Penguins Regain Their Mojo, Demolish Ottawa Senators

The heavily favored Pittsburgh Penguins had lost their mojo for most of the NHL Eastern Conference finals.

The normally explosive Penguins had been neutered offensively through the first four games but remarkably were tied going into Sunday’s swing game at PPG Paints Arena.

Suddenly the Penguins put it all together in the first period and pumped four goals into net past the stunned Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson.

It wasn’t all their shell-shocked netminder’s fault. The Penguins came out flying and Ottawa had more turnovers than a bakery during the first twenty minutes.

Things didn’t go much better for Anderson’s replacement – backup goalie Mike Condon who gave up another goal less than two minutes into the second stanza off yet another turnover.

Pittsburgh would go on to pad the numbers in this rout, likely out of a desire to crush the spirit of their opponent.

The Penguins added to the woe with yet another score less than a minute into the third. A power play goal by veteran Phil Kessel that made it 6-0.

The final was 7-0, the worst loss in Ottawa playoff history.

It’s going to be a tough rock to roll for the Senators to rebound from this debacle but the team has little time to figure it out.

The defending NHL champion Penguins can advance to the Stanley Cup finals if they can finish the job on Tuesday in Ottawa. Otherwise, game seven is on home ice.