Fresh off conquering one of playoff hockey’s greatest challenges in winning a Game 7 on the road, the Penguins now face another brutal one: avoiding a letdown after an emotional win.
Describing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final as a trap game might sound like a bit of a reach, but that’s very much the case here, Penguins veteran Matt Cullen insisted.
For multiple reasons, too, given the unique and often maddening system the Ottawa Senators prefer to play.
“You put so much into each round,” Cullen said. “It’s natural to have a bit of a letdown. It’s something you have to guard against and prepare for.
“It really starts with being conscious of it. We had our day off [Thursday]. That was a nice break. We got to feel good about winning the series. But I think that’s one of the biggest challenges of the playoffs is turning the page.”
So, how can the Penguins transfer what they did Wednesday against the Washington Capitals — their best performance of the playoffs and featuring perhaps their best third period of the season — to Game 1 Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena?
Captain Sidney Crosby felt the Penguins were so effective in Game 7 against Washington because they attacked.
Some of that involved coach Mike Sullivan’s tweaks at practice the day before, exhorting his defensemen to be more aggressive and for the team as a whole to get back to playing more of a speed game. But the players were the ones who put it into practice.
“We were on our toes. We moved our feet,” Crosby said. “The situation is important, too; in a big game like that, you’re playing that way, you’re not sitting back. I thought that was something we were able to find in that game, another level of desperation that we were probably missing a couple games prior. We need to keep that.”
Skating blindly, however, won’t do the Penguins any good against Ottawa because of its 1-3-1 system, which has leveled the playing field.
The Senators (212-214) were the only NHL playoff team with a negative goal differential. Their Corsi For Percentage (CF%) of 48.6 was 15th. Ottawa loves to let opposing teams make mistakes. Then, the Senators pounce, usually with defenseman Erik Karlsson, who is among the best at his position.
To combat the Senators’ neutral-zone trap, the Penguins again will need to move the puck quickly out of their own zone, an aspect of their game that lacked for the better part of the Capitals series. It won’t be easy given how Senators coach Guy Boucher likes to play.
The 1-3-1 is different because it relies on one forechecker, not two. Success with it is predicated on staying above the puck, on staying structured. Instead of getting aggressive, the Senators are fine sitting back, figuring they’ll pressure you into making the wrong move eventually.
“They play it very well,” Sullivan said of Ottawa and the 1-3-1. “I think they’ve all bought into it, and that’s why they’re successful at it.
“Our challenge is to make sure that we manage the puck appropriately between the blue lines. We’re certainly a team that likes to play with the puck, so we’re going to have to recognize where the opportunities on the ice are, and we’re going to have to try and take advantage of it. Certainly, I believe it’s a strength of their team.”
The Penguins need not force plays. Patience will be the key. Passes between defensemen should be rare. High flips can help. Dump-ins should be a welcomed source of offense.
“It can test your patience at times,” Cullen said. “It’s going to be important that we stick with it. It’s not always going to be pretty. They do a good job of it. It makes it hard on you coming through the neutral zone. The positive is we can create offense from doing well in the corners or on the rush.”
Lessening the impact of Boucher’s system also can be done by getting an early lead — the Senators are not an elite offensive team — and making hay on the power play, where Ottawa was among the NHL’s worst during the regular season.
“I don’t think we need to focus too much on the fact that it’s going to be tough to generate a lot of offense in the neutral zone,” Cullen said. “We’re just going to have to be confident with our ability to generate offense other ways.”
The Penguins tripped in this scenario a season ago. After knocking off the Capitals — in overtime, another emotional outcome — they dropped Game 1 against Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference final.
That, too, involved a three-day turnaround, even though the 2016 Eastern Conference semifinals went six games compared to seven in 2017.
Sullivan gave the team off Thursday. Video and practice introduced the Senators Friday. By Saturday, the hope is that the Penguins are able to transport their focus, effort and execution from one series to the next, a challenge with any opponent, let alone one as unique as the Senators.
“You come off an emotional game, and you have to quickly turn the page,” Crosby said. “It’s not like you have three or four days to move on. It’s a pretty quick turnaround. I think that can help you if you use it the right way. The fact that you’re in those intense moments and that desperation level’s there. You want to carry that over.”
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.
First Published: May 13, 2017, 4:00 a.m.