Senators take opener from Pens on OT goal
One game in and the Senators have done to the Penguins what Washington and Columbus could not: grab control of the series.
“There’s a lot of things to like, but it’s just one game,” Boucher said. “We won’t get too excited.”
Boucher hasn’t backed away from the underdog role. If anything, he’s embraced it. A year ago the Senators missed the playoffs. Now Ottawa finds itself on equal footing with the reigning champions and hardly appears intimidated by the stage. Ryan assisted on Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s first-period goal, Craig Anderson made 27 saves and the Senators turned away five Pittsburgh power plays.
Evgeni Malkin’s goal late in the third period forced the extra period, but Pittsburgh struggled to generate consistent pressure on Anderson. The problem wasn’t Ottawa’s neutral-zone trap, designed to slow teams down, but a decided lack of aggression once Malkin, captain Sidney Crosby and company crossed the Senators’ blue line.
“We’re looking for that next play instead of putting pucks at the net,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said.
The Penguins managed only 17 shots in five-on-five situations, compared with 32 by Ottawa. Pittsburgh also gave the puck away 17 times, two of which led to goals.
“We understand, they wait,” Malkin said. “They need one chance, two-on-one or threeon-two to score.”
The Penguins didn’t lack for opportunities to jump on the Senators but four first-period power plays — including 45 seconds of a five-on-three — went nowhere. Ron Hainsey hit the crossbar early and Patric Hornqvist dinged the left post
“They’re not going to give you anything,” Crosby said, “but we worked hard to get our chances and we’ve got to bury them when we get them.”
The Senators focused not on creating extended pressure on Fleury but instead taking advantage of Pittsburgh’s mistakes. The breakthrough came 14:32 into the first when Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin left a blind drop pass behind his net that Ryan intercepted and slipped to Pageau in the right circle. The puck zipped over Fleury’s glove and suddenly Ottawa had the lead.
It appeared it would be enough to put Pittsburgh away in regulation until Malkin redirected a Chris Kunitz shot between Anderson’s legs with 5:35 left in the third.