PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* TOP TOTALS TICKET >> RIDICULOUS 46-21-2 Run! +$23,360 in May!
(NHL) Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh,
Total: 5.00 | -125.00 Over
Result: Loss
Total: 5.00 | -125.00 Over
Result: Loss
The set-up: With the series tied at one-all, the Senators used a blistering-hot start (4-0 first-period lead) to put the Penguins on their heels in Game 3. However, the Penguins returned the favor in Game 4, getting out to a 3-0 lead from which Ottawa wouldn't recover, as Pittsburgh tied the series at two-all with a 3-2 Game 4 win. The series shifts to PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh for Game 5 on Sunday afternoon.
Ottawa: "They played with urgency, which was to be expected. Stanley Cup champions, they bounce back in every series," head coach Guy Boucher told reporters after the Penguins matched their sum goal total from their first three contests in Game 4's win. Ottawa was able to get just three shots in the first three of four power-play opportunities in Game 4 and is no a woeful 0-for-25 with the man advantage in its last nine contests. Karlsson has recorded an assist in back-to-back contests (leads the team with 15 playoff points) and is averaging a robust 28:25 of ice time in the postseason despite playing with two hairline fractures in his heel that presumably will require attention in the off-season.
Pittsburgh: After scoring just one goal in each of the first three games against Ottawa, the Penguins had three goals before the second period was over in Game 4. Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby set up defenseman Olli Maatta's game-opening goal and added a power-play tally for his first multi-point performance since sustaining a concussion on Washington defenseman. Jake Guentzel notched two assists on Friday to increase his point total to 16 (nine goals, seven assists), which is five shy of the NHL rookie record for a single playoff year - set by Minnesota's Dino Ciccarelli in 1981 and matched by Philadelphia's Ville Leino in 2010. Of course, the goalie switch from Fleury to Murray also played out well, as Murray saved 24 of 26 shots.
The pick: Are Pittsburgh's offensive woes now a thing of the past? I'm not syure about that. Ottawa's Craig Anderson allowed three goals on Friday for the first time since Game 5 of the second-round series versus the New York Rangers. However, note that he has had better statistics in the playoffs on the road (2.02 goals-against average, .927 save percentage) than at home. Murray's play sparked the Pens to last year's Stanley Cup win and I expect another excellent game from him. Also, let's not ignore Ottawa's 0 for 25 run on the power play! Make the under a 10*.
Ottawa: "They played with urgency, which was to be expected. Stanley Cup champions, they bounce back in every series," head coach Guy Boucher told reporters after the Penguins matched their sum goal total from their first three contests in Game 4's win. Ottawa was able to get just three shots in the first three of four power-play opportunities in Game 4 and is no a woeful 0-for-25 with the man advantage in its last nine contests. Karlsson has recorded an assist in back-to-back contests (leads the team with 15 playoff points) and is averaging a robust 28:25 of ice time in the postseason despite playing with two hairline fractures in his heel that presumably will require attention in the off-season.
Pittsburgh: After scoring just one goal in each of the first three games against Ottawa, the Penguins had three goals before the second period was over in Game 4. Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby set up defenseman Olli Maatta's game-opening goal and added a power-play tally for his first multi-point performance since sustaining a concussion on Washington defenseman. Jake Guentzel notched two assists on Friday to increase his point total to 16 (nine goals, seven assists), which is five shy of the NHL rookie record for a single playoff year - set by Minnesota's Dino Ciccarelli in 1981 and matched by Philadelphia's Ville Leino in 2010. Of course, the goalie switch from Fleury to Murray also played out well, as Murray saved 24 of 26 shots.
The pick: Are Pittsburgh's offensive woes now a thing of the past? I'm not syure about that. Ottawa's Craig Anderson allowed three goals on Friday for the first time since Game 5 of the second-round series versus the New York Rangers. However, note that he has had better statistics in the playoffs on the road (2.02 goals-against average, .927 save percentage) than at home. Murray's play sparked the Pens to last year's Stanley Cup win and I expect another excellent game from him. Also, let's not ignore Ottawa's 0 for 25 run on the power play! Make the under a 10*.
