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Pittsburgh Penguins: 3 Factors in the Eastern Conference Finals

By Samual Campbell

Mar 23, 2017; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators defenseman Cody Ceci (5) skates with the puck in front of Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) in the third period at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Senators defeated the Penguins 2-1 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2017; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators defenseman Cody Ceci (5) skates with the puck in front of Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) in the third period at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Senators defeated the Penguins 2-1 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Pittsburgh Penguins came out of Washington victorious.

Aside from a few hiccups, the Pittsburgh Penguins were able to stymie a Caps champion run. Again. Next, it’s time to take on Ottawa for a little Pens vs Sens action.  I present three factors to consider when preparing for the Eastern Conference Finals.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins /

Pittsburgh Penguins

Shot Count

Above all else, the Penguins need to put more pucks on the net. The Penguins were out-shot every game against the Capitals. Every single game. From here on, I propose they throw every thing they have at the net. They battered Bobrovsky, were able to chase Holtby, and compared to those two, who is this Craig Anderson guy?

He’s a guy who’s playing inspired hockey, that’s for sure. After missing time due to his wife’s battle with cancer, Anderson managed to average a .934 save percentage during the last three months of the regular season. Furthermore, his save percentage at the end of the season was actually higher than Braden Holtby’s. I’m a big fan of game theory, how perfect would a Stanley Cup run for a guy that has had to face such adversity this season be?

To prevent a mediocre goalie from stealing a series, the Pens need to up the ante. By and large, this team is built on their offense, and if they shoot like we know they can, this team could average four goals a game.

Special Teams

Of teams still in the hunt for Lord Stanley’s Cup, the Pittsburgh Penguins have the highest power play percentage at 21.6%. The Senators have one of the worst at 14.6%. You gotta love those numbers.

On the flip side, the Sens boast an 87.5% penalty kill rate, compared to the Penguins 80%. You don’t love that as much.

Consequently, the PK and PP numbers are sort of a wash. However, I’m willing to bet the Senators haven’t met power play as formidable as the Penguins over the course of the playoffs. The Sens have taken 52 minor penalties over the course of 12 games. That leads the league. It’s no fun, but if Alex Burrows is going to take a few whacks at you, let him go. Make them pay on the PP.

Defensive Depth

Finally, the Sens are a pretty deep team at forward. A contributing factor to their success has been the fact that their offense comes from all over the front 12. Jean-Gabriel Pageau sticks out with his team-leading 7 goals (4 coming in one game), and he is slotted on the third line.

Bobby Ryan, Kyle Turris, Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone, and Derick Brassard are scattered throughout the lineup, giving Ottawa options up front. Of course, you also have Erik Karlsson on the back end, but the Pens might just have to try and contain the star defenseman’s supporting cast.

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To counter this, each pair of the Penguin’s defense is going to have to come ready to play. I don’t think there will be a ‘shutdown’ match-up on the Pens side. However, I do believe each pair will have to act as if they are playing against a top line. You never know who is going to have a big night ( see Pageau, J.G.).

Next: Pittsburgh Penguins Move on to the Eastern Conference Finals

The Pittsburgh Penguins have battled hard thus far, taking out two quality opponents. Hopefully they can make it three, and be one step closer to raising the greatest trophy in all of sports.

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