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ECSF GAME 2: Ottawa Looking For a Road Steal

May 17, 2013, 2:51 PM ET [83 Comments]
Travis Yost
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The Ottawa Senators know they can compete with the Pittsburgh Penguins. At even-strength during game one, the two teams were evenly-matched.

Special teams were another story, and the impetus behind an impressive three-goal victory for Dan Bylsma's team in game one.

Said Ottawa's Marc Methot of Pittsburgh's terrifying power-play, one that's already scored a pair against the Senators vaunted kill team:

"They have basically five All-Stars on the first (power play) and it's tough to chase them and get hits on them when they're moving the puck properly. We've got to be better."


Paul MacLean echoed similar sentiment, hoping for some kind of a special teams breakthrough to find a balance in the seven-game series. MacLean remains confident that his team is capable of winning not just a game or two, but pull off the semifinals upset.

Still, Ottawa's head coach -- recently reported as a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, a nomination Dan Bylsma supported -- remanis proactive with his handling of the lineup, and has already made a pair of switches in preparation for game two.

On the blue line, Eric Gryba (upper-body injury) is slated to miss tonight's game, paving the way for the return of Andre Benoit. Benoit gives Ottawa bit more puck-movement and control from the back-end, something that the Senators desperately need against a tenacious Penguins forecheck.

In the forward ranks, enforcer Matt Kassian has finally been sent to the press box in exchange for winger Guillaume Latendresse. He'll skate alongside Zack Smith and Chris Neil.

Pittsburgh's lineup has been juggled a bit by Dan Bylsma, too. While Pittsburgh did take care of business Tuesday, it appears Bylsma wasn't blown away by the performance in his top-six. As such, he's rearranged the line combinations to feature a top-line of Pascal Dupuis, Sidney Crosby, and Chris Kunitz, and a second line of James Neal, Evgeni Malkin, and Jarome Iginla.

One other thing to keep an eye on: Norris Trophy finalist Kris Letang was missing from the morning twirl. Pittsburgh worked on their power-play Friday morning as if he may be unavailable for action, so there's a good chance he'll be a gametime decision.

Tomas Vokoun, as expected, will get the cage over Marc-Andre Fleury. Vokoun stopped thirty-five of thirty-six shots in his first post-season appearance against Ottawa.

Craig Anderson (.938 save percentage, 2.18 GAA) will get the start for Ottawa.

Puck drops at 7:30 ET. Can Ottawa steal one on the road and take the series back even to Scotiabank Place?

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OTTAWA LINE COMBINATIONS
Conacher-Turris-Alfredsson
Michalek-Zibanejad-Silfverberg
Greening-Pageau-Condra
Latendresse-Smith-Neil

Methot-Karlsson
Cowen-Gonchar
Phillips-Benoit

PITTSBURGH LINE COMBINATIONS
Dupuis-Crosby-Kunitz
Iginla-Malkin-Neal
Morrow-Sutter-Cooke
Adams-Vitale-Kennedy

Orpik-Martin
Letang(?)-Niskanen
Muray-Engelland

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