Dupuis may have shed some insight on the debate unknowingly.

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1 Daily Clips 4/22/13 Penguins regular season becoming historic By Josh Yohe Published: Sunday, April 21, 2013, 11:34 p.m. Updated 7 hours ago OTTAWA These Penguins hope to avoid the postseason failings suffered a generation ago by the Penguins, who infamously fell to the upstart New York Islanders in the second round. One thing is clear: The 2013 Penguins and Penguins are the two finest regular-season squads in franchise history. The squad entered the Stanley Cup playoffs as a heavy favorite to win the Stanley Cup. So will these Penguins. Which one is better? Now there's a question, said Eddie Johnston, the former Penguins coach and general manager whose drafting helped build the squad and who is frequently in attendance at Consol Energy Center to watch coach Dan Bylsma's team. I can honestly say that I think this team could be as good. That team with Mario (Lemieux) and Ronny (Francis), that's one of the best teams of all time. But when I look at the Penguins now, and what they're doing without (Sidney) Crosby, (Evgeni) Malkin, (Paul) Martin and Jimmy Neal, I mean, how great can they be? This can be a really special team. The Penguins are riding a six-game winning streak into Ottawa on Monday night, despite not having Crosby, Neal or Martin during that stretch. Malkin, the reigning MVP who has been hampered by injuries all season, has only played in three of those games. And, yet, the Penguins keep winning. We're a very proud team, right wing Pascal Dupuis said. We know what winning looks like, and we want to do it every night. Dupuis may have shed some insight on the debate unknowingly. For all of the things the past and current Penguins had in common historic winning streaks, talented rosters and seriously bad injury/health luck this group's work ethic is roundly admired. The team was so good, hard work wasn't really necessary in the regular season.

2 This team is different. This team just works so hard, center Brandon Sutter said. I've been on teams that had to work hard just to have a chance. This team, with the skill we have here, is different. When you have that kind of work ethic and talent, that's a great combination. The Penguins went , good for 119 points in what was an 84-game schedule that season. These Penguins, at 34-10, would be on pace for 127 points in the standard 82-game season and 130 points in an 84-game season. The Montreal Canadiens produced the most points in NHL history with 132. That's an awesome record, Sutter said of his Penguins. It's been great. One member of the Penguins doesn't feel like it's been quite great enough. It would be a hell of a series if we played each other, former Penguins right wing Rick Tocchet said. We would win in six because of the X-factor: No. 66. These Penguins, suddenly a veteran group with their many recent additions, will take their chances this spring. Like the Penguins 20 years ago, winning the Stanley Cup is the only goal. This, goalie Tomas Vokoun said, is by far the best team I've ever played on. And it might go down as the best team in Penguins' history if it claims the franchise's fourth Stanley Cup. Of the Penguins' 33 victories this season, extra time only has been required on three occasions. The Penguins have won 31 games in regulation play, which ranks three ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks for the league's top mark. Pleased but not satisfied, the Penguins know they will be measured by the postseason. But that's the thing, Sutter said. As great at this is, we want something more. But yeah, it's been a great regular season. No doubt about it. Penguins notebook: Letang questionable for game vs. Senators By Josh Yohe Published: Sunday, April 21, 2013, 7:36 p.m. Updated 7 hours ago

3 The Penguins, with little to play for Monday against the Senators and injuries mounting, will play without a number of big names in Ottawa. Sidney Crosby (jaw), Evgeni Malkin (shoulder), James Neal (concussion) and Paul Martin (hand) all skated before their teammates during Sunday's practice at Southpointe. Coach Dan Bylsma said all the players are progressing. They may be joined in street clothes Monday by star defenseman Kris Letang, whose illness prohibited him from practicing with his teammates. He is a question mark, Bylsma said. Malkin not only skated before practice but also skated with the team during its workout. Still, he did not make the trip to Ottawa. Neal, meanwhile, worked out with teammates for the first time since sustaining a concussion on April 5 against the New York Rangers. Neither Neal nor Crosby made the trip to Ottawa. Part of their rehab will be skating here, Bylsma said of Pittsburgh. Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson, presumed out for the season after having his Achilles tendon injured by Penguins left wing Matt Cooke's skate, could return for the Senators tonight. The Senators' organization has expressed rage toward Cooke since the incident. This is the first time the Penguins have played Ottawa since the injury took place on Feb. 13. Perhaps in a move to protect Cooke, the Penguins recently recalled enforcer Steve MacIntyre. Bylsma acknowledged that the Penguins have begun scouting the three teams they could face in the first round of the playoffs. Mathematically, the Penguins could still face the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Washington or Toronto in the first round. The two New York teams and Ottawa appear the most likely first-round opponent for the Penguins. A victory over the Senators would give Bylsma his 200th career win faster than any coach in NHL history. For Penguins, adjustments always a part of successful formula By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette An hour or more before usual, the Penguins pulled into Southpointe Sunday morning. "There's only so much ice [time available], so you had to be here early," winger Chris Kunitz said.

4 In fact, the team wasn't supposed to be on the ice Sunday. But a scheduled day off from skating got changed. As did Friday's game. And Saturday's game. And Tuesday's schedule, which now has a game. "Just going with the flow," winger Pascal Dupuis said. "I try to look at the schedule one day at a time. [Today] is Ottawa, and we'll come back here and play on Tuesday. It's the way the schedule has been adjusted." A game tonight at Ottawa is the only thing normal about a six-day stretch that began Thursday when the Penguins flew later than originally scheduled to Boston because Air Force One was delivering President Obama to that angst-filled city. The Penguins have had plenty of practice making all sorts of adjustments this season. Like all the NHL teams, they have dealt with a season whose start was delayed to late January and shortened to 48 games because of a lockout. They also have worked through injuries to a handful of star players, and done so seamlessly enough that they clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference Saturday with a 3-2 victory against the Bruins. In this stretch, though, the circumstances have been different. The Penguins were scheduled to play Friday night at TD Garden, but the city was on lockdown and emotions were running high during an active manhunt for the second of two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings. When he was apprehended Friday night, the Penguins-Bruins game was rescheduled for Saturday afternoon. A Penguins home game slated for Saturday night against Buffalo was moved to Tuesday night. Sunday's leisurely morning before a flight to Ottawa morphed into a practice day after the club spent Friday restricted to its Boston hotel and unable to skate in any fashion. And Tuesday, which had been a practice day, now is the second half of a back-to-back game set. "You have a schedule that you want to try to stick to, but you run into weather or what happened in Boston," Penguins center Brandon Sutter said. "You've just got to adjust to it." This time, it came with some extra baggage. The team got caught up in the events in Boston, which has been national news for days. Before Saturday's game, some Penguins players and coach Dan Bylsma wore "Boston Strong" T- shirts. After a pregame tribute to those who were killed or injured Monday, there was a rousing rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" sung by the crowd. And by some players on the benches, including Kunitz, who is Canadian.

5 "My children are American. So is my wife," Kunitz said. "It's something where you get caught up in the moment. That's something special to be a part of." The trip wasn't all patriotism and praising law enforcement. It was a little tense Friday. "The emotions were there," Kunitz said. "You're a little uneasy. You're in the city and you see people worry. And the not knowing. Family at home. You're getting texts. People are wondering where you are and if you're safe. "But after everything went down, you start thinking back to the things that happened all week. There's a little bit of mourning and thinking about people in public places. Then you think how lucky we are for what we get to do and that our job is a game and it's entertainment. If you can go and bring joy back to people, that's the happy part of what we can do." While it wasn't a scenario the Penguins would ever choose, there could be benefits from going through this series of adjustments. "The circumstances aside, what the city of Boston was going through and that situation, our preparation and what we experienced was a lot like a playoff situation -- like some odd preparation time and back-to-back games and different types of schedules," Bylsma said. "You have to be able to adjust and have different types of preparation days. From that standpoint, it was a challenge for our guys to be able to play that game, to step up." It's what the Penguins have been doing, in hockey terms, most of the season. With injuries and an influx of players near or at the NHL trade deadline, several players have shifted from one wing to the other or one line to another. Or they have had their ice time change significantly. Or been in and out of the lineup. "It's what has to be done to win some hockey games," Dupuis said. "You adjust along the way. That's what makes good teams." And so, on Sunday, the players were doing some post-practice workouts or visiting the training room less than 24 hours after the start of a game Saturday in Boston and with a flight to Ottawa still on the day's docket. "Home for half a day and having to fly out again isn't the best, but there's not much we can do about it," Sutter said. "We just have to try to find a way to keep winning games." Penguins notebook: Neal practices but Letang likely out By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

6 Penguins winger James Neal returned to practice Sunday for the first time since he sustained a concussion April 5 -- if only for 18 minutes. Coach Dan Bylsma noted that Neal "joined us for just a few drills," but added, "That would be an indication of him moving along in his protocol." Neal, who has missed the past five games, remains symptom-free. He was one of four injured players who skated before practice at Southpointe. The others were centers Evgeni Malkin (shoulder, three games) and Sidney Crosby (jaw, eight games) and defenseman Paul Martin (hand, nine games). Malkin, who has been practicing with the team, returned to the ice for practice as Neal did, but Malkin stayed for the full session. Bylsma, though, said the injured players were not expected to travel to Ottawa for the game tonight and instead will skate today in Pittsburgh. Defenseman Kris Letang did not practice. Bylsma said Letang was ill. There were indications that Letang did not travel to Ottawa. Trouble brewing? The game tonight will be the Penguins' first in Ottawa since Feb. 13 when Senators star defenseman Erik Karlsson, the defending Norris Trophy winner, got hurt. Penguins winger Matt Cooke accidentally cut Karlsson's Achilles tendon with his skate blade. There have been sore feelings toward the Penguins and Cooke -- particularly from Senators owner Eugene Melnyk -- and those might rise even more to the surface considering Karlsson, recovering from surgery, has just resumed practicing. There even is a small chance he will return tonight. So even though Ottawa has not clinched a playoff spot and needs points, there would seem to be at least some possibility that things could turn unruly. "I don't have a concern in that regard," Bylsma said. Yet the Penguins on Thursday recalled enforcer Steve MacIntyre from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. He has not played in the NHL this season. He played in 12 games with the Penguins last season. MacIntyre was a healthy scratch Saturday at Boston and said he doesn't know whether he will be in the lineup tonight. Either way, he has no qualms about what to do should the Penguins need his specialty.

7 "I don't think [my role] really changes, wherever I go," he said. "They brought me up to be a good soldier. I think the writing's on the wall. "I'm not 100 percent sure [what will happen]. I do my thing. If they need me, they need me. If they don't, just do the best that I can." Bylsma nears milestone Bylsma has a record of , all with the Penguins, and seems a lock to become the fastest NHL coach to reach 200 wins. If he gets his 200th tonight, Bylsma will have done it in 316 games. Anaheim's Bruce Boudreau, formerly with Washington, got to 200 in 326 games which is the current record, according to Elias Sports Bureau. "It's something I looked at in the offseason, and when the shortened schedule [was announced after the lockout], I thought it probably was not going to be a possibility," Bylsma said. "We set our sights on the number of wins we thought we would need to be successful this year. That was around 30 to 32 wins. That came up short of the 200 mark." But the Penguins have 34 wins with four games left in this 48-game schedule. Bylsma credited his players, particularly their 15-game winning streak earlier this season, for nudging him to within reach of 200 this season. But he's aware that's not enough to put him in the ranks of the all-time coaching leaders in the league. "I look at the big guys and they've won 500 [or more]," Bylsma said. "Whoa. Two hundred -- certainly looking at, hopefully, getting that win, but got a long way to go in winning hockey games." What to Watch For: Pens vs. Senators Sunday, / 5:02 PM / Features By Michelle Crechiolo PENGUINS ( ) vs. SENATORS ( ) WHEN: April 22, :30 p.m. WHERE: Scotiabank Place WATCH: ROOT SPORTS LISTEN: Penguins Radio 24/7, FM

8 The Penguins begin the last week of the regular season (and a stretch of three games in four nights) on Monday in Ottawa. The seventh-place Senators are a possible first-round matchup for Pittsburgh in the playoffs, as they and the eighth-place Rangers are tied with 52 points (Ottawa has played one fewer game than New York, who eliminated the Devils from the playoffs on Sunday). The Senators might just get the reigning Norris Trophy winner back into their lineup before the postseason. Defenseman Erik Karlsson suffered a lacerated Achilles tendon in a collision with Matt Cooke in Ottawa s last game against Pittsburgh on February 13. Karlsson, who had six goals and 10 points in 14 games played, underwent surgery the next day. It was thought he d need six months to recover and would miss the rest of the season, but he returned to team practice on Friday just nine weeks later. Senators general manager Bryan Murray told reporters that day that Karlsson is 100 percent and his focus right now is on getting back into game shape. While there is no official timetable for his return, it s looking like it could be soon. The Senators have been able to maintain playoff position all season despite missing star players to long-term injuries. And while center Jason Spezza remains out after undergoing back surgery in January, Karlsson is close and both Milan Michalek and Craig Anderson are back. Last year s leading goal scorer Michalek, who has missed a total of 24 games this season due to injury, has two goals and three points in four games since returning. Goalie Anderson played April 7 after missing 18 games with a sprained ankle and has won three of his last four starts (the Senators have won four of their last five). Anderson, who is backed up by Robin Lehner as the team traded Ben Bishop to Tampa Bay for rookie forward Cory Conacher at the deadline, leads the league in both save percentage (.944) and goals against average (1.64). He s the anchor of a defense that ranks second in the NHL despite losing top defenseman Karlsson. Anderson is also the anchor of what is currently the league s top-ranked penalty kill. Defensemen Marc Methot and Chris Phillips along with forward Erik Condra also play key roles in shorthanded situations.

9 Milan Michalek - Kyle Turris - Daniel Alfredsson Cory Conacher - Mika Zibanejad - Jakob Silfverberg Colin Greening - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Erik Condra Matt Kassian - Zack Smith - Chris Neil Patrick Wiercioch - Sergei Gonchar Marc Methot - Chris Phillips Jared Cowan - Eric Gryba SENATORS: CORY CONACHER Pittsburgh has seen Conacher twice this season, but Monday will be the first time in a Senators jersey as he was traded to Ottawa at the deadline for goalie Ben Bishop. Conacher has played seven games for the Senators and has points in each of his last three. The rookie forward scored the game-winning goal on April 18 versus Washington helping break the Capitals eight-game winning streak and assisted on Ottawa s only goal in a 4-1 loss to Toronto in their last game. PENGUINS: BEAU BENNETT Pittsburgh also has a promising rookie on their roster in Beau Bennett. Bennett has been impressive his last few games and making the most of increased minutes and power-play time with star players out; carrying a three-game assist streak into Monday (he s totaled four over that span). He had a few decent scoring chances on Saturday against Boston; he could break through for his fourth goal of the season Monday. Overall, Bennett has 14 points (3G-11A) all

10 of which have come in his last 20 games. Bennett has been working very well on a line with veterans Brenden Morrow and Pascal Dupuis; let s see if they carry that success into this next game. MONDAY'S GAME - Pittsburgh enters Monday s game having gone 21-2 in its last 23 games. Pittsburgh s 21 wins during that span is more victories than 12 NHL teams have won all season. - A win Monday would allow the Penguins to finish with a perfect record against the Senators for the first time since (6-0-0). - The Penguins have won both meetings against the Senators this season. - Prior to this stretch, the Senators had won three straight games against Pittsburgh. - Monday the Penguins begin their final set of back-to-back games. Thus far they are 8-4 in back-to-back including 4-2 records on both ends. HISTORY CAN BE MADE Dan Bylsma can earn his 200th NHL coaching win with a Penguins victory Monday. With the Penguins next victory, Bylsma will become the fastest coach in NHL history to record 200 wins. Anaheim s Bruce Boudreau currently holds the mark after earning his 200th win in just his 326th game. Tomas Vokoun sits one win shy of becoming the 28th goalie in NHL history to reach 300 career victories. Vokoun will also become just the 24th goalie to appear in 700 career games when he makes his next appearance. TOP SEED The Penguins clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference with their 3-2 defeat of Boston on Saturday. This marks the first time the Penguins have earned the No.-1 seed since the NHL switched to its current playoff format prior to the campaign. The website sportsclubstats.com has assigned the following percentages to potential first-round opponents: NY Rangers (36%); Ottawa (27%); NY Islanders (24%); and Winnipeg (10%). ROAD WARRIORS Pittsburgh enters Monday s game having won four straight road games and nine of their last 10. During those 10 games, the Penguins have scored a total of 41 goals for an average of 4.1 tallies per game. The Penguins lead the NHL with 79 road goals this season. Pittsburgh s 17 road

11 wins is tied with Chicago for the NHL lead. Since Dan Bylsma took over as head coach on Feb. 15, 2009, the Penguins lead the NHL in road wins (93), road points (202) and road points percentage (.639). ANOTHER WIN STREAK The Penguins have won six-straight games entering Monday the third time this season they have won five or more consecutive games. Pittsburgh established a NHL-season-high 15 straight wins between March 2-30 tied for the second-longest winning streak of all-time. The Penguins also won five straight games from Jan. 31-Feb. 7. Pittsburgh s win streak is the longest active streak in the NHL. SMOKIN' Pittsburgh used its high-powered power-play unit to secure a 3-2 win against Boston on Saturday. Jarome Iginla put the Penguins ahead 4:43 into the third period, and Kris Letang added the eventual game-winner on the man-advantage less than four minutes later. The Penguins have scored a power-play goal in four straight games - including three with multiple tallies (8-for-22; 36.4%). Pittsburgh currently places second in the NHL with a 24.4% success rate trailing only the Washington Capitals (26.1%). DOSE OF OFFENSE Pittsburgh has withstood several injuries to its top offensive players over the past month thanks to the scoring contributions the team has received from its recent acquisitions. In the last 11 games dating back to March 26 when Brenden Morrow became the first of the new players to debut the Penguins have scored a total of 33 goals. Of those, 13 have been tallied by the new guys (39.4%). FILLING THE NET The Penguins enter Monday s game with eight players having scored 10 or more goals this season most in the NHL. Chris Kunitz leads the way with 21 tallies, followed by Pascal Dupuis (20), James Neal (18), Sidney Crosby (15), Jarome Iginla (12), Brenden Morrow and Brandon Sutter (11 each), and Jussi Jokinen (10).

12 Evgeni Malkin, who has missed four straight games, did not make the trip to Ottawa with the team and is still day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Kris Letang did not practice on Sunday due to illness and coach Dan Bylsma said he is questionable to play against the Senators. Full practice update here. PENGUINS: F Sidney Crosby, broken jaw F Evgeni Malkin, upper body D Paul Martin, broken bone in hand F James Neal, concussion SENATORS: F Mike Hoffman, collarbone D Erik Karlsson, achilles laceration C Jason Spezza, back surgery Author: Michelle Crechiolo Neal, Malkin recovering but not ready to play Sunday, / 2:36 PM / News NHL.com Evgeni Malkin skated with his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates Sunday, but coach Dan Bylsma said he will not be part of the lineup Monday when the Penguins play at the Ottawa Senators due to an upper-body injury. "Evgeni Malkin will not go on the trip with us [to Ottawa], so he will not be playing [Monday]," Bylsma said. "Still day to day." Bylsma said Malkin skated early Sunday with a few of the team's other injured players and then stayed on the ice for the full team practice. According to the team's Twitter account, during practice he centered a line with Dustin Jeffrey and Steve MacIntyre, both of whom were healthy scratches for the Penguins' game Saturday at the Boston Bruins. Malkin will miss his fourth straight game Monday.

13 The Penguins also had forward James Neal on the ice for a portion of practice Sunday. Neal has missed the past five games with a concussion sustained during a game April 5 against the New York Rangers. The team's Twitter account reported Neal skated as an extra defenseman before leaving the ice. Bylsma said Neal, who also skated as part of the pre-practice morning group, is symptom-free but not yet ready to play. "[Practicing] would be an indication of him moving along in his protocol and where he's at with his injury," Bylsma said. Besides Neal and Malkin, also skating in the morning were defenseman Paul Martin, out since March 28 with a hand injury, and Sidney Crosby, who is recovering from a broken jaw sustained during a game March 30. "They're all progressing on the ice and doing pretty well," Bylsma said of his recovering players. "I think all of them are." It wasn't all good news for the Penguins, though, as defenseman Kris Letang was off the ice due to illness. Bylsma said Letang, second among NHL defensemen with 32 points despite missing 12 games with various injuries, is questionable for the game Monday at the Senators. Penguins draw Bingo's number By Jonathan Bombulie (Staff Writer) Published: April 22, 2013 The way center Trevor Smith sees it, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins shouldn't have spent Sunday afternoon worrying about who they would play in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs. The other teams in the Eastern Conference should have been worried that they'd get paired up with the Penguins. "I don't think teams want to play us," Smith said. "We're a tough, hard-nosed team and they know they're going to get a hard-fought battle. I think we're one of those teams in the playoffs where teams look at the standings and they see us and they don't want to match up with us."

14 As it turns out, the team that will be matching up with the fifth-seeded Penguins is fourthseeded Binghamton. The best-of-five series opens Saturday in Binghamton. The Penguins will return home to host Game 3 on Thursday, May 2. The Portland Pirates had a chance to knock the Penguins out of the fifth seed, but they lost 4-1 to Bridgeport in their regular-season finale Sunday. As a result, the Pirates are seeded sixth and will face third-seeded Syracuse. Binghamton finished eight points ahead of the Penguins in the standings and won six of the 10 head-to-head meetings between the teams this season. The B-Sens won five of six meetings before the NHL lockout ended, and the Penguins won three of four meetings afterwards. The teams have met in the playoffs once before. In the first round in 2005, the Penguins lost the first two games, won Game 3 on a Colby Armstrong goal in triple overtime and went on to win the series in six games. In other news Sunday, Penguins goalies Jeff Zatkoff and Brad Thiessen were announced as winners of the AHL's Harry "Hap" Holmes Award for having the lowest team goals-against average. The Penguins gave up a league-best 178 goals. The Penguins also won in the award in (Thiessen and John Curry) and (Dany Sabourin). Ottawa Sens forward Erik Condra drought epitome of frustration Don Brennan Ottawa Sun Nobody exemplifies the Senators scoring woes like Erik Condra. His drought has stretched to two dozen games, during which he has had 33 shots. After tearing up lower-tiered German leagues during the lockout, Condra has just three goals in 44 games for the Senators. He had a first-period chance against the Leafs that could have swayed the outcome, but he couldn't get the puck over James Reimer's pad with it or the rebound. "I think when you have confidence and everything is going in, you take a little extra time," said Condra. "When you don't, you just try and work hard and get it off as quick as you can. Get it to the net as quick as you can until that first one goes in.

15 "It's frustrating, for sure. But we're playing well. You can't get too frustrated when you're playing that well." Condra, in fact, continues to play very well in shorthanded situations. The Senators became the top-ranked penalty killing team over the weekend, finally overtaking the Bruins. Meanwhile, only four teams in the NHL have fewer than the 108 goals scored by Ottawa. FROM THE PRESSBOX The chemistry that once existed between Kyle Turris and Daniel Alfredsson is no longer evident. Despite consistently being the team's best forward, Alfredsson has gone four games without a goal and only has two in his past 12. It's nothing that wouldn't be fixed by the return of Jason Spezza and his playmaking abilities... Always worthy of mention before a Senators-Penguins game: Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is 9-8-1, with a 3.34 GAA an a.898 save percentage, during his career against Ottawa. His backup, Tomas Vokoun, is worse. All-time against the Senators, Vokoun is with a 3.33 GAA and a.897 save percentage... The brutal Senators power play has clicked just twice in its last 38 tries. "Five shots on (two chances) tonight, which is better," coach Paul MacLean said Saturday. "We'd like to shoot the puck better, I think we're a little bit stagnant, and too predictable.".. Come playoff time, fear the Blueshirts. The Rangers have 18 goals in their past three games. KASSIAN'S KORNER Senators tough guy Matt Kassian is never short of opinion. We asked for his on a sticky issue -- capital punishment -- after law enforcers captured a 19-year-old suspected of setting the bombs that killed three and injured more than 180 others at the Boston Marathon earlier this week. "I've gone back and forth on it," said Kassian. "My parents agree on almost everything, but this is one thing they disagree on. I, being a Christian guy, think there's two sides on it. There's the side that says who are we to judge people, as to who lives and who dies? And that final justice, is that our call to make? "And then there's the other side, the laws of the nation are set. They're understood. They're not unfair or ridiculous. And if the set laws are such that's what it calls for, then that's the law. Biblically and theologically thinking, since that's the law set forth by the country, then that's it, right? "But then on that side too, there's something to be said for grace and compassion and mercy and all that. You can go either way, and I have in my brain gone back and forth. It's tough to try and view it from a non-emotional standpoint. And you can go into other situations too, where it's not 100% conclusive that someone did something... you can have capital punishment and the laws, but you still don't know 100 million percent sure that person is guilty. I guarantee you it's happened, someone's gone to the chair or had lethal injection that didn't deserve it. "So it's tough. It's really tough."

16 Ottawa Senators playoff push could save Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke from a beat down By Don Brennan Ottawa Sun Imagine the thoughts running through Matt Cooke's mind when he steps on Scotiabank Place ice for Monday night's warmup. "I knew they'd be mad at me," the Pittsburgh Penguins winger might say to himself as he glances up at the crowd. "But not this mad." Cooke will eventually realize the troops aren't there for him. It's purely coincidence the Senators have selected this game as their ninth annual Canadian Forces Appreciation night. Like most everybody else, the 1,100 uniformed members and their families in attendance will only boo Cooke, who stomped and sliced Erik Karlsson's Achilles tendon on Valentine's Day. They will not see revenge. As for the Senators themselves, well, given their situation in the Eastern Conference standings, it's possible Cooke might be off the hook. Or not. "I don't know," Senators centre Zack Smith said when asked if payback awaits the dastardly 34- year-old from Belleville. "When it comes to it, it will come to it. We haven't thought much about that. It will be the first matchup since the incident, but at the same time, we're trying to make the playoffs. I don't think we need that to be a distraction. "But," added Smith, "we do remember that kind of stuff." How could you not? Karlsson was the Senators scoring leader and sparking debates as to whether he was the best player in the NHL at the time of his injury. And if he had been the victim of anybody else, the whole thing could have easily been put off as an accident. But despite his pleas of innocence afterwards, Cooke has twice been suspended for hits to the head, and he did end the career of Boston Bruins centre (and Orleans native) Marc Savard. He has said he's changed his ways, but not everybody is convinced. In fact, most still see him as one of the sneakiest and dirtiest players in the league -- and some saw the Karlsson incident as just another example. At the same time, he's only settled scores like a man 20 times in his 14-year career, according to hockeyfights.com, and never has he dropped the gloves with a Senator. Chris Neil tried to square off with him later in that Feb. 13 game, but the 5-foot-11, 205-pounder wanted no part of that. Surely, he won't fight Neil or Matt Kassian or Jared Cowen on Monday, either. But maybe he'd accept a challenge from the 6-foot-2, 212-lb. Smith? The thing is, as much as fans want retribution, the Senators need the two points more. They can't afford to take a penalty that would leave them at a man disadvantage against the league's

17 second-ranked power play, even if it's missing the injured Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal and Kris Letang, who's reportedly fighting an illness. The Senators, who sat in seventh after Saturday's games, are three points ahead of the ninthplace Winnipeg Jets. They have four games left, Winnipeg has three. But Ottawa's stretch run has some serious obstacles. The Penguins, who have won 21 of their past 23, are since Crosby suffered a broken jaw and without Malkin, who is now day-to-day with a shoulder injury. They showed their resolve with a 3-2 victory at an emotional TD Garden in Boston on Saturday that clinched them first place in the Eastern Conference. They're currently being led by trade deadline acquisitions Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow and Jussi Jokinen. Working in Ottawa's favour is the fact the Penguins have nothing left to gain during the regular season, although coach Dan Bylsma will be doing his best to fend the natural letdown. After Monday's battle, the Senators visit the desperate Capitals in Washington on Thursday, return home to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, and end their season in Boston, where they rarely ever win, on Sunday. The Jets are in Buffalo on Monday and Washington on Tuesday, before hosting the Montreal Canadiens in their season finale Thursday. Smith acknowledges it's important for the Senators to lock down a playoff spot as soon as possible. "It's a little easier on everyone's nerves," he said. "In some cases, if it's that close, guys might be playing tight. "I don't think we're at that stage. I'm not saying we're going to get there, but it's not by any means panic mode. We still know if we win games, we're making the playoffs. As far as we're concerned, we're going to play in the playoffs." The Senators had reeled off four W's in a row before losing to Toronto on Saturday -- as they seem to do every time they face the Leafs in a meaningful game. They remained encouraged with their play, however, as they outshot the Leafs and produced what coach Paul MacLean saw as another "consistent" performance. "If we come back and do that on Monday night, we can expect a better result," said MacLean, who's anxious to see what his charges can do against the Penguins. "I think every team in this league is pretty good, last time I checked. They're the first-place team right now, so another good challenge for our team. We like challenges." Resisting the urge to make Cooke pay for his past -- with 20,000 people in attendance urging them to do so -- will be one of them.

18 Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson only looking forward By Don Brennan Ottawa Sun Only during a conversation about Ottawa goaltending would a hiccup make so much noise. When Craig Anderson allowed four goals against the Leafs Saturday -- then admitted the bunch included some "soft ones" -- he drummed up memories of poor performances from Senators goalies past. Chances of the low-scoring Sens making the playoffs, then having any success when they get there, hinge on the type of stellar goaltending that has brought them this far. If the bubble bursts now, it could be disastrous. "A big part of the game was myself... I wasn't very good in the third," Anderson said after the 4-1 defeat in which he gave up two in the final 20 minutes. "Hopefully, I get all the soft ones out of the way right now." What should be remembered is the loss was Anderson's first in regulation on home ice this season. It was also the second time the Senators have allowed more than three goals in nine games this month, and just the sixth time all season, not counting shootouts. Only one team in the league has given up fewer goals this season than the 96 allowed by the Senators, and that's the Chicago Blackhawks, who have been scored on 94 times. Ottawa not only has a good shot at winning the William Jennings Trophy, but also setting a new NHL record for fewest goals allowed by a team in a season. It's owned by the 'Hawks, who gave up 115 during the 48-game, lockout-shortened, campaign. The record for fewest goals against in one full season is 131, shared by the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. Also, it should be remembered Anderson has a solid backup in Robin Lehner. Of all NHL goalies to play at least 10 games, Anderson and Lehner are 1-2 in save percentage at.944 and.936, respectively. Anderson still has the best goals against average (1.64) of all netminders to play at least 20 games. "We'll put this one behind us pretty quickly," Anderson said after Saturday's loss. "Before we leave here tonight, I'm sure guys will forget about it. "That's the nature of this business. You have to forget your performances pretty quickly. Move forward and keep looking forward. Because this game can snowball on you. "It's the same if you're playing well, it snowballs forward, If you're playing poorly, it snowballs the other way. It's really a mental battle with yourself to put poor performances behind you and move forward."

19 Road to Cup for Ottawa Sens would start on road By Don Brennan Ottawa Sun If the Senators still had any hope of earning home-ice advantage in the playoffs, it all but disappeared Saturday against the Leafs. With a chance to move into fifth place, the Senators dropped to seventh. To get to fourth and the right to start the playoffs at home now, they'd have to win their remaining four games and hope either Boston or Montreal completely falls apart down the stretch. They'd also need the Leafs to lose at least one of their remaining three games. So now, the Senators are looking at beginning the post-season on the road, where they are Saturday's loss dropped their record at Scotiabank Place to "You really can't focus too much on that," said goalie Craig Anderson. "Obviously, we've got a pretty good record at home, and on the road we're still working on that. All we can do is worry about one game at a time. Regardless of where it is, we can only focus on how we play."