PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins met the Ottawa Senators for game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals in a game that promised to be a test of patience and resolve. Eric Karlsson and the storied Sens 1-3-1 trap looked to duplicate success from game one. The Penguins “changed up a few things” according to coach Sullivan, and were looking to learn from their mistakes.
The Penguins would be without their grinder and net front presence Patrick Hornqvist who was scratched late and Carl Hagelin was added at the last minute.
The first period began with few chances on either end as the Senators successfully closed off the neutral zone and limited the Penguins speed. The Senators, hitting strong, caused the Pens to lose both forward Bryan Rust and defensemen Justin Schultz to injuries early on in the period.
Chris Wideman and Matt Cullen traded slash for cross check, resulting in 4 on 4 play. Both teams generated a few scoring chances but Marc-Andre Fleury and Craig Anderson held firm.
With three minutes left in the period the Senators went on the power play due to a trip by Conor Sheary and the Penguins managed to kill it. The period ended with no score. Senators held a small advantage in shots on goal but the Penguins out hit them two to one.
Anderson’s Strong Save (Video)
The Penguins came out in the second firing pucks at the net. The Pens got on the forecheck and kept the puck in the offensive zone. Karlsson was caught tripping Sidney Crosby and sent to the sin bin for 2. The Sens killed off the penalty, limiting the shots on goal to 3 but the Pens kept pressuring leading to three icings in a row by the Sens.
The Senators had difficulty generating any offense and were limited to just a few zone entries and only 6 shots on goal in the period. The Pens defense was more active, stepping up and putting pucks on net. The period ended with no score but the Penguins put twice as many shots on goal and held the zone for most of the period. Both goalies continued to play strong.
Fleury’s Incredible Save (Video)
The final period began with the Penguins continuing to put pressure on the Senators in their zone. The Penguins had a number of scoring chances but each time the defense pinched down or Andersen made the save. With 7 minutes left, Phil Kessel broke free and wristed one past Anderson from the point with a feed from Evgeni Malkin. Malkin and Olli Maatta got helpers on the goal.
In this tight game, one goal was all the Penguins would need to hold on for the win. The Senators mounted a few great scoring chances late but Fleury shut them down. A late scrum in front of the benches led to a 4 on 4 with .13 seconds left but the Penguins won the faceoff clean and the game ended 1-0 Penguins.
After the game, Matt Cullen said, “we had guys step up” and “ we had to be patient and wait for chances” referring to how they were able to win. Brian Dumoulin ended up with over 26 minutes and was one of the guys who really stepped up, helping the Pens win down a defensemen.
Kessel’s Wicked Wrister (Video)
The series is now tied 1-1. Game three will be on Wednesday night at 8:00 pm. in Ottawa.
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