Penguins vs. Senators Game 4 recap: Pittsburgh takes Ottawa apart in 3rd
The Penguins finally found the skills that made them one of the league’s best teams in the regular season and scored 4 goals in the 3rd to win the game, 7-3.
Pittsburgh got an early power play in the third after Sergei Gonchar took a penalty for high-sticking, and this time, the Penguins made the man-advantage count. James Neal scored after an incredible Sidney Crosby pass to give Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead with 18 minutes remaining in the game:
The Senators managed to hang on for about six more minutes before the wheels feel completely off. First, Pascal Dupuis scored a short-handed goal to make it 5-2. Crosby then wowed everyone with this world-class tally to make it 6-2 just 30 seconds later:
Jarome Iginla would score on the power play to make it 7-2, and the Senators would get a power-play goal of their own before it was all over.
Oh, and somewhere in there, Craig Anderson was pulled and replaced by Robin Lehner. It was a pretty crazy period.
Let’s take a look at the three big questions we were tracking in the game:
Do the Senators have any magic left?
No. No, they do not.
Will the Penguins’ power play get back on track?
The Pittsburgh power play looked downright dismal in the first period, allowing a shorthanded goal and failing to generate any solid scoring chances. Things turned around for them later in the game, though, and they scored their fourth and seventh (!) goals of the game on the power play.
How is Jason Spezza coming along?
He didn't do much in game four, but neither did anyone else on the Senators.
The Penguins lead the series, 3-1. They'll have a chance to win the series at home in Friday's Game 5.
