Ottawa Picks Itself Up After Game Four

Ottawa Senators @ Pittsburgh Penguins – Friday (Pittsburgh leads 3-1)

It was the kind of beating that Ottawa had been fearing, but also looking forward to, for the entire series. The 7-3 thumping that Ottawa took at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins in game four made the sports betting experts stop and wonder if Ottawa had what it took to win this series. The Senators knew that a beating like this was coming and Ottawa had done everything it could to try and stop it. But once the Penguins got rolling, there was no stopping them. Now that the beating has ended, the Senators get to pick themselves up and go after the Pens in game five.

For the Pittsburgh Penguins, the sportsbook experts could tell right away that the Pens had found a way to open up more ice in game four. The first three games of the series saw the Penguins scratching and clawing for every inch of ice and every goal they scored. On Wednesday, it looked like a dam gave way and the Penguins came crashing on through. Now it is up to the Ottawa Senators to shut down the ice again and put the Penguins back in scratching and clawing mode.

Why the Senators Will Win

It is hard to explain, but the online betting experts and the Senators knew that game four was going to play out like it did. The Senators would have preferred if it didn’t happen on their home ice, but it was better to get that out of the way now rather than have it linger for game six or seven. The Senators are not going to change anything with the way they approach game five. The only difference fans will see between game four and game five is more of a sense of urgency from Ottawa to keep Pittsburgh from in front of the Ottawa net.

Why the Penguins Will Win

Now that the Penguins have their legs back under them, it is hard to imagine Pittsburgh backing off in game five. But it is very easy to imagine the Penguins getting too confident and over-committing inside the Ottawa zone. The Penguins is a veteran team with a lot of very smart players. Now that Pittsburgh has the ultimate confidence in its goaltending, the Penguins can get back to the job of trying to win the Stanley Cup championship that has been so elusive for the past few years.

The Bottom Line

The Ottawa Senators have one more win left in them for this series, and that win will come in game five. The unfortunate thing is that game six may wind up being another Pittsburgh rout. But, for now, the Senators will be very happy to come out of Pittsburgh with a win and an extended series. This will be a very physical and grinding game for both teams and that is just the way that the Senators like it.

Pick: Ottawa Senators