“I think we go back to simplifying things”.
Advertisement
Crosby and Methot do have some history that likely influenced Hoffman to give the Penguins captain a late-game shower. “You don’t have any energy”. That brought some life into the building, because it hadn’t been pretty until then. Now they’ll have to travel to PPG Paints Arena and win if they want to make it to the Stanley Cup Final. If Ottawa advances, they will have three more playoff contests under their belt, a highly relevant consideration when you consider how taxing this run has been for Erik Karlsson.
Flip a coin. A ticket to the Stanley Cup Final is on the line.
But Sidney Crosby and the Penguins are tantalizingly close.
Hoffman’s victor came at 1:34 of the third when he gathered a pass from Fredrik Claesson and blasted a slap shot past Penguins goalie Matt Murray high to the glove side.
Prior to Game 7 in the second round against the Washington Capitals, Malkin stopped just short of predicting victory. Pittsburgh has one of the NHL’s most successful systems, in my opinion, due to their ability to alternate between defensive and offensive playing systems.
Across the six games that have been played thus far, Crosby has put a whopping 20 shots on goal. These are the fun games to play.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan didn’t get an explanation for the decision, nor did he ask for one. “I’m going out there with my teammates to play hockey, and our mindset and our preparation starts right now”, Brassard said about Thursday’s Game 7 in Pittsburgh before he and the Senators left Ottawa.
It was just another reminder that it never comes easy. I think it will mean more to me when I have time to sit back and step back from the game.
Staring at elimination for the first time all year, really staring at it, didn’t seem to immediately wake the Sens up but a power play, of all things, did the trick. But it’s awfully tight. “It’s been a tough, tight-checking series”.
Yet they’ve found a way to persevere.
Anderson was pulled after allowing four goals on 14 shots against the Penguins during Game 5’s 7-0 loss. Phil Kessel continues to play with a heightened intensity. Ryan snapped a one-timer past the sliding Matt Murray. It’s a small sample size, and Game 7s tend to be low-scoring affairs anyway. They did win the Cup with him in goal last season.
“If somebody told us back in training camp in September that we’d have an opportunity to win Game 6 in the Eastern Conference final at home in front of our fans, we would have taken it”, Ryan explained Karlsson’s message.
So the Under is definitely trending in Game 7’s, but hey.
Cleary believes the same can’t be said for the Senators. “You don’t have any nerves, you just have excitement”. The Senators are averaging 2.5 goals per game and are scoring on 17 percent of their power play opportunities. The Anaheim Ducks (+250) and Nashville Predators (+300), the opponents in the Western Conference final, are second and third on the board, while the Ottawa Senators (+450) draw in as the darkhorse.
He has been up to the challenge as the games have gotten bigger. You just try to worry about what you can control, and that’s how we prepare and how we play. “He’s leading the way”, Bylsma said. “We tried to win another way and we got our butts kicked”.
Advertisement
He’d be in the conversation with the greats. Andy has had one heck of a ride this postseason after what was a tough year personally for him.
