Things Quickly Turn out All Right for Penguins

Things quickly turn out all right for Penguins
May 23, 2013 12:10 am
By Ron Cook / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...nguins-688692/
OTTAWA -- OK, so the heavily favored Penguins trailed by a goal after one period Wednesday night in Game 4 against the Ottawa Senators, this after their brutal double-overtime defeat in Game 3. I sat down during the 18-minute intermission to figure out what was so terribly wrong. I couldn't come up with much.

Sure, the power play was struggling again, a fruitless 0 for 2 after going 1 for 12 in the previous two games. Even worse, it gave up another short-handed goal. It's one thing to not score, but is it too much to ask to not let the other team get a goal?

It also was obvious Penguins defenseman Kris Letang was having a rotten start to his night. He and Evgeni Malkin were beaten back by Milan Michalek on Michalek's short-handed goal. He also was on the ice for a goal by the Senators' Kyle Turris, finishing the period a minus-2. He looked lost running the power play.

But it didn't feel as if the Senators would be able to hang on.

It didn't feel as if Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson could continue to stone the Penguins facing shot after shot, 16 in all in that first period.

They didn't and he couldn't.

The Penguins are too strong and too loaded for the Senators and Anderson. That's why they were able to score six goals in a row in the final two periods to win, 7-3. That's also why they should eliminate the Senators Friday night in Game 5 at Consol Energy Center and move on to the Eastern Conference final, likely against the Boston Bruins.

You knew Penguins winger James Neal wasn't going to keep being denied. After scoring just one goal in his first seven playoff games, he had two Wednesday night. The first answered Michalek's goal and tied the score, 1-1. His second came on the power play and gave the Penguins a comfortable 4-2 lead at 1:59 of the third period.

"We knew it was coming from [Neal]," Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis said. "He's such a pure goal-scorer. He has such an unbelievable shot. It was only a matter of time."

As good as Neal's goals were, it was the Penguins' other goals that were amazing. They came one after another, each breaking the Senators' will just a little more. You didn't dare look away from the ice for fear of missing the next one.

Chris Kunitz and Jarome Iginla scored 40 seconds apart early in the second period to turn that one-goal deficit into a 3-2 lead. Dupuis scored a short-handed goal at 8:08 of the third period to make it 5-2, and barely had stopped celebrating when Sidney Crosby scored 31 seconds later to make it 6-2 and drive Anderson to the bench for the second time in three games. Iginla then scored his second goal on the power play at 9:53 against backup Robin Lehner, making it three goals in 1:45.

"Oh, my gawd, yes, that's deflating for the other team," Dupuis said. "I've definitely been on the other side of it many times in my career. I don't believe in momentum from game to game, but I believe in it within a game. You saw it tonight."

That's what these Penguins can do. That's how talented they are. These kinds of bursts are becoming common. We saw them frequently in the first-round playoff series against the New York Islanders. Letang and Dupuis scored goals 32 seconds apart in Game 1. Iginla and Kunitz scored 19 seconds apart in Game 3. Tyler Kennedy and Douglas Murray scored 1:22 apart in Game 5.

This had to be Anderson's worst nightmare. He rebounded from his benching in a 4-3 loss in Game 2 to make 49 saves in the Senators' 2-1 win in double overtime in Game 3. That was his night. This wasn't.

"They have a well-balanced lineup and, at any point in time, any one of their lines can hurt you," Anderson said. "You can't take a shift off. You have to be ready for anything. You fall asleep for a shift or two, they'll make you pay."

Iginla talked about how much he liked the Penguins' attitude and focus after they trailed, 2-1, after the first period. Coach Dan Bylsma said the energy on the bench was good after Anderson stood so tall in that first period, making a great save to stop Iginla in close and then two better saves on Crosby.

" 'This might take as many shots as we can muster to break this guy,' " Bylsma said, describing his players' mindset. " 'We are going to fire anything and everything to get it by him.' "

So the Penguins did.

Kunitz got it started at 1:08 of the second period, taking a great pass from Dupuis at the Ottawa blue line and cruising in for a breakaway goal.

"That was outstanding for us," Dupuis said. "It was huge. To come out of the gate like that ... "

What followed was a spectacular display of hockey. The performance is why the Penguins are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. You want to know how deep their team is? How is this for a curious fact? Malkin, who started the game as the NHL's second-leading scorer in these playoffs, didn't have a point.

And just for the record ...

The Penguins' power play went 2 for 3 after the first period.

Letang finished with four assists and was a plus-1.

As it turned out, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the Penguins on this night.

Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com. Ron Cook can be heard on the "Vinnie and Cook" show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.
First Published May 23, 2013 12:00 am
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...#ixzz2U88SIN00