Senators hope to feast on Penguins’ mistakes

Trapping defense differs from rugged style others played.

The Pittsburgh Penguins spent the first two playoff rounds in high-stakes games of rope-a-dope with Columbus and Washington, absorbing some hits, avoiding others and counterpunching brilliantly to get halfway to a second straight Stanley Cup.

A different challenge awaits in the Eastern Conference final beginning tonight in Pittsburgh.

The Ottawa Senators dominated Boston then rallied by the New York Rangers on the legs of seemingly tireless defenseman Erik Karlsson, the play of goaltender Craig Anderson and a neutral zone trap designed to frustrate and suffocate opponents.

“We can’t make any bold plays” in the middle of the ice, Pittsburgh forward Patric Hornqvist said. “That’s exactly what they want.”

Rather than pound away like the Blue Jackets and Capitals tried to do, Ottawa would rather get in Pittsburgh’s head. The defense is designed to force the Penguins and their waves of highly skilled playmakers into sloppy mistakes.

“They’re pretty stingy,” captain Sidney Crosby said. “We’ve got to make good decisions.”

The Senators are well aware they’re not supposed to be here. A year ago they didn’t even make the playoffs. Now they’re in the final four for the first time in a decade and aren’t being given much chance against the reigning champions, who played their best game of the postseason in a 2-0 victory over the Capitals in Game 7.

“No one’s picking us for sure,” Ottawa forward Clarke MacArthur said.

That’s fine by the Senators. But they’re not simply happy to be here.

“We’re very proud of the work that we’ve done but we’ve got lots left,” defenseman Dion Phaneuf said.

Capitals: Captain Alex Ovechkin said he played through hamstring and knee injuries in the playoffs. Ovechkin said he felt an injury in his hamstring during Game 3 vs. Pittsburgh and needed injections to numb the pain the rest of the way. The knee injury, which Ovechkin downplayed, happened in Game 5 of the first round. Ovechkin, 31, had eight points in 13 playoff games. The injuries mean he won’t play for his native Russia for the rest of the world championships.