For about 30 or so minutes, the Senators played the inspired, desperate hockey that they had to do.  They had the better of the play in the first period, but had the misfortune of being unable to show anything for it.  They got the game's first goal about 2 minutes into the second, but then about 2 minutes later allowed Pittsburgh to tie it on a nicely executed break-out.  But even by then, the Penguins had at least matched the Senators intensity, and were slowly taking control of the game.

The Senators were simply stunned to start the third.  They didn't have a chance to get a big hit, get their legs under them, or even catch their breath.  Sidney Crosby's dazzling goal off of a face off win totally sapped the Senators of will.  Jordan Staal's goal about a minute later sapped them of strength.  The Senators tried to get back into it, but you could tell that their intensity was gone.  The crowd's intensity was gone.  They were sliding.  After the fourth Penguin goal, the Senators simply looked like they gave up.  They tried - they skated - but there wasn't any heart, any passion, any intensity.  They were done.  They were living on adrenaline in the first period, and when that wore off, they realized that there legs were tired and heavy.  No one on that team has the sheer force of will to overcome a 3-game deficit.  The Senators are done.

For a 4-1 game, there's really not a lot to talk about.  The Penguins absorbed Ottawa's frenetic first period, but by the end of the period had settled into the game and was able to match the intensity.  The teams traded goals in the second, and Pittsburgh's game-tying goal was a thing of beauty.  All five players touched the puck, and all four passes were tape-to-tape beauties.  It was perfectly designed to slide Ottawa's defense.  From the far wall, a cross-rink to the other defenseman.  He passed it to a near-to-far wall sliding Pascal DePuis.  DePuis brought the Senators center-iceman with him, so he went back cross-ice to the near wall to a waiting Marian Hossa.  Hossa took the puck and carried it over the blue line, bringing the Ottawa defenseman up to him, allowing Talbot to charge in towards the net.  With a nifty pass and equally nifty backhand, Talbot's shot slid between Gerber's pads and into the net for the game equalizer.  No group of five on the Senators can do that exact break-out right now, but the Pens can and did.  That pressure that the Penguins bring forces Ottawa to be more careful, to play back a little.  They have to, because the Pens have shown that they leap on mistakes like a lion on a crippled gazelle.  It's quick and ferocious.  And in five-on-five play, the Pens do their thing - instead of matching what Ottawa's doing, the Pens simply play their game and force Ottawa to defend against it.  That's called momentum, and the Pens simply have it.  The Senators don't.

Crosby's goal was equally nifty, and all him.  He won the face off, pushing the puck into a dead zone on the ice, and playing it with the push forward both with the puck and his body, racing into that dead zone to corral the puck.  Then, a couple of hard stride forwards to put himself equal to the Ottawa defense, then a quick slide out to get a better angle.  I'm sure Gerber wasn't ready for a short-side, high shot, but that's exactly what Crosby did.  For Gerber, it was probably the one place that he was willing to give Crosby, figuring the odds wouldn't allow Crosby to put it in there.  That's the trouble with goaltenders facing all-world players like Crosby - they can do things that others simply can't.  You give Ryan Malone that exact play 100 times, and he scores once, maybe twice.  You give it to Hossa, and I'd bet a sniper like him scores between 20-25 times.  You do that with Malkin, Crosby or Ovechkin, and you get a 50-50 chance.  Anyway, an intensity play later by Staal simply sealed the win.

Pittsburgh cannot afford to look ahead.  But as a fan, I can!  I'm allowed.  Montreal, up 2 games to 1, figures to take care of Boston in 5 or 6.  The Rangers, up 2 games to 1, figures to take tonight's game in the Garden and then the series in six.  The Flyers/Capitals series is a 1-1 toss-up, but so far Philly's gotten the better of the play in both games, and now they get to return home where they're very, very good.  The Caps were in danger of falling apart in the playoffs because they had to run so long, so hard just to get in, and are meeting a physical, nasty team with solid top-to-bottom scoring.  The Flyers get good production from all lines; the Caps get their best production only from the top.  So it's hard to believe that the Caps will overcome, especially facing Philly at home.  If that all works out, you'll see a matchup that I'm frankly dreading - the Habs take on Philly, while my Pens take on the Rangers.  Frankly, the Rangers are a frightening team - I don't want to play them at all.  But I guess we'll just have to see - I will become a tremendous Caps fan assuming the Pens, Habs and Rangers all win their series.