Sports shorts Penguins blow out Senators

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 Sunday in a 7-0 demolition of the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final.

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 play 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 and became the 22nd player in NHL history to reach 100 career playoff assists when he sent a slick backhand nolook 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.

Billy Horschel won the AT&T Byron Nelson with a par on the first playoff hole Sunday after Jason Day pulled his 4-foot par putt left and past the hole.

That miss by Day almost wasn’t even needed for Horschel, whose 36foot birdie chance was rolling straight toward the center of the cup before stopping just short. He won for the fourth time on the PGA Tour and for the first time since taking the 2014 Tour Championship for the FedEx Cup title.

With a 1-under 69, including a 60-foot birdie putt at the 14th hole, Horschel matched Day at 12-under 268. Day had a 68.

Third-round leader James Hahn was a stroke back. He just missed a miraculous eagle at the 18th hole that would have gotten him in the playoff with his playing partners.

Because of early morning rain that delayed the start Sunday, threesomes were used instead of the usual weekend twosomes. No one outside of that final group made a real charge to contend with the final trio.

The playoff wrapped up the Nelson’s 35th and final tournament in Irving.

The event will shift next year to the new links-style Trinity Forest Golf Club south of downtown Dallas.

Horschel earned $1.35 million.

Dustin Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world, had a closing 69 to tie for 13th at 6 under.