If the Ottawa Senators are going to upset the Pittsburgh Penguins in their second-round series, things need to go differently than they did in Game 1 on Tuesday. The Penguins won 4-1 to take a 1-0 series lead.
Let’s discuss the contest.
- Craig Anderson has been absolutely fantastic, but how much does tonight’s loss weigh on his shoulders? It’s hard to beat him up too much against a team that makes just about any goalie look bad? (Example: Pascal Dupuis’ 4-1 goal was a ludicrous snipe.)
- Speaking of Dupuis, he now leads the Penguins and NHL with six playoff goals. How much of his success is based on linemates? How underrated is he?
- Evgeni Malkin had another fantastic game. What are the odds that he’ll land the second Conn Smythe of his career this summer? Who’s your frontrunner for the postseason MVP early on?
- Tomas Vokoun looked shaky at times early on but only allowed a single goal. How much leeway is he buying for himself by winning three games in a row? Is he more trustworthy than Marc-Andre Fleury at this point?
- Don’t forget that the New York Islanders lost badly to the Penguins in Game 1 before giving Pittsburgh a serious run for its money. Can Ottawa get back into it? What does Paul MacLean need to do to get his team back into the flow of things?
- Zero points for Sidney Crosby tonight. Such a slacker.