Nothing about what's happened thus far in the Eastern Conference Finals has given me a reason to believe Pittsburgh can compete with Boston. The Penguins can't get the puck past Tuukka Rask, nor can they generate odd-man rushes on a regular basis. Add in Pittsburgh's defensive deficiencies, and you have a recipe for a disaster.
Game 2 highlights
There is still time for Pittsburgh to get back in this series, but it will have to do so on Boston's ice where the Bruins own a 5-2 record this postseason. For their part, the Penguins are 3-2 on the road in the playoffs. The key for Pittsburgh is getting back to the fast, free-wheeling style of hockey that brought it to the conference finals. If Boston continues to bottle up Sidney Crosby (one point in two games) and the rest of the Penguins offense, there won't be a return trip to Pittsburgh for Game 5.
What puzzles me is how a team that includes such playmakers as Crosby, Jarome Iginla and Evgeni Malkin can only muster one goal on 56 shots through 120 minutes of game time. The simple explanation is the Bruins are playing their best hockey right now, and the Penguins can't match Boston's effort. Somehow, I think it goes deeper than that. I don't think Pittsburgh is constructed well enough to deal with a team that plays smart at both ends of the ice. The Penguins are too loose with the puck, and they are trying too hard to be physical as indicated by the advantage in hits they hold in the series (71-38). That's not going to get the job done.
The next two games are set for Wednesday and Friday. But if the Penguins play like they did in Games 1 and 2, there won't be a need for a Game 5 in Pittsburgh.
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