NHL playoff scores 2017: Phil Kessel puts the Penguins on his back in Game 2 victory

Narratives have a funny way of revealing themselves over the course of a game. Phil Kessel, for the first half of Game 2 against the Senators, was visibly frustrated by his missed chances and Ottawa’s smothering system.

Kessel ended up being the Penguins’ only goal scorer by night’s end.

In a reverse of Game 1, the Penguins were the dominant force on Monday night in the 1-0 victory. Ottawa played their trap game too early as the Penguins figured out that relentless pressure will, eventually, net a goal. Even though the shot totals swung 29-23 in the Penguins’ favor, Pittsburgh was clearly in control of the game from puck drop.

If Kessel’s outbursts weren’t clear enough, however, it’s quite obvious that the Senators’ system is still giving the Penguins fits. Pittsburgh dominated the game from almost every metric, but their chances were either kept to the outside or buried by the brick wall that has been Craig Anderson.

Game 2’s score was what the Penguins needed, but the Senators are frustrating the Penguins in a way we haven’t seen in these playoffs thus far. That may play into Ottawa’s hand for the rest of the series, but it will all be moot if all they do is play defense.

Penguins 1, Senators 0 (Series tied 1-1)

Kessel’s goal was really quite poetic

Penguins fans may have started to sweat seeing Evgeni Malkin and Kessel fired up at one another after a shift in the second period.

However, all seemed to be forgiven as Malkin assisted on Kessel’s beautiful game winner just a period later.

Ottawa really, really needs to step up the offense

The Senators went nearly 20 minutes of hockey without a shot on goal. Yes really, it took until the late stages of the third before the Senators found their offensive legs.

Look, we get Ottawa’s system may not be the most fun to watch, but at the end of the day the Senators will have to find a way to generate more offensive chances like they did in Game 1 if they want to stay alive here.

Marc-Andre Fleury quietly put up a 23-save shutout

Passed over in all of this is Fleury, who had his second shutout of this postseason in goal for the Penguins. The Senators really didn’t have their best chances until the end of the game, but Fleury was up to the task in the win.

Moments into Game 2, Dion Phaneuf laid out Bryan Rust with a hit that was deemed legal by the referees. Rust didn’t return to the game, nor did Justin Schultz after seemingly being injured in the first period as well.

He may have allowed a goal on Monday, but Anderson was sharp for most of the evening as the Penguins relentlessly attacked the net. With the way Anderson has played so far in this series, he could no doubt cause more trouble for the Penguins down the road.