Pittsburgh leads the Eastern Conference finals 3-2 after pounding Ottawa 7-0.
PENGUINS 7, SENATORS 0
pittsburgh» Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan calls it “getting to our game.”
It means he wants his team to attack opponents with speed, aggression and a dash of responsibility.
Physically translated, it looks like the 60 minutes the defending Stanley Cup champions put together demolishing the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday.
Dominant from the opening faceoff to the final whistle, the Penguins moved within one game of a return trip to the Cup Final by overwhelming the Senators with wave after wave of pressure, the kind that became the club’s trademark during its sprint to a fourth championship last spring.
Seven players scored and 11 finished with at least one point to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead heading into Game 6 on Tuesday in Ottawa. Seemingly on the ropes after getting pummeled 5-1 in Game 3, the Penguins have outscored the Senators 10-2 over the last six periods to gain control.
“When we play the type of game we played tonight it allows us to dictate the terms and play the style and the identity of this Penguins team,” Sullivan said.
One well aware that despite how easy it looked during its most lopsided playoff victory in five years, much work remains to be done.
“They have a good ability to respond, so we’re going to be challenged here in Game 6,” said Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby, who scored for the third straight game and became the 22nd player in NHL history to reach 100 career playoff assists when he sent a slick backhand no-look pass to Phil Kessel early in the third period. “We know that, and we’ve got to be at our best.”
The Penguins might already be there. The power play went 3-for-3. The penalty kill turned the Senators away four times and extended Ottawa’s power play drought to 0-for-29. Matt Murray stopped 21 shots for his first playoff shutout in Pittsburgh’s most complete performance of the postseason.