Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson has been spectacular this season, but finally cracked against the Penguins in Game 4. (Jana Chytilova/Getty Images)
By�Allan Muir
The Ottawa Senators finally proved they knew how to take a lead. They just didn't know how to�hold�the lead.
That might sound like an old Seinfeld bit, but no one in Ottawa was laughing.
After goals from Milan Michalek and Kyle Turris staked the Sens to a 2-1 edge after an entertaining first period, the Pittsburgh Penguins roared back with six unanswered goals on the way to a 7-3 win and a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Here are some observations from the pivotal Game 4:
'� This one proved what many believed heading into this series: The Penguins are too deep and too experienced for the young Senators. Pittsburgh's top six forwards toyed with Ottawa's defense. James Neal and Jarome Iginla broke out of slumps to score two goals each, with singles coming from Sidney Crosby, Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis. Kris Letang, who made critical coverage errors on Ottawa's first two goals, rebounded with four assists. This series seems destined to end after Game 5 Friday night in Pittsburgh.
GAME 4:�Recap�|�Boxscore�|�Highlights�|�Complete postseason schedule
'� If hockey doesn't work out for him, Evgeni Malkin might have a future in clairvoyance. The big center said prior to Game 4 that Neal was due for a breakthrough. In just over 15 minutes, the big winger landed nine shots, created multiple high-end chances and guaranteed himself an appearance in Craig Anderson's nightmares with a consistently dangerous performance. Neal tied it up midway through the first, collecting a puck off an Iginla faceoff win and sliding to his left before launching a laser that beat Anderson high on the glove sode. Early on a third-period power play, he found some space to the right of Anderson, collected a 'wide' attempt by Crosby off the back boards and put it into the open side with a crisp one-timer.
Neal's always been a streaky scorer. With a date in the conference finals around the corner, this is a pretty convenient time for him to find his touch.
'� Anybody but Crosby shoots that puck off the boards from 15 feet out and I'm wondering how he could have missed the net from that distance. But Sid? Watch the replay and tell me it doesn't look like he intentionally tried to bank it off the wall to Neal.
'� That was the kind of magic Crosby was working all night. He was a man on a mission, dominating in the faceoff circle (after being embarrassed by Turris in Game 3), creating chances out of nothing and scoring one of the most brilliant goals of the playoffs. On a nifty individual effort, he dropped Chris Phillips to his knees with a nasty toe drag before baffling Anderson with a backhand to the top corner. Just a dynamic performance from the game's best player.
'� Loved Daniel Alfredsson's effort these last two contests. The tying goal in the last minute of Game 3. The sweet stretch pass to set up Michalek's breakaway goal in this one. Even the deft deflection of Erik Karlsson's point blast for the meaningless third goal when the game was long out of reach. This was a never-say-die performance from the captain'�
'�Which makes what happened after the game so odd. When asked if the Sens would be able to overcome the 3-1 series deficit, he responded 'Probably not,' according to NHL.com correspondent Erin Nicks. 'They have too much depth'�[and] we don't have much going for us right now.' He later added that 'We're going to go out and play one hell of a game,' in Game 5, but you have to wonder how his comments will go over in the room.
Not that anyone in there is kidding himself. The Pens have proven their superiority. But it's still the first team to four that wins the series, not three. And no one wants to hear the captain is running up the white flag.
Alfredsson has been so brilliant for so long for this team '� the goal was his 100th career playoff point '� but this bout of brutal honesty would make for a lousy epitaph if this ends up being his last home game.
'� There weren't many Senators who draped themselves in glory tonight. After a solid first game back, Jason Spezza looked like a guy who'd spent the last four months on IR. Karlsson, clearly not 100 percent either, was a step behind all night. Sergei Gonchar was every bit as bad as his minus-4 suggests and was in the box when Neal scored the backbreaking fourth goal. And Michalek may have been going 20 m.p.h. on his breakaway goal (or 33 km/h, according to�Hockey Night In Canada), but he looked like he was stuck in neutral as he dawdled behind Iginla on the pivotal third marker.
And then there was Anderson. Ottawa's all-world goaltender was brilliant in the opening minutes, stoning Malkin, Crosby and Iginla while sending a message to his teammates that he was ready to steal another one like he had in Game 3.
But even he eventually sagged under the weight of Pittsburgh's relentless attack, and midway through the second, after allowing a pair of goals just 40 seconds apart, the signs of his physical and mental exhaustion became apparent in his awkward positioning and careless rebound control. No need for an autopsy on Ottawa's season when this thing comes to an end. The cause of death is apparent to anyone who watched: overreliance on their star goaltender.
'� While the veterans crumbled, the play of some of the team's youngsters offered hope moving forward. Jean-Gabriel Pageau came a well-rung post away from tying the game in the second, and brought his usual energy to the attack. Jakob Silfverberg led the Sens with five shots and somehow finished a plus-1 on the night. And Mark Stone, making his season debut, showed drive and creativity that hinted at a regular role next season, possibly alongside Spezza.
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNG0DaeRmca7BVzm-k4PdHG44XR87g&url=http://nhl.si.com/2013/05/23/nhl-playoffs-penguins-notch-7-3-romp-over-senators-take-3-1-series-lead/
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