UNIONDALE, N.Y. Evgeni Malkin is uneasy about his play so far this postseason.

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1 Daily Clips 5/13/13 Penguins star center Malkin uneasy about NHL Playoff start By Rob Rossi Published: Sunday, May 12, 2013, 7:36 p.m. Updated 11 hours ago UNIONDALE, N.Y. Evgeni Malkin is uneasy about his play so far this postseason. He also is the Penguins' leading scorer in the Stanley Cup playoffs. I could say it's going good, but (Game 6), like the rest, was probably up and down, Malkin said after he set up the Penguins' tying and winning goal against the New York Islanders on Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum. I'm happy to win, but I can do more, play better. Malkin finished the series with 11 points, giving him 19 in his last 12 playoff games. That is a 1.58 per-game average. He averaged 1.5 points during the 2009 playoffs, which he finished with 36 in 24 games and won the MVP for the Penguins' Cup run. However, Malkin said he does not feel like he is at his 2009 postseason form or his level from last regular season, when he won the MVP and a second scoring title. An injured left shoulder that may require offseason surgery has prevented Malkin from practicing most of the last two months. He has refused to use it as an excuse, but he is equally uncomfortable with a shot that is weakened and the fewer opportunities to fine tune his game. Teammates believe Malkin's lingering disappointment is actually a good thing because it shows his understanding of what, besides scoring, will help the Penguins win. They know that scoring part is important, too, though. Sometimes you get overwhelmed as a player and as a young guy, too, you do try to do too much, right winger Jarome Iginla said.

2 The focus is to just do our jobs. Malkin's No. 1 job is to create offense, coach Dan Bylsma said. Still, Malkin lamented his six credited giveaways in the series. He has tried too often to do too much on his own to help the Penguins, especially early in periods and when the contests were tight. I don't know, I (am) maybe a little nervous at the start, Malkin said. But when I play with the puck (in games), I feel a lot better. Malkin said the point during Game 6 when he was least nervous was late, when the favored Penguins trailed by a goal and faced a possible pressure-packed Game 7 that would have been played at Consol Energy Center on Sunday. His hitch-and-hop move to build momentum before looping behind the Islanders' goal then finding Paul Martin open at the point led to the tying goal and, winger Pascal Dupuis agreed, it required nerve by Malkin to contemplate, let alone try. It was a play that, really, only one other player on the Penguins could have pulled off. I think we both know that's our job in those situations, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. We feel that responsibility to make plays for our team. Malkin half-smiled and tilted his head to the left. Iginla said the shared sense of responsibility that Malkin and Crosby feel to elevate the Penguins in their moments of need is not easily relatable for people who have not been considered a franchise player. Iginla was that player for at least a dozen of his 16 years with Calgary, where he was captain before joining the Penguins in a March trade. We all put pressure on ourselves to perform and be at our best and help, Iginla said. But at the same time, there's a little bit less pressure for me here because you look over and it's shared by Sid and Geno. NHL Playoffs scouting report: Penguins vs. Senators By Rob Rossi

3 Published: Sunday, May 12, 2013, 10:33 p.m. Updated 10 hours ago Erik Karlsson is back, and that changes everything about the Ottawa Senators. The dynamic of him as a player on the ice his up-ice ability, his ability behind the blue line, his skating, his shot, coach Dan Bylsma said. He's dangerous. He's always a factor. Karlsson was set to challenge for another Norris Trophy he was honored as the NHL's top defenseman last season before his Achilles tendon was accidentally sliced by the skate blade of Penguins winger Matt Cooke in a game on Feb. 13. The Senators were before Karlsson was lost until the final week of the regular season. With him and goalie Craig Anderson also out a chuck of the season because of an injury back in the mix, the Senators easily dispatched No. 2 seeded Montreal in Round 1. The favored Penguins had their troubles with the No. 8 seeded New York Islanders in Round 1, but showed flashes of dominance (two shutout victories at home) and determination (two overtime wins on the road). Bylsma said the Senators are systematically different from the Islanders, who relied on a neutral-zone trap to deny the Penguins' clean breakout passes. (The Senators) play with a lot of speed throughout the lineup, Bylsma said. That makes them effective. I also think they really showed a lot in the last series they played. They put a team back on their heels, a team that was fast and quick. REGULAR SEASON RESULTS The Penguins went against the Senators. They outscored the Senators, 8-4, in those games. Leaders Penguins: RW James Neal (2 goals): Neal, C Sidney Crosby, D Paul Martin, LW Brenden Morrow (tied, 2 assists; Neal (4 points). Senators: LW Colin Greening, D Patrick Wiercioch, Cs Jim O'Brien and Stephane Da Costa (tied, 1 goal); RW Daniel Alfredsson, D Sergei Gonchar (tied, 2 assists); Alfredsson, Gonchar (tied, 2 points). Goalies

4 Penguins: Marc-Andre Fleury (2-0-0,.951 save percentage, 1.44 goals-against average), Tomas Vokoun (1-0-0,.971 save percentage, 1.00 goals-against average). Senators: Anderson (0-2-1,.909 save percentage, 2.61 goals-against average). COACHES Dan Bylsma, Penguins Playoff record: 32-24, won Stanley Cup (2009). Paul MacLean, Senators Playoff record: 7-5 PLAYOFF HISTORY The Penguins have won two of three series Eastern Conference quarterfinal: Senators 4, Penguins 1 The Penguins' young stars Crosby was in his second season, fellow Cs Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal their first spearheaded the fourth-best single season turnaround in NHL history and the franchise's first playoff appearance since A victory in Game 2 earned them a split at Ottawa, but close losses at Mellon Arena in Games 3 and 4 swung the series for the Senators, who went on to play in the Cup Final after ousting the Penguins in five games Eastern Conference quarterfinal: Penguins 4, Senators 0 Crosby and Co. needed no reminder of the previous postseason, but a giant photo outside the visiting dressing room in Ottawa provided one. That picture of the handshake that followed the 2007 series between these clubs was a source of inspiration to the Penguins. So was RW Gary Roberts, who set a tone in Game 1 with two goals and a desire to fight any Senators player willing to cross a Penguins teammate. The Senators were barely competitive in the sweep that began the Penguins' Cup Final march Eastern Conference quarterfinal: Penguins 4, Senators 2 The Penguins raced to a 3-1 series lead that never quite felt comfortable and before long they were facing a possible Game 7. The Senators won Game 5 at Mellon Arena in triple overtime then jumped to a 3-0 lead in Game 6 at home in front of a frenzied crowd at ScotiaBank Place. Two goals by LW Matt Cooke and one from RW Bill Guerin pulled the Penguins even, and RW Pascal Dupuis won the series in overtime. That was, until these playoffs, the last postseason series won by the Penguins.

5 PLAYERS TO WATCH James Neal, Penguins Anderson is as good as it gets between the pipes, but left-handed shooters can get the best of him. Neal possesses arguably the NHL's best off-angle left-handed shot. The Senators' system does not call for a lot of one-on-one defending in the offensive zone. Neal is expert at finding creases and openings from which to shoot. He should generate chances in Round 2. Jason Spezza, Senators He practiced Sunday for the first time since undergoing surgery on his back in February. The Senators have not ruled him out to play at some point in Round 2. When at full health, Spezza is a legitimate top-line center. His high hockey IQ and elite playmaking capabilities could cause problems for Penguins defensemen who often struggled to mark Islanders forwards in the slot during Round 1. Kovacevic: Pens must adjust, but not in net By Dejan Kovacevic Published: Sunday, May 12, 2013, 9:30 p.m. Updated 11 hours ago UNIONDALE, N.Y. Tomas Vokoun is the goaltender. Let's start right there, before I even get going with this column of wholly unsolicited advice for the Penguins heading into their next Stanley Cup playoff series with the Senators, because that's got to come first. There's no need to care about Marc-Andre Fleury's psyche or his status as the franchise goaltender or what might happen further along in this postseason. This isn't about Fleury. It's about the team. And it isn't about winning the championship. It's about getting through the round. It is about Vokoun. He was entrusted with the very tall task of stabilizing a team that had completely lost its compass against the Islanders. His replacing Fleury was even announced with an unusual news

6 conference in which Dan Bylsma praised him for everything short of igniting Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution. And Vokoun not only came through with a Game 5 shutout but also went above and beyond in Game 6 when the team again floundered. He was exceptional. You don't turn your back on the man, and you don't turn your back on the team that pays attention to messages like that. Vokoun is the goaltender. Why is this even a thing? Oh, wait, it's because after Game 6 on Saturday night, Bylsma said this when asked about Vokoun: He stayed really strong as the game went on. When we were pushing and activating our defense, they got some odd-man breaks. He made two really gigantic saves for us. Those were huge saves, huge moments for us. I thought he played an outstanding game. And he closed with this regarding Vokoun playing against Ottawa: We're going to enjoy the fact that we got four wins and are moving on before we talk about moving forward. Nothing to discuss, coach. Just read the first part of your quote again. That's not to suggest, though, that a broader status quo will cut it. The Senators don't attack with the Islanders' speed few teams do without a fast-forward button but they're far better in goal with Craig Anderson. They're deeper, they're tougher, they're sharper defensively and they can be devastating on the power play with Erik Karlsson and Sergei Gonchar on the points. They'll present very different matchup challenges. Still working from the back out, I'd go back to Deryk Engelland over Simon Despres. Besides Engelland's ability to cancel out a big boy like Ottawa's Chris Neil, Despres didn't show much against the Islanders, to be kind. If the Penguins' primary reason for playing Despres is to force partner Kris Letang to play more conservatively they won't say so, but it is that's pretty weak. If the staff wants Letang to stay back, tell him to stay back. Two minuses don't make a plus. Up front, Tyler Kennedy and Joe Vitale richly have earned staying in the lineup, almost as much as Vokoun. But that doesn't mean Jussi Jokinen and Beau Bennett should be buried. Both bring skill, which could become critical if Anderson starts looking impregnable, and Jokinen in particular brings a proficiency on faceoffs.

7 Jokinen brings something else: He's left-handed. Don't laugh at this, but when the Penguins won Jan. 27 in Ottawa, I heard much discussion at the morning skate up there about the team feeling Anderson had trouble with lefty shots. Sure enough, when the game went to a shootout, Bylsma lined up three lefties Sidney Crosby, James Neal and Evgeni Malkin and they embarrassed Anderson by converting all three attempts for the W.' I let my guys down, Anderson would say. You have to make at least one save. There are no shootouts in the playoffs, of course, and breakaways are rare. But, hey, an edge is an edge, even if psychological. The Penguins' other big switch this series will be mental, too, and it might be biggest of all. Unlike the mostly respectful round with the Islanders the way the teams were glowing about each other Saturday after handshakes, you half-expected James Taylor to break out in song this one comes with an overflow of nasty history on and off the ice ranging from Karlsson vs. Matt Cooke, to Eugene Melnyk's CSI: Ottawa crew vs. Matt Cooke, to the toilet-humor Ottawa Sun tabloid vs. Matt Cooke, to well, you get it. Bylsma is great at dismissing such distractions, but he and Ray Shero, a powerful figure in the Penguins' locker room in his own way, need to make sure that's across the board. Especially with Cooke, who often pays too much attention to the circus-type stuff. No need for three rings when one is the goal. Penguins notebook: Series with Islanders worth another look By Rob Rossi Published: Sunday, May 12, 2013, 5:54 p.m. Updated 11 hours ago The Penguins are in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since Available tickets for Games 1 and 2 at Consol Energy Center go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday at the arena box office and all Ticketmaster locations, including online. Before the Penguins faceoff against Ottawa, a look back at their opening-round victory over the New York Islanders:

8 The Penguins went plus-5 on special teams, scoring seven power-plays goals and surrendering only two on the penalty kill. The previous postseason, in six games against Philadelphia, the Penguins scored nine power-play goals and allowed 15 on the penalty kill. Defenseman Simon Despres played only 59 seconds of the 16 minutes, 33 seconds of two combined overtime periods. Winger Matt Cooke led all Penguins with 25 hits. Four of the Penguins' top five hitters were forwards: Cooke; Brenden Morrow, 20; Pascal Dupuis, 18; and Chris Kunitz, 14. Centers Evgeni Malkin (11) and Sidney Crosby (9) were the Penguins' top scorers. However, they combined to play a part in only one goal. Malkin received a secondary assist on Crosby's first goal of the series in Game 2. The period-by-period goal differential for the Penguins: first, 4; second, 6; third, minus 4; overtime, 2. The Penguins allowed only 17 goals, and they made a trend of quick responses when they did surrender a marker to the Islanders. Game 2: Crosby scored 18 seconds after Matt Moulson in the first period. Game 4: James Neal scored 45 seconds after Brian Strait in the first period. Malkin scored 58 seconds after Mark Streit in the second period. Game 6: Jarome Iginla scored 2:03 after John Tavares in the first period. Dupuis' five goals matched his total from five regular-season games against the Islanders. The Penguins' opening goal (Beau Bennett) and clinching goal (Brooks Orpik) were scored by players who had never before scored during the playoffs. Bennett scored in his first game, Orpik in his 78th. Penguins' depth propelled them out of the first round against the pesky Islanders By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The NHL credited Tomas Vokoun with 66 saves in the Penguins' first-round playoff series against the New York Islanders. It missed one. His biggest. Because while Vokoun was rejecting point-blank backhanders and uncontested shots from around the hash marks, he also was saving the Penguins' season.

9 Sure, it's possible that Marc-Andre Fleury, who Vokoun replaced for Games 5 and 6, could have matched what Vokoun did. Maybe even exceeded it, because a goalie with his skills set and a Stanley Cup ring is capable of fantastic things. Still, Fleury was way off his game much of the time after posting a shutout in Game 1, and when the Islanders evened the series, 2-2, coach Dan Bylsma had little choice but to call on Vokoun. What mattered most for the Penguins -- and what had the greatest impact on how the series played out -- was that Bylsma was able to call on an accomplished and reliable veteran, not a 22-year-old whose only playoff experience came from watching television or a 43-year-old who stopped at the end of the bench on his way out to pasture. Vokoun embodied the exceptional depth that was such an asset for the Penguins in Round 1, and which should serve them well in their second-round series against Ottawa. And anything that might follow. It allowed Bylsma to sit Tyler Kennedy for the first four games, then insert him in time to score the game-winner in Game 5 and to set up Brooks Orpik's overtime series-winner Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. It allowed Bylsma to keep Joe Vitale in street clothes for Games 1-4, then add him to the personnel mix for Game 5, when he won 9 of 10 faceoffs, and Game 6, when his pass allowed Pascal Dupuis to score the Penguins' second goal. The Penguins used 25 players against the Islanders, and just about all of them made a tangible contribution toward making their matchup with the Senators possible. That the Penguins have a deep reservoir of talent and experience from which to summon replacements for players who are injured or struggling is no surprise or fortunate coincidence; it is why general manager Ray Shero moved so aggressively to reinforce his roster in the days leading up to the NHL trade deadline. What was not foreseen, however, was the way the Penguins dominated special-teams play against New York. Perhaps it wasn't a shock that their power play scored on 7 of 21 chances for a league-best conversion rate of 33.3 percent, since its No. 1 unit could pass for the starting lineup in an allstar game. But their penalty-killers, who had a lackluster regular season, were virtually flawless in Round 1, limiting a volatile New York power play to two goals in 20 tries and routinely thwarting the Islanders at times when a goal could have been game-changing. Replicating that success against the Senators won't be easy.

10 Ottawa scored on 6 of 25 power plays, a success rate of 24 percent, in its opening-round series victory against Montreal. Even with all-star center Jason Spezza still recovering from back surgery, coach Paul MacLean can send out Erik Karlsson, Daniel Alfredsson, Sergei Gonchar and Milan Michalek, for starters, when his club gets a man-advantage. Limiting Ottawa's opportunities with the extra man will be part of the Penguins' challenge, which means eliminating the kind of pointless penalties they took at times in Round 1. Witness the second period of Game 6 when, in a span of less than 12 minutes, Brenden Morrow and Matt Cooke picked up minors in the offensive zone and the Penguins were caught with too many men on the ice. Bylsma surely liked what he saw from his penalty-killers against the Islanders, but presumably hopes he doesn't see them quite so often in Round 2. The lapses in discipline and focus that contributed to some of the unnecessary and retaliatory penalties the Penguins took in Round 1 showed up in other facets of their game, too. They turned the puck over in the defensive and neutral zones with alarming regularity at times, as ill-considered passes that led directly to more than a few New York scoring chances. And, sometimes, goals. Still, the Penguins' talent and experience -- and yes, depth -- allowed them to overcome all of the errors, unforced and otherwise, they made in the Islanders series. Those assets might even allow them to survive Round 2 if they repeat their mistakes. That's not a theory they should be eager to test, though. Penguins notebook: Ray Shero's moves should be rewarded By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sure, Ray Shero inherited a wealth of players, led by centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, when he was hired as Penguins general manager in May Players anyone would like to build around. Perhaps that's why Shero has not won the NHL's general manager of the year award, something that was started in If his players had a vote -- and they don't -- they would find all kinds of reasons that Shero would be among those on the list when the finalists are announced today.

11 "Somebody said on Twitter that Ray Shero is the kid in the schoolyard who trades his apple and banana and gets candy and a piece of cake and the [other] guy's new pair of shoes," winger Pascal Dupuis said. Shero has a history of acquiring players who have prospered with the Penguins -- Dupuis being one of them -- and often at what might be considered a bargain. In February 2011, for example, he traded defenseman Alex Goligoski to Dallas for winger James Neal, a 40-goal scorer in , and Matt Niskanen, a regular among the team's defensemen. Over the past year, several Penguins said, Shero has done some of his finest work. It started in June, when he traded a seventh-round pick to Washington for goaltender Tomas Vokoun, then signed the impending free agent to a two-year, $4 million contract. Vokoun was a strong backup to Marc-Andre Fleury all season and, when Fleury struggled against the New York Islanders in the first round of the playoffs, Vokoun stepped in to pitch a shutout in Game 5 and was the winning goalie Saturday in a 4-3 Penguins overtime win that eliminated the Islanders and set up a second-round matchup with Ottawa. Later in June, when Shero couldn't re-sign center Jordan Staal, considered one of the team's core players, he swung a deal with Carolina, getting a more prototypical third-line center in Brandon Sutter, the eighth overall pick in the 2012 draft (defenseman Derrick Pouliot) and defensive prospect Brian Dumoulin for Staal. He also signed rugged winger Tanner Glass and defenseman Mark Eaton. Shero then rolled up his sleeves in the days leading to the April trade deadline. He traded for future Hall of Fame winger Jarome Iginla, former Dallas captain Brenden Morrow, versatile forward Jussi Jokinen and hulking defenseman Douglas Murray -- without giving up anyone from his NHL roster. "He's finding ways to make additions without subtractions," Penguins winger Matt Cooke said. "Obviously, expectations are high here and you want to win," defenseman Paul Martin said. "Some of the moves he made at the deadline [reflect] that that's what's going on. I think they were great moves. Obviously, they've been big helping us down the stretch. "He'd definitely be up there as one of the top candidates." Shero traded draft picks and dipped some into his cache of defensive prospects, but he has loaded his team for a potential run at the Stanley Cup while remaining under the NHL's salary cap.

12 "It's a short period of time knowing him, but he keyed in on some areas where he thought the team needed to be improved," Morrow said. "If you look at the team moving forward, he probably didn't give up a whole lot of assets from the team to bring in the guys he did for a playoff run and adding depth. A lot of smart moves." Crosby, Malkin, defensemen Kris Letang and Brooks Orpik, and Fleury remain from the nucleus that greeted Shero, and he has built around them. "He's definitely one of the best hockey minds out there," said winger Chris Kunitz, another previous Shero trade acquisition. "He finds guys who can work with the elite talent that they have on this team." The general manager of the year award is decided by a vote of league's 30 GMs and a panel of NHL executives, print and broadcast media at the conclusion of the regular season. "He would be well deserving" of the award, Niskanen said. "He's worked hard at bettering our group." Tip-ins About 2,000 tickets for Game 1 and Game 2 of the Penguins' second-round playoff series against Ottawa will go on sale at noon today. The schedule for the series has not been announced, but the first two games will be this week at Consol Energy Center. As the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Penguins have home-ice advantage. The tickets will be available online at at the Consol Energy Center box office, local Ticketmaster locations or by calling Ticketmaster at The Penguins, after playing and traveling Saturday night, did not practice Sunday. Tomas Vokoun was 'outstanding,' but Marc-Andre Fleury is a must for Cup run By Ron Cook / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette On Sunday, they rested. All of the Penguins but Dan Bylsma, I'm guessing. If Bylsma followed his typical routine, he went to church Sunday morning and enjoyed a Mother's Day brunch with his family. After that, it was back to Consol Energy Center with the team's other coaches to begin preparations for the second-round playoff series against the Ottawa Senators. You think taking down the New York Islanders in six games was rough? The Senators will be a much tougher out. Islanders goaltender Evgeni Nabokov was a sieve, his poor play the biggest reason the Penguins survived and advanced. Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson

13 stopped 171 of 180 Montreal shots -- an astonishing.950 save percentage -- as the Senators eliminated the Canadiens in five games. Tomas Vokoun had better be pretty good in goal for the Penguins. So had Marc-Andre Fleury, who, it says here, will play a big part in the Ottawa series. It's safe to say Bylsma was coaching for his job against the Islanders. The Penguins are built to win the Stanley Cup -- or at least get to the Cup final. Bylsma surely would have been fired if they went out in the first round for the third consecutive spring. He still might be fired if the team doesn't beat the Senators. Bylsma made all the right moves late in the Islanders series. At least his players made him look like a genius. Bylsma played Tyler Kennedy and Joe Vitale for the first time in Game 5. Kennedy scored the first goal in the Penguins' 4-0 win and had the primary assist on Brooks Orpik's overtime goal in the 4-3 overtime win Saturday night in Game 6. Vitale went 9-1 on faceoffs in Game 5 and had the first assist on a Pascal Dupuis goal that tied the score in Game 6, 2-2. "Obviously, I had a little bit of energy saved up," Kennedy said. Kennedy and Vitale brought a ton of energy in the two games. They were difference-makers. You can knock Bylsma for not turning to them earlier, but I won't. Tanner Glass had done a decent job all season despite scoring just one goal, bringing a physical and defensive presence. Jussi Jokinen had seven goals and 11 points in 10 games after coming to the Penguins from Carolina in a trade. Making Glass and Jokinen healthy scratches was not something Bylsma did with ease. But it had to be even tougher for Bylsma to replace Fleury with Vokoun after Fleury played poorly in the Penguins' 6-4 loss in Game 4. You might think it was an easy call, but it's never easy to sit the team's franchise goaltender, who had made 79 consecutive playoff starts and put his name and Bylsma's on the Cup in Vokoun responded by pitching the shutout in Game 5. His teammates played well around him. "We were sharper and more crisp coming out of our zone," captain Sidney Crosby said. "We were stronger in the battles at the other end." That wasn't the case in Game 6. Overall, the Penguins played a poor game and were "fortunate" -- Bylsma's word -- to win. They were sloppy on defense. The Islanders used their speed and physicality on the forecheck to create turnovers, resulting in many of their silly-high 38 shots and creating, in Bylsma's words again, "some pretty scary moments" for Vokoun. "I thought he played an outstanding game," Bylsma added. "He was strong again."

14 Bylsma couldn't afford to take Sunday off. He has a lot of work to do to solve the puckmanagement and defensive problems that hurt the Penguins so often against the Islanders, who, in Penguins winger Chris Kunitz's summation, "created panic almost with our guys" for much of the series. They can't be so sloppy and undisciplined against the Senators if they want to advance to the Eastern Conference final and perhaps save their coach's job. Don't be fooled that the Penguins swept the Senators in the season, winning 2-1, 4-2 and 3-1. They took four of five games from the Islanders and you saw how hard that series was. The tricky part for Bylsma against the Senators will be how he handles his goaltenders. He has offered no hints about his plans but clearly is happy with Vokoun. "We brought him here to play big games for us," Bylsma said before switching to him in Game 5. The guess here is Bylsma will go with Vokoun again in Game 1 against the Senators and ride him until he loses or has a bad game, although I wouldn't have any problem if he went right back to Fleury. It has to be back to Fleury at some point. Vokoun was acquired in a trade with Washington before the season to rescue the Penguins in case Fleury had a bad game or was injured. But Fleury is the man who has to play the majority of games if the team is going to compete for the Cup. The franchise has bet millions that he is their guy. Crosby, though careful to give Vokoun his due, made it clear he and his teammates still believe in Fleury and should be blamed for many of Fleury's problems against the Islanders. "We didn't do a very good job of helping Marc out.... We still have a lot of confidence in him. He has a history of bouncing back after a tough game." Fleury will get another chance. He must get another chance if the Penguins are going to win the Cup. Series Storylines: Penguins vs. Senators Sunday, / 9:08 PM / 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs Coverage By Michelle Crechiolo The Penguins will play the Ottawa Senators in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is the fourth time in seven years these teams will meet in the postseason. Ottawa won the first of those matchups, 4-1, in The Penguins won the last two series, sweeping the Senators in 2008 and recording a 4-2 series victory in The Penguins have won the last five playoff games between the teams including the series-clinching win in Game 6 of the 2010

15 meeting and swept the regular season series with the Senators, winning all three games. Here are the main storylines to follow as the series progresses. Click on any of the links below to be taken to that specific section... GOALIE SITUATIONS COOKE-KARLSSON GAME-CHANGING DEFENSEMEN PUNISHING PHYSICALITY TOP OFFENSE VS. TOP DEFENSE OTTAWA'S SCORING ABILITY SENS' YOUNG STARS SPEZZA'S RETURN SPECIAL TEAMS The Penguins and the Senators are dealing with very different situations between the pipes entering the second round. Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson would probably have run away with the Vezina Trophy if he had not missed 18 games with an ankle sprain suffered in February, as he led all NHL netminders in both goals-against average (1.69) and save percentage (.941). But he returned to game action on April 7 and continued his excellent play between the pipes for the Senators, meaning the Penguins will be facing a red-hot goalie in this round. Coach Paul MacLean called Anderson the MVP of their opening-round series against Montreal, saying he was outstanding in every game. Anderson allowed just nine goals on 180 shots in those five games for a.950 save percentage. Anderson is just that kind of goaltender that gives his team confidence and keeps them in games with his play. The Senators were badly outplayed for stretches against the Canadiens, but Anderson s dominance kept them from gaining any momentum. As teammate Marc Methot has said, you just know with Andy back there you have a chance to win the game. However, Anderson has struggled against the Penguins during the regular season for whatever

16 reason, so we ll see if that carries over into the playoffs. He went in three games this year, allowing eight regulation goals against in those games. In the shootout loss to Pittsburgh, all three Penguins shooters (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal) beat him to get the win. He will have his work cut out for him against the high-scoring and talented Penguins, who may be the team that can make him look less like Superman. Meanwhile, the Penguins coaching staff has an intriguing decision to make. Marc-Andre Fleury started the first four games of Pittsburgh s opening-round series against the Islanders, but was replaced by Tomas Vokoun for Game 5 with the series tied 2-2 in a wakeup call for the team. Vokoun, who became the first starting goaltender for the Penguins not named Fleury since Johan Hedberg in 2001, performed exactly how the Penguins needed him to in his first playoff start in six years. He brought a calm, steady presence to the crease and pitched a 31-save shutout in that game. He then got the nod for Game 6 and was the MVP of the overtime win, making outstanding saves on odd-man rushes late in the game and helping the Penguins clinch the series on the road. Vokoun stopped 66 of 69 shots in the back-to-back wins and has proven that he is extremely capable of handling goaltending duties in the pressure cooker that is the playoffs. But Fleury is the franchise goalie, having started 79 straight playoff games for the Penguins backstopping them to the Stanley Cup championship in 2009 before Vokoun took over. Fleury has been fantastic for them throughout the years, and the fluky first-round goals and losses cannot be blamed solely on him. His teammates share a portion of the blame and their play helped put Fleury on the bench. So do the Penguins go with the hot goalie in Vokoun to start the second round? Or do they start Fleury, who has been part of the heart and soul of this team for nine seasons? In the second meeting of the regular season between the teams, a freak accident happened on the ice that left the Senators without their star player and left them fuming and upset. Ottawa defenseman and reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson suffered a lacerated Achilles tendon in a collision with Penguins winger Matt Cooke as the two raced for a puck in the corner. Karlsson, who had six goals and 10 points in 14 games played, underwent surgery

17 the next day. It was thought Karlsson would need six months to recover and would miss the rest of the season, but he resumed practicing just over nine weeks later just three days before the Penguins were scheduled to play in Ottawa, the first game between the teams since the incident occurred and the final meeting of the season between the teams. Though Karlsson didn t play against the Penguins on April 22, his teammates were out for revenge against Cooke. Though what happened was an accident, many Senators players, their coach and even their owner have said publicly they don t believe it was, hinting that Cooke purposefully injured Karlsson. Because of that, questions surrounded the Senators focus heading into that April 22 matchup and if they would have a desire for retribution even with the meaning of the game (Ottawa was still battling to make the playoffs). It appeared that they did, with noted antagonizer Chris Neil following Cooke around the ice trying to get him to fight and guys taking extra liberties with the Penguins winger while boos rained down on him the whole night. But Cooke expected that and did his best to continue to play hockey, keeping his focus on the game and even collecting a beautiful assist on a Tyler Kennedy goal in a Penguins win. The Penguins returned to Pittsburgh with a 3-1 win over the Senators, and Karlsson returned the next game playing 27:11 minutes and recording two assists in an overtime win over Washington. He appeared in the remaining three contests of the regular season and looked as fast and strong as ever. With all of that being said, there is certainly going to be a physical aspect to this series, with Cooke and Neil likely leading the way in that department as both players led their teams in hits (Neil had 29 in five games; Cooke had 25 in six). But I don t think it will be because the Senators still want retribution. They just want to beat the Penguins. The defending Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson is a total game-changing talent at just 22 years old. The Penguins got a glimpse of the player he would become three years ago in their last playoff series, where the then-rookie scored six points (1G-5A) in his postseason debut. He is such a confident player because of his elite talent. He is an effortless skater with exceptional hockey sense and the ability to do whatever he wants with the puck when it is on his stick.

18 Having a player like that on their blue line is so valuable. In addition to Karlsson, the Senators also have Sergei Gonchar. Gonchar, who was one of the vital pieces to the Penguins 2009 Stanley Cup championship team, will make his return to Pittsburgh in the playoffs for the first time since joining the Senators before the season. Gonchar spent five seasons with the Penguins from Gonchar is close friends with Evgeni Malkin and was a fan favorite while in Pittsburgh, but he could be a catalyst to a potential Ottawa upset. It hasn t been all blue skies and sunshine for Gonchar during his time in Ottawa, but he silenced many critics with a big season this year. With Karlsson out for all but seven games, Gonchar stepped up and finished as one of the Senators scoring leaders while still being responsible defensively. While Ottawa may have Karlsson and Gonchar, the Penguins have Kris Letang on their blue line. Letang tied for the scoring lead among team defensemen in the first round with six points (2G- 4A), the same total output as Karlsson. Letang did skate more minutes than Karlsson, averaging 27:46 per game. Letang may be the one dethrone Karlsson as the league s best defenseman, as he was named one of three finalists for this year s Norris field. And watching the two of them go head-to-head in this series will be a thrill to watch, indeed. (They re similar in so many ways, but we WILL give the edge in hair to Letang). Erik Karlsson and Sergei Gonchar are puck-moving, offensive defensemen who are key components of the power play. But the remaining four defensemen in Ottawa s rotation are big, physical and surprisingly mobile for their size. Take a look at their measurements Jared Cowen: 6-foot-5, 230 pounds Eric Gryba: 6-foot-4, 222 pounds Marc Methot: 6-foot-3, 231 pounds Chris Phillips: 6-foot-3, 221 pounds Yeah, that s a big back end right there. Those defensemen played a vital role in wearing down

19 the speedy Montreal forwards with punishing physicality, playing them hard and tough, making them pay the price and leaving them battered and bruised. They will be looking to do the same against the Penguins and their wealth of skilled players. It s something that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin especially dealt with in the first round against the Islanders, so they know what that s like. They still found ways to make plays despite having to fight for every inch, so we ll see if they can do the same against the Senators. Pittsburgh s offense ranked first in the regular season with an average of 3.38 goals per game. And right now, it ranks first in the postseason by averaging 4.17 goals in six total games. Pittsburgh can seemingly score at will. Six Penguins equaled or surpassed the six-point total of Ottawa s leading scorers Daniel Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson. Evgeni Malkin led the Penguins with 11 points in the first round, while Sidney Crosby (3G-6A) and Jarome Iginla (2G-7A) tied for second with nine points each. Pascal Dupuis led with five goals and had a total of seven points while defensemen Paul Martin and Kris Letang had six points apiece. But while producing points has never appeared to be an issue for this Penguins team no matter the opponent, they should still expect a big challenge in trying to identify and exploit any weaknesses in Ottawa s defense which ranked second in the regular season and allowed just nine goals in five games in the first round. Goalie Craig Anderson is absolutely the primary reason for their domination on D. He is the kind of goalie who is capable of keeping his team in games even when they are outplayed and has been doing that for them all season. Having a Norris Trophy winner in Erik Karlsson doesn t hurt, either. The Senators have the consummate complement of puck-moving, mobile defensemen and big, physical blueliners. The Senators are still missing one key player as No. 1 center Jason Spezza remains out after

20 undergoing back surgery in February. Though the longtime Senator Spezza is a big part of their team, they have been OK without him. Because even though their production ranked among the league s lowest in the regular season 27th out of 30 teams, to be exact their depth allowed them to more than double their regular-season goal-scoring average, exploding for 20 goals in five games against Montreal in a total group effort aided by contributions from defensemen Erik Karlsson and Sergei Gonchar. Ottawa is ranked second in postseason scoring behind Pittsburgh. Captain Daniel Alfredsson may be 40 years old, but he still tied Karlsson for the team lead in points with six. Linemate and regular-season goals and points leader Kyle Turris scored in each of the last three games of the series, including the OT winner in Game 4. Turris, the thirdoverall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, has soft hands, scoring instincts and skating ability and he led all forwards in ice time during the first round. His three goals tied for the team lead with the final member of his and Alfredsson s line, rookie Cory Conacher (as well as another first-year player in Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who had a hat trick in Game 5). Ottawa s goal output in the first round against a team committed to defense like the Canadiens was certainly impressive; as was the way it was achieved through committee. But it s highly doubtful that the Senators can outscore the Penguins in a game, as Pittsburgh also scores by committee they just score a lot more and they have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin leading the way. Twenty of 23 Penguins that appeared in the first round registered at least a point, with six players equaling or surpassing the six-point total of Ottawa s leading scorers Alfredsson and Karlsson. The Penguins had trouble with the Islanders fast young forwards and their overall team speed in their opening-round series. Granted, the Senators are somewhat older and slower up top in some respects. Though captain Daniel Alfredsson is tied for the team scoring lead, he is 40 years old and his game has slowed from what used to be. Scoring winger Milan Michalek is 28 years old while veteran center Jason Spezza is 29. But with all of the injuries the Senators have dealt with throughout the season, their young players in the system got the opportunity to step up and contribute. They re continuing to do that now in the playoffs. Veteran Michalek has been on a line with rookies Jakob Silfverberg (age 22) and Mika Zibanejad

21 (age 20), who have developed into valuable contributors on this Senators team. They re both talented players with acute offensive instincts. Rookie Cory Conacher (age 23) has starred for the Senators since being acquired from Tampa Bay via trade at the deadline. He had nine goals and 24 points in 35 total regular-season games, scored three in four appearances in the first round and though he s rather small, his quickness could pose a problem for the Penguins. Finally, the Senators called up rookie Jean-Gabriel Pageau (age 20) from their American Hockey League affiliate for the first time in his pro career on April 10, where he scored twice in nine regular-season games before making his playoff debut in Game 1. He was pointless in that game and the following, but exploded for a hat trick in Game 3 in a 6-1 win over Montreal. With the trick, he became just the second Senator to record a hat trick in the postseason the other being Alfredsson. Jason Spezza, who has been absent from the lineup since undergoing back surgery on Feb. 1, has been progressing in his rehab. He had been skating with Ottawa s taxi squad and returned to full team practice on Sunday. Though coach Paul MacLean said on Saturday that Spezza s return to game action is still a long way away, returning to practice is a big step in the recovery process. And while there is no official projected date for his return, he said he plans to keep participating in practice moving forward to work on getting his strength and speed back. He told the team s website, "The whole reason to get on the ice with the team was they're going to have some hard practices in the next couple of days and it'll give me a bit of a gauge to see where I am personally and see how things will go." While Spezza and the Senators have been careful not to put a timeline on anything, the newest development in his situation certainly sparks optimism that he will make an appearance in this second-round series against the Penguins. Time will tell, but it may be wise not to bet against it.

22 Pittsburgh s special teams may be the reason they won the series against New York. Not only did the Penguins power play convert seven of 21 chances against the Islanders operating at a staggering 33.3 percent success rate but their penalty kill excelled. There was concern going into the series about how the Penguins would fare while shorthanded, as they had finished in the bottom 10 of the league during the regular season on the penalty kill. But Pittsburgh allowed just two goals on 20 chances against for a 90 percent success rate, ranking second in the playoffs going into the second round. The Penguins rotate a lot of players while shorthanded, which helps keep legs fresh and quick. Erik Karlsson will be the player to watch when Ottawa is awarded a man-advantage in this round partly because he virtually does not leave the ice. He is the quarterback of their power play and is arguably the best one in the league. Not only can he move and dangle the puck like no one else, but he also has a big shot that he doesn t hesitate to line up from the point. Karlsson is averaging over six minutes on the power play, while Sergei Gonchar is averaging over five. The Penguins are well aware of his ability to make plays. The slippery Turris is also a fixture on the top unit, along with veterans Milan Michalek and Daniel Alfredsson. Michalek possesses a sick shot that allows him to snipe gorgeous goals, and he is also a big body that can muscle around the offensive zone. Alfredsson also has a quick trigger and can contribute in any way on the man-advantage. The Senators did very well on the penalty kill as well. The saying common around locker rooms is that your goaltender has to be your best penalty killer, and Craig Anderson was for Ottawa. He stopped 40-of-43 shorthanded shots, allowing just three goals on 19 chances (84.2 percent). Ottawa had the No. 1 penalty kill in the regular season (88 percent). Senators understand challenge Penguins will present Sunday, / 3:12 PM / Penguins vs Senators SCP Conference Semifinals

23 By Erin Nicks - NHL.com Correspondent OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators learned Saturday night that they would be facing the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, leading some to wonder how the Senators will handle another round of drama after their emotional series with the Montreal Canadiens. The Senators have a postseason history with the Penguins -- they haven't beaten Pittsburgh in the playoffs since 2007, where they were victorious in the first round en route to an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, and eventual loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Since that time, the Senators have lost twice to the Penguins, in 2008 and 2010, both series taking place in the quarterfinals. The incident this season involving Penguins wing Matt Cooke and Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson did nothing to warm relations between the two clubs. Cooke's skate sliced through the left Achilles tendon of Karlsson during a game on Feb. 13, and the Swede required surgery to repair the cut. Much was made of the incident at the time, but Karlsson is ready to move forward and refuses to let history become a distraction. "I don't have many thoughts," Karlsson said. "Whatever happened, happened. I'm playing and I'm happy. It's not something that I'm thinking about and I'm sure [Cooke] isn't thinking about it, either. I think we're going to talk about it for a couple of days before the series [begins] and then be done with it. We don't need to worry about [Cooke.] They have a couple of guys who are more dangerous, and we have to go out and play our best game if we want to beat Pittsburgh." Defenseman Jared Cowen noticed some of the success that the New York Islanders had against the Penguins in their series in pushing Pittsburgh to six games. "The Islanders play kind of similar to us," Cowen said about the way they pressured on the forecheck. "I think we can simulate that, but maybe have more success in the offensive zone." "I don't think any other team was as consistent [in the East] as the Penguins throughout the regular season, even though they had their struggles with injuries," captain Daniel Alfredsson said. "You look at them 5-on-5, you have to be good. And special teams, they have to be in our favor. "I think we're a different team [than in previous playoff losses to the Penguins]. So are they, but their core has been together for a while and has some experience. They're always a team that for the last four or five years, has always been a significant force. We know we're in for a tough task. But the tougher the road, the bigger the reward."

24 Five reasons Penguins advanced to second round Sunday, / 1:58 PM / Penguins vs Islanders SCP Conference Quarterfinals By Tal Pinchevsky - NHL.com Staff Writer It wasn't supposed to take six games and two overtime victories, but the Pittsburgh Penguins got it done. The New York Islanders put up a great fight and even managed to contain Pittsburgh's worldclass stars for large stretches. Nevertheless, the Penguins are moving on after defeating the Islanders 4-3 in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal. That opening-series win can be attributed to some of the things everyone expected the top-seeded Penguins to do. But there were some surprises that helped Pittsburgh make it to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since Here are five reasons the Penguins advanced: 1. Bounce-back goals The Islanders got the jump for much of the series, but the Penguins never relented and were usually able to claw their way back into almost every game. On five occasions, they answered an Islanders goal by scoring less than 2:05 later. In a 6-4, Game 4 loss, the Penguins twice responded to an Islanders goal by scoring less than a minute later. That quick answer time and again denied the upstart Islanders any opportunity to pull away. 2. Special teams Pittsburgh's 5-on-5 play was not always stellar, but their special teams proved vital. The Penguins scored seven times on 21 power-play opportunities, including a game-winning overtime goal by Chris Kunitz in Game 3. That 33.3 percent success rate is the best of any team in the playoffs. Pittsburgh's penalty kill successfully fought off 18 of 20 man-disadvantages, mostly with specialist Craig Adams leading the way. Adams' play on the PK was especially important in Pittsburgh's Game 6 win, when the forward spent roughly one-third of his total ice time killing penalties. 3. Unheralded players