The PIttsburgh Penguins were not expecting for their opening series against the Columbus Blue Jackets to be tied heading into Game 5, but the final minutes of Wednesday's game caused the series to shift. The Penguins lost in overtime after being seconds away from taking a lead in the series. Now they head home to battle for a win against the tough Columbus team.
The Penguins let several misfired pucks ruin their chances of taking a 3-1 lead against the Blues. In the end, Brandon Dubinsky shot in the goal to put the game into overtime and eventually allow Nick Foligno to get past Marc-Andre Fleury for the game winner. It is not the ideal way to end a game and now Pittsburgh must bounce back.
Prior to this series, Columbus did not have a playoff win to their name. Now they have two in one week, leaving Pittsburgh a bit shocked. They have not been winning in typical fashion, but a win is a win in the postseason and they are simply happy to be in contention.
Pittsburgh has been struggling. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have yet to record a playoff goal. The Penguins need their two star players to step up if they are going to get past a Blue Jackets team that has everyone contributing. Crosby was excellent in the regular season, putting up an NHL-leading 104 points on 36 goals and 68 assists. However, in the postseason he has just four assists. That will not cut it.
The Blue Jackets might be the underdogs, but they do not intend on playing like them. The team is not going to fold and has endured wild momentum shifts in order to do so. If they can simply hold on, things could shift in their favor.