The Pittsburgh Penguins can eliminate the Ottawa Senators at home tonight, Thursday April 22, and with a win they can rest the rest of the Eastern Conference Quarters. The Pens won Game 4, 7-4 as -128 road favs and lead the series 3-1. NHL oddsmakers at BODOG.com have the Penguins as -300 moneyline home favorites over the Senators (+245) with the over/under set at 5.5 goals . Be sure to get your 2010 NHL Playoffs: 2010 NHL Playoffs: Ottawa Senators vs Pittsburgh Penguins Game 5 Odds & Prediction in now at BODOG.com
The Sens won Game 1 and from then on it’s been all Pittsburgh winning three straight and outscoring them 13-7. The Sens gave up five goals in the second period after starting goalie Brian Elliott allowed four goals on 19 shots, but backup Pascal Leclaire didn’t fare any better allowing three goals on 23 shots. Coach Cory Clouston isn't saying who will start in goal on tonight, Elliott has been ordinary and Leclaire was no better. He didn't rule out the possibility of using third-stringer Mike Brodeur, who had a couple of big wins to start a midseason hot streak. Brodeur is 3-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a shutout, his last game was 1/16/2010. Ottawa center Matt Cullen, a late-season acquisition, has 2 goals and 6 points in four games, tops on the Senators. Pittsburgh forward Tyler Kennedy, who left early in Game 3 after a hit by Andy Sutton, has a lower body injury and is day-to-day. Perhaps the only thing that can slow down the Penguins is history. The Pens are 2-4 in the last six games in which they have the opportunity to eliminate an opponent in a non-Game 7 situation . That includes a 3-0 loss to Philadelphia in the first round last year.
The Pens got off to a slow start and people in Pittsburgh started to worry and panic if they could go the distance. Well that was last week and now they look like Cup contenders. The Pens' job is simple they must keep their eye on the prize. A win tonight means they will get some time off if they can complete a five-game blitz of the struggling Senators, who have shown no signs of being able to slow down the defending champions. But, they can’t take a 3-1 lead for granted. "Playoff series are all about getting four wins and trying to get there as quickly as you possibly can," Bylsma said. "They are playing very hard. They are coming at us physically, and it has been demanding that way. We are going to expect more of that. We still think that we can play better. There are areas of our game that we are talking about where we can get better, and we want to make sure that we are doing that." No one in the playoffs is hotter than Crosby, whose 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) are the most of anyone through the first week of the playoffs. But Evgeni Malkin has also been producing, scoring 4 goals in as many games. Defenseman Sergei Gonchar has 6 assists.
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Favorite is 23-8 in the last 31 meetings.
- Over is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.
- Senators are 15-6 in the last 21 meetings in Pittsburgh.
- Road team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
- Senators are 1-5 in their last 6 overall.
- Senators are 1-5 in their last 6 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Senators are 1-7 in their last 8 Conference Quarterfinals games.
- Senators are 1-10 in their last 11 playoff games as an underdog.
Ottawa Senators vs Pittsburgh Penguins
When: Thursday April 22, 2010 7:00 PM ET
Line: BODOG.com
Pick: Pens -300
Point-Spreads.com 2010 NHL Playoffs: Ottawa Senators vs Pittsburgh Penguins Game 5 Odds & Predictions
The Bottom Line: The Pens are going to play their best tonight and rest after the win. Be sure to get your 2010 NHL Playoffs: Ottawa Senators vs Pittsburgh Penguins Game 5 Odds & Predictions in now at BODOG.com and receive up to 10% in Cash Bonuses and start winning today!
