Bobby Ryan lifts Senators past Penguins in OT in Game 1

Whew, this is going to be a blazing Eastern Conference championship series as the Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to make it back into the National Hockey League finals and defend the Stanley Cup. But the Senators did something the Capitals never could – open a lead in the series on the reigning champs, beating the Penguins 2-1 on Bobby Ryan’s goal in overtime.

As Ottawa heads into the Eastern Conference final against the Pittsburgh Penguins, it seems as though the Senators may have an Erik Karlsson problem.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are one step closer to defending their 2016 Stanley Cup win as they take on the Ottawa Senators in game one of the NHL’s Eastern Conference finals.

Goaltender Craig Anderson was solid for the Senators and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored a goal that appeared like it might be a victor until Pittsburgh superstar Evgeni Malkin scored late in the third period to force the Senators to work overtime. In the first round, Ryan scored two game-winning goals – including the Game 3 overtime victor in Boston – and assisted on Clarke MacArthur’s overtime series clincher.

“I think all Canadians will be rooting for the final Canadian team in the Stanley Cup playoffs”, Trudeau said during a news conference in Brampton, Ont. The Penguins have had the upperhand over the Senators overall and has simply dominated the past contests that have been played in Pittsburgh.

But Ottawa’s biggest concern heading into this series has to be how the blueline reacts against the deepest attack they’ve faced when Karlsson isn’t on the ice. The Pittsburgh Penguins are averaging 3.4 goals per game and are scoring on 23.1 percent of their power plays. The Penguins had a quick turnaround to begin a new series against a fresh team. “I think it’s so overworked by you guys and everybody else that it’s actually becoming a joke to the guys, which is probably good”, he said.

The Senators are well aware they’re not supposed to be here.

The regular season was a bundle of frustration for Ottawa winger Bobby Ryan.

That’s fine by the Senators.

“There’s a lot of things to like but it’s just one game”, Boucher said. They’re not simply happy to be here.

“A little turnover and an opportunity and we were able to capitalize”.

Then again, so do the Penguins.

Less than 72 hours later, they’ll begin the next step in becoming the first team in almost 20 years to repeat with the opener on Saturday night. I thought (Ducks goalie John) Gibson played a strong game tonight, but guys stuck with it. “But we don’t get the result”. It’s hardly slowed him down. The defenseman tallied a goal and three assists in 13 games, remaining even on the plus-minus. “The way he skates and the vision he has, it’s really impressive”. “We’re going to have to live with that and take full responsibility for that”.

Melody Stevenson was surely beaming with pride as her son raced around Olli Maatta and shovelled a backhand over Marc-Andre Fleury’s shoulder to become the first Ottawa Senator to ever score two overtime goals in one postseason. “We just need to get back to playing our game”. Anaheim and Nashville are meeting in the postseason for the third time, including the past two seasons. Methot insisted he won’t be looking for payback. “If we can do that we’re going to put ourselves in a good spot”. Meanwhile, her husband and his upstart team are drawing strength from her fight. “We’re a hockey club but we’re also a family”. Alzner’s return came when Trotz opted for a seventh defensemen over a 12th forward in Game 3 of the Penguins series. The two exchanged hat tricks in Game 2 and Washington did something very un-Capital-like by winning an elimination game on the road to force a Game 7.