The Senators and Rangers are all tied up and battling for control while the Capitals are fighting for their lives in Washington.
We’ve got a full day of hockey coming up, and plenty on the line.
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Here’s what you need to know ahead of two pivotal Game 5s.
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Game 5 | 3 p.m. ET, CBC & Sportsnet | Series tied 2-2
Can Ottawa regain control?
To put it simply, nothing went right for the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. Game 4 of their series against the New York Rangers saw goalie Craig Anderson pulled, captain Erik Karlsson leave with an injury, and a forward core that just couldn’t score.
“We didn’t play well enough [in New York] — I think that is very evident in the way that we’ve come out of here, but it’s also 2-2, we’re going home to our building, best two out of three,” Dion Phaneuf told reporters on Friday. “If you would’ve told us that at the start of this series, we’d take it. And now we’re here.”
With the exception of Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s offensive outburst in Game 2, the Senators have struggled to score. Bobby Ryan, who leads the team in points (8) this post-season, has just one assist this series while Derick Brassard, a veteran force in Round 1, has yet to register a single point versus his old team.
It’s a best-of-three series now as we shift back to Ottawa, where the Senators won Games 1 and 2.
As for Karlsson, Guy Boucher said after Game 4 that the captain could have hit the ice for the third period, but was held back as a precaution. Boucher said Karlsson will be in the lineup for Game 5.
A tale of two tenders
Anderson didn’t find much success in New York, letting in a combined seven goals on 50 shots over five periods before being pulled for the final frame of Game 4.
Over on the other end of the ice, however, it’s been a whole different story.
Henrik Lundqvist came up big for the Rangers in Round 1 and after a few speed bumps to start Round 2 (Game 2 didn’t go so well), he looks like he’s found his groove.
King Henrik has looked particularly poised on home ice, letting in just one goal in each game at MSG.
We’ll find out soon if he can take that success on the road.
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Game 5 | 7:15 p.m. ET, CBC & Sportsnet | Penguins lead series 3-1
Crosby watch
Pittsburgh Penguins fans got some good news on Friday as captain Sidney Crosby practised with the team just four days after being diagnosed with a concussion.
Crosby was a full participant in practice, complete with line rushes and power-play work, and he looked good:
“It was good to get out there,” he told reporters after the skate. “It was good to be out there with the guys. I feel good. Right now I’m just following what I’m told to do.”
Crosby was injured during Monday’s Game 3 after being cross-checked in the head by Matt Niskanen. He missed Game 4, which the Penguins won.
He’s officially listed as day-to-day by the team, which means Crosby Watch is in full force as we look ahead go Game 5.
Conor Sheary, who also suffered a concussion in Game 3, was back at practice Friday and is a game-time decision for Game 5.
Now, let’s shift over to another practice, and another star…
Ovechkin line change
Down 3-1 and sitting on the brink of elimination, the Washington Capitals will have to do anything and everything if they want to push this series to Game 6.
And if that means moving their best player to the third line, so be it.
All eyes were on Alex Ovechkin at Capitals practice as he sported a white sweater — the colour worn by bottom-six forwards. Rather than skating with his usual linemates, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie, No. 8 skated alongside Lars Eller and Tom Wilson. Andre Burakovsky was shifted up to Ovechkin’s spot.
Ovechkin was critical of his Game 4 performance.
“I didn’t play my game tonight. Me personally, I have to play much better,” Ovechkin said Wednesday. “I didn’t control the puck well. I make stupid decisions. Unfortunately, it happened.”
Washington’s captain has one goal and three assists so far this series, and a total of seven points through 10 post-season games this year.
The aim with this line change, explained Ovechkin, isn’t so much a message-sending demotion as it is an unexplored option to spread out the offence.
“I don’t think we had success as a [line] in that game, so I hope [the line change] is going to work,” Ovechkin said. “I hope it’s going to work well and we’re going to produce and we’re going to score and we’re going to win.”
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