coming to play.  Captain Daniel Alfredsson had a different story to tell, saying the Sens probably wouldn’t be able to make a comeback against Pittsburgh because of their depth.  Gamesmanship?  Head games?  What’s going on exactly?  Regardless of what anyone says, Ottawa is coming to Pittsburgh to stay alive and no one wants to play their last hockey game of the year. Bylsma is oddly 0-6 in elimination games in Pittsburgh, but that trend can’t last forever, right?  I would expect Anderson to be a stud in net as he tries to steal a 2nd game, but I’m not sure it will be enough against a team that just scored 7 without Malkin recording a point.

Series Outlook: The Penguins are clearly in the driver’s seat with a 3-1 series lead and stole a road game in the process.  Though we have seen this team blow a 3-1 series lead before (2011 vs Tampa Bay), it’s not going to happen this year.  There’s too much depth and talent, and Bylsma is making the right moves to utilize guys when he needs to.  If Ottawa does win Game 5, Bylsma has a strong history of winning the next game.  I won’t stop you from looking ahead at this point.

+/- Assessment

1st Goal Against (Michalek): – for

• Letang – out of position on the far boards instead of the middle of the ice so he has no chance at catching up to Michalek as he goes for a breakaway
• Malkin – Acts just a bit slow in realizing Michalek is about to go for a breakaway and Malkin can’t transition for it or keep up

1st Goal For (Neal): + for

• Iginla – takes the faceoff and pushes Smith back at the faceoff dot, forcing Smith into a pass directly to Neal
• Neal – gets control of the puck and fires a wrist shot past Anderson

2nd Goal Against (Turris): – for

• Vokoun – can’t handle a soft shot and gives up an awkward rebound
• Letang – unable to clear the rebound/win the puck battle in front of Vokoun, then falls on/over Vokoun
• Niskanen – is slow coming out of the corner and nowhere near in position to cover Turris
• Crosby – peels off of covering Turris assuming the puck will come out of the zone / someone will cover Turris and neither happens

2nd Goal For (Kunitz): + for

• Letang – blocks a shot and chips the puck towards Dupuis
• Dupuis – wins a puck battle in his feet and passes the puck up to Kunitz all alone at the blue line
• Kunitz – takes the puck in on a breakaway and scores

3rd Goal For (Iginla): + for

• Malkin – moves the puck out of the defensive zone and passes it across to Neal in the neutral zone
• Neal – swats at the puck to chip it to Letang over the blue line on the right side
• Letang – takes a low shot that bounces off of Anderson’s pads and stays in the crease
• Iginla – crashes the crease and puts the rebound into the net

4th Goal For (Neal): + for

• Martin – carries the puck deep in the zone and throws it back to Neal at the point
• Letang – gets the puck from Neal, passes to Crosby on the right boards, gets the puck from Malkin and fakes a shot before passing to Crosby
• Crosby – gets the puck from Letang and passes down to Malkin on the goal line, takes a one-timer that misses the net and bounces to Neal
• Malkin – passes the puck back up to Letang
• Neal – gets the puck from Martin and passes it to Letang, then skates towards the net and gets the puck off of the backboards from Crosby’s shot, finally scores on an almost empty net as Anderson can’t get across in time

5th Goal For (Dupuis): + for

• Cooke – blocks a shot in the defensive zone, chases the pass from Dupuis and skates the puck behind the net before backhanding a pass to Dupuis on the crease
• Dupuis – corrals the puck that Cooke blocks and flips it ahead so Cooke can catch up to it, then goes straight to the net and outmuscles Gonchar to tap the puck into the net

6th Goal For (Crosby): + for

• Kennedy – steals the puck in the neutral zone and gets it to Crosby
• Bennett – crashes through the defensive zone, pulling the 2nd defender away from the net
• Crosby – dekes Phillips down to his knees and skates in front of Anderson by himself, backhanding a shot past him

7th Goal For (Iginla): + for

• Jokinen – wins the faceoff back to Letang and goes to open space along the boards, gets the puck back from Letang and feeds Iginla in the high slot
• Letang – gets the puck off the faceoff and passes it down to Jokinen on the boards
• Iginla – one-times the puck from the high slot past Lehner

3rd Goal Against (Alfredsson): – for

• Martin – in the box for a slashing penalty
• Letang – tries to clear the puck up the middle from behind the goal line and it doesn’t make it out of the zone
• Jokinen – gets caught too deep in the zone and can’t make it out to Karlsson on the point
• Eaton – covers empty space in front of Vokoun instead of sliding to Alfredsson on the right side, proceeds to screen Vokoun

Playoffs +/-:  Click here for the Playoffs +/- Spreadsheet

Despite being down a man early on as a result of an interference call against Sergei Gonchar with just over a minute off the clock in the first twenty, Ottawa would take a lead for the first time all series with a short-handed tally courtesy of Milan Michalek. On the penalty kill, Daniel Alfredsson sent a pass to a speeding Michalek who beat the Penguins defence to earn a breakaway on Tomas Vokoun, beating him top shelf. The Penguins, seemingly jolted awake by the short-handed goal, began to push and push hard, dominating play and keeping a majority of the faceoffs within the Senators zone. Craig Anderson would weather much of the Penguins storm, consistently coming up and beating the Penguins shooters but, after being barraged, let one in with 14:56 off the clock. The Penguins goal came from James Neal. Picking up the puck from Jarome Iginla who’d won the faceoff, Neal’s shot from the side beat Anderson and found its way into the netting. The Senators resumed the lead quickly thereafter, this time Kyle Turris earning the tally. The goal was a rebound that Vokoun, knocked to the ground, just couldn’t get a glove on. After twenty, the Senators remained in the lead despite being outshot 16 to 11.

The Penguins came out firing in the second, scoring two goals in less than two minutes to start the period – literally. With 1:08 off the clock, Chris Kunitz tied the game beating Craig Anderson five-hole on a breakaway.  Sneaking behind the Ottawa defense alongside Evgeni Malkin, Kunitz picked up a pass from Pascal Dupuis before taking off. Forty seconds later, Jarome Iginla picked up a Kris Letang rebound, slamming it behind Anderson, thus giving the Penguins the lead. The Penguins continued to dominate play although Ottawa had their fair share of chances. The Senators earned their first power play with 1:27 left in the period and although Jason Spezza came very close – the only thing standing in his way being the goal post – the second buzzer would sound and the Penguins would still hold the lead.

With 1:07 off the clock in the third, Gonchar was sent to the box again, this time for a high-stick. This time, however, the Penguins power play pulled itself together and it was James Neal with his second of the night increasing Pittsburgh’s lead by two.

A shot by Sidney Crosby bounced off the end boards and out to Neal who had an empty net to shoot into. With fourteen minutes left in regulation, the Senators headed to their second power play of the night when Matt Niskanen was whistled for a trip. What should have been an advantage to Ottawa, however, turned into a short-handed goal from Pascal Dupuis.

Thirty seconds later, just as the penalty to Niskanen expired, Sidney Crosby earned Pittsburgh’s sixth of the night with a backhander from the slot.

Photo: @AGretz

Crosby’s goal signaled the end of Craig Anderson’s night as Robin Lehner was sent in to relieve him of his duties. Chris Neil took a slashing penalty with 9:01 off the clock, giving the Penguins the man-advantage for the fourth time this evening.

The power play,  still holding it together, allowed Pittsburgh to take a 7 to 2 lead with Iginla’s second of the game.

Ottawa earned one more before the final buzzer but five minutes just was not enough to erase the five goal deficit. Thus, Pittsburgh took Game 4 by a score of 7 to 3.

Brooks Orpik led all skaters with 23:42 of ice time while Paul Martin followed with 23:33. James Neal registered 9 shots on goal while Sidney Crosby had 6. The Penguins fired 42 shots toward Ottawa’s goal tending duo while Tomas Vokoun faced 33.

Game 5 returns to Pittsburgh and goes Friday evening at 7:30.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are hoping that they will play their final game in the Scotiabank Place tonight against the Ottawa Senators in Game 4 of this semi-final series. If the Penguins can win tonight in Ottawa and defeat the Senators at CONSOL Energy Center on Friday night, Pittsburgh will move on to the Easten Conference Finals. Therefore, the Penguins would prefer to avoid playing Game 6 in Ottawa if possible. It will not be an easy task, however. The Senators are coming off a huge 2-1 victory in double overtime in Game 3 of the series to bring them new life. Although Ottawa is still down 2-1 in the series, the Senators can tie it up with a win tonight, which would set the stage for a three game series to decide the winner.

Both teams may be making some adjustments to their lineup (more on that in a bit), but Craig Anderson and Tomas Vokoun will obviously remain between the pipes for their respective teams after great performances in Game 3.

Who’s in & Who’s Out?

This is a good question considering the lack of injury updates from both squads. However, based on the past couple days, the Penguins could be inserting forward Jussi Jokinen back into the lineup tonight. Jokinen has not played against Ottawa in the postseason yet and has only appeared in four playoff games thus far. There has been some uncertainty recently about the health of Jokinen, who has not played since May 7th. Jokinen did participate in the optional morning skate and told the media that he is healthy. If he plays, Dan Bylsma noted that he will provide the Penguins with a great option in the left face-off circle. In other news, the availability of forward Brenden Morrow is also in question. During the team’s practice yesterday, Morrow left the ice halfway through the practice and did not return. Bylsma did not give an update on why he left the ice. Morrow did not participate in the optional morning skate today either.

“I just prepare the same way. You always prepare that you’re going to play. It’s not fun to sit out there. I’ll be excited for sure whenever I get my next chance to play.”

-Jussi Jokinen

As far as the Ottawa Senators go, it looks like forward Cory Conacher may sit tonight in favor of Mark Stone. If Stone replaces Conacher tonight, he will most likely play on the Senators’ second line. Stone has not played in a game against the Penguins yet this postseason. Although forward Milan Michalek missed the morning skate today, it appears that he will play tonight against Pittsburgh.

Great Goaltending

If Anderson plays like he did against the Penguins like he did in Game 3, Pittsburgh will have issues. The 32 year old goaltender stopped 49 of the 50 shots he faced on Sunday night against the Penguins. In addition, Pittsburgh failed to score with the man advantage, including a 5-on-3 opportunity. Anderson obviously played very well in Game 3, but had not looked like himself the previous two games. Which Anderson will show up tonight? That will have a big impact on the result of the game.

Vokoun, on the other hand, has also played very well in the series. With a 2-1 record against Ottawa in the series, Vokoun has made some fantastic saves himself. In Game 3, he made 46 saves, which was his highest number of saves thus far in the playoffs. The Penguins will also need to be more responsible defensively for sixty minutes in order to win.

SEASON SERIES

GAME 5: RECAP
GAME 14: RECAP
GAME 45: RECAP | THOUGHTS

PLAYOFFS

GAME ONE: RECAP | THOUGHTS
GAME TWO: RECAP | THOUGHTS
GAME THREE: RECAP | THOUGHTS

Notes and Numbers

The Penguins are 10-3 in their last 13 playoff games against the Senators.

Of the remaining teams in the postseason, the Penguins have the best ranked power play at 27%.

The Senators have scored a total of 11 goals in 3 playoff games at home.

James Neal has not scored a goal in five games and has only recorded 3 points in 7 postseason games.

PROJECTED SENATORS LINEUPS

Silvferberg-Turris-Alfredsson
Michalek-Spezza-Stone
Smith-Zibanejad-Neil
Greening-Pageau-Condra

Methot-Karlsson
Cowen-Gonchar
Phillips-Benoit

Anderson

PROJECTED PENGUINS LINEUPS

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Neal-Malkin-Iginla
Cooke-Sutter-Kennedy
Morrow-Jokinen-Adams

Orpik-Martin
Letang-Niskanen
Eaton-Murray

Vokoun

Follow me on Twitter: @PensNation_Andy

HOSTS: Joe Depto, Meesh, Andy Hughes and Ken Will.

Twitter: @ThePensNation

Rundown:

• Gameday preview for Round Two – Game Four
• Who is really hurt?
• Can Anderson hold his ground?
• What to expect if the Pens win/lose?

Join in on the conversation  LIVE from 1:00-1:30ish and subscribe to the show on iTunes.

HOSTS: Joe Depto and Ken Will.

Twitter: @ThePensNation

Rundown:

• Are we being too hard on Alex Ovechkin?
• DownGoesBrown put together this little piece about the 20 Type of Sports Fans with an emphasis on hockey fans. Any of these sound familiar?
• We hear from a group of hockey fans in Ireland as they share their experiences from being a fan across the pond.
• The Bruins and Rangers do battle in Game Three.
• Did the Blackhawks get screwed by the officiating last night?
• Plus more, on The PensNation Radio Show!

Join in on the conversation  LIVE from 10:00-10:30ish and subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Messier Leadership Award: Today, the three finalists for the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award were announced. Mark Messier has chosen three Captains to nominate: Blackhawks’ Jonathan Toews, Senators’ Daniel Alfredsson, and LA Kings’ Dustin Brown. All three are strong leaders, and I don’t have a strong opinion on who should win. I do have a strong opinion about the fact that Mark Messier has his own award. The award has his name and he gets to pick the winner. Is there any other player who gets their own award like this? Where is the Bobby Orr or Wayne Gretzky award?

(Photo credit: Greg Wyshynski, @YahooPuckDaddy)

Fun hockey fact: So as of right now, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, and LA Kings are ahead in their second round match-ups. Chicago and Detroit are currently tied (although it looks as though Detroit is going to pull off a win tonight). These five teams, the Pens, Bruins, Kings, Blackhawks, and Red Wings were the last five teams to win the Stanley Cup. Is it possible to have a five-team dynasty?

Uber-fail: NHL fans may or may not care about the results of the Memorial Cup, but they will no doubt want to see this video. Saskatchewan native, Alexis Normand attempted to sing the American National Anthem before the Portland Winterhawks vs. Halifax Mooseheads game and majorly failed. On the other hand, what reason does someone from Saskatoon have to learn the Star-Spangled Banner? Try not to cringe. It’s nearly impossible.

Hagelin stinks: Or at least he stinks according to Rangers Head Coach John Tortorella. Coach Torts discussed with reporters how he did not feel comfortable making Carl Hagelin a part of the Rangers power play unit. Tortorella was quoted as saying, “He stinks on the power play. I don’t know why. I wish I could play him more on the power play but every time I put him on, he stinks. He’s a jitterbug and he screws it up.” Yeah, I’m sure that inspires confidence.

Let’s not talk about double OT: Some things are better left unsaid.