Eastern Conference Semi-Final Preview: Pens/Sens

Via: Washingtonpost.com

The first round of the NHL playoffs finished last night and there's no rest for the wicked as the second round starts up tonight. Let's take a look at the each of the match-ups, starting with 1 vs 7 in the East.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 7. Ottawa Senators
Season Series: 3-0-0 Penguins
It's going to be hard to avoid the biggest storyline heading into the season, so I'll get it out of the way first. In February, Penguins forward Matt Cooke sliced the achillies tendon of reigning Norris trophy winning defenseman Erik Karlsson. The incident only added to the rivalry between these two clubs who are meeting in the playoffs for the fourth time in eight years. Both teams surprised in the first round of the 2013 NHL playoffs, but perhaps for opposite reasons. The Penguins were a heavy favorite going into their series against the New York Islanders. Despite ultimately overpowering the Isles and winning in six games, Pittsburgh showed that they were susceptible to periods of inconsistency, especially on defense and in goal, and will have to bring a better effort against a Senators squad that was excellent in the first round. That Pittsburgh finished the first round with the highest goals per game average is no surprise, that Ottawa finished second to them certainly is. The Sens were outstanding, averaging four goals per game against the Montreal Canadiens. But unlike the Islanders, Ottawa is an excellent defensive team as well and the Penguins won't find the back of the net with such ease.

Key Players: 
Pittsburgh - Evgeni Malkin (11points)
Pittsburgh - Sidney Crosby (9 points)
Pittsburgh - Jarome Iginla (9 points)
Ottawa - Daniel Alfredsson (6 points, +5)
Ottawa - Erik Karlsson (6 points, +5)
Ottawa - Craig Anderson (1.80 gaa, .950 save percentage)

Prediction: 4-3 Penguins
The Senators obviously have the edge in net, and showed more offensive depth in the first round than the Penguins did. If they can shut down the Pens big guns, they have a good chance to steal more than a few games. However I think that the Penguins offense will be simply too overwhelming over a seven game series and that will make the difference. There's two wildcards to consider in all this however. The first must be the goaltending of the Penguins, as either Marc-Andre Fleury or Tomas Vokoun must be on top of their game. The second is Sentaors center Jason Spezza, who may make his return from injury at some point during the series. Either of these factors could tip the scale in Ottawa's favour.