Pittsburgh rolls over Ottawa 7-0, gains series lead
Pittsburgh head 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 7-0 in a demolition of the visiting Ottawa Senators in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday afternoon.
Dominant from the opening face-off to the final whistle, the Penguins are one win from a return trip to the Cup Finals after overwhelming the Senators with wave after wave of pressure — the type that became the club’s trademark during its sprint to a fourth championship last year.
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 past 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.
Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby 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.
The Penguins chased Ottawa’s Craig Anderson by beating him four times in the first period.
“Just like a plumber wakes up one day, is having a great day, the other day, he’s not having a good day,” Ottawa coach Guy Boucher said. “Just one of those bad days.” Johansen update: The Predators said center Ryan Johansen needed emergency surgery because of an acute compartment syndrome in his left thigh after he was injured Thursday in Game 4 of the West finals against the Ducks.
Compartment syndrome involves excessive pressure building up inside a muscle, either from bleeding or swelling. High pressure restricts blood flow and can lead to permanent injury if not treated quickly.
Johansen will miss the rest of the postseason. World championships: In Cologne, Germany, Nicklas Backstrom and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored shootout goals and Henrik Lundqvist stopped all three shots he faced in the one-one-one session as Sweden beat Canada 2-1 in the gold-medal game.
Sweden’s Victor Hedman scored short-handed with 20.8 seconds left in the second period, but Canada tied it when Ryan O’Reilly scored on a third-period rebound.
“It was pretty nerve-racking in the end, but we pulled it off,” said Lundqvist, the New York Rangers’ goalie who made 41 saves in regulation and overtime. “What a game. It was so exciting. It’s been an amazing week.
Earlier, Russia beat Finland 5-3 in the bronze-medal match.