The Ottawa Senators will look to even their series with the Pittsburgh Penguins Friday when the two sides meet in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Senators were trampled 4-1 in Game 1. The team allowed the Penguins to score twice on the powerplay and get a goal shorthanded.
"Every game that we play in the playoffs is a great opportunity for our team to continue to grow, and [Tuesday] wasn't any different," Senators coach Paul MacLean said. "A first-round playoff game with the physicality in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it's important they went through that.
He added, "But in the second round, everything's a little different, everything goes up miles per hour, everything gets a little bit quicker, everything gets a little bit harder. If you don't continue to raise your level of play, you end up not getting the opportunity to continue to play."
MacLean recently announced that he would insert Guillaume Latendresse into the Game 2 lineup in hopes of helping his team establish a more physical presence.
"Competition level and physicality are two important elements in the playoffs," MacLean said. "We need to dress our most competitive, physical lineup every night. That's what the expectation is for all our players, and if we don't see that we try to replace that."
"I'm pretty excited, that's for sure, and very happy to have a chance to play again and be part of the team," Latendresse said about getting his first chance in the playoffs since Game 2 against Montreal.
The Penguins looked much better in Game 1 than they did in their first round bout with the New York Islanders. However, the team still feels that it can grow.
"We are way more near where we need to be [in Game 1]," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "We got the puck deep, got on the forecheck, and we were able to get in the offensive zone because of that...Tonight was a much better indication of where we need to play 5-on-5."
Prediction: Ottawa Wins 2-1.
Start Time: 7:30 PM EST
TV: NBCSN, CBC, RDS
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