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A18 SPORTS
Monday 22 May 2017

Penguins strike early, rout Senators 7-0 to take 3-2 lead

WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pitts-
burgh Penguins coach
Mike Sullivan calls it “get-
ting 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
Sunday in a 7-0 demolition
of the Ottawa Senators
in Game 5 of the Eastern
Conference Final.
Dominant from the open-
ing faceoff to the final
whistle, the Penguins
moved within one game
of a return trip to the Cup
final by overwhelming the
Senators with wave after
wave of pressure,
the kind that became the
club’s trademark during
its sprint to a fourth cham-
pionship last spring. 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 Ot-
tawa. Seemingly on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby (87) scores on Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson (41) during the first period of Game 5 in
ropes after getting pum- the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals, Sunday, May 21, 2017, in Pittsburgh.
meled 5-1 in Game 3, the Associated Press
Penguins have outscored
the Senators 10-2 over the captain Sidney Crosby, for his first playoff shutout in goals through three games ter. When Cullen beat him
last six periods to gain con- who scored for the third Pittsburgh’s most complete by playing disciplined 1:54 into the second to
trol. straight and became the performance of the post- hockey. It collapsed in the make it 5-0, the competi-
“When we play the type of 22nd player in NHL history season. first period on Sunday, as tive portion of the after-
game we play tonight it al- to reach 100 career playoff “I think that was a big part turnover after turnover kept noon over. As if to raise the
lows us to dictate the terms assists when he sent a slick of our success last year was giving Pittsburgh the kind of white flag, Ottawa coach
and play the style and the backhand no-look pass to that we had all four lines chances that makes it such Guy Boucher held defen-
identity of this Penguins Phil Kessel early in the third going and chipping in of- a difficult out this time of seman Erik Karlsson, for-
team,” Sullivan said. period. “We know that and fensively,” forward Matt year. The Penguins chased ward Derick Brassard and
One well aware that de- we’ve got to be at our Cullen said. “But more than Ottawa’s Craig Anderson defenseman Cody Ceci
spite how easy it looked best.” that, spending time in the by beating him four times out of the final 20 minutes
during its most lopsided The Penguins might already offensive zone and grind- in the first period, the last to help them get rested up
playoff victory in five years, be there. The power play ing and playing some good a “why not” flip from be- for Game 6.
much work remains to be went 3 for 3. The penalty kill hockey and I think the last hind the goal line by fourth- Karlsson, who is playing with
done. turned the Senators away couple games, especially, line forward Scott Wilson two hairline fractures in his
“They have a good ability four times and extend- that’s been key.” that banked in off the left heel, said he will “abso-
to respond, so we’re going ed Ottawa’s power play The Senators quieted the goalie. lutely” be ready for Game
to be challenged here in drought to 0 for 29. Matt Penguins early in the se- Replacement Mike Con- 6. The rest of the Senators
Game 6,” said Pittsburgh Murray stopped 21 shots ries, holding them to three don didn’t fare much bet- insist they’ll be ready too.q