PREMIUM
Rogers' Game 5 *SPECIAL* ($25!) >> 4-0 Wednesday! 9-1 Last 2 Days!
(NHL) Columbus vs. Pittsburgh,
Money Line: -190.00 Pittsburgh (Home)
Result: Win
Money Line: -190.00 Pittsburgh (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: The Columbus Blue Jackets have produced a franchise-best season in 2016-17 and surely don't want to see it come to an end here in Pittsburgh, tonight. Columbus avoided a four-game sweep at the hands of the defending champs with a 5-4 home win in Game 5, after losing a 3-1 lead in Game 3, before losing 5-4 (OT) in Game 3. The Penguins hope to polish off the Blue Jackets in Game 5 Thursday at PPG Paints Arena and they could make it easier on themselves if they could play better in the first period. The Blue Jackets have enjoyed the better start in every game, for the first part of or all of the first period.
Columbus: The Blue Jackets built a 16-3 shot advantage in the first period of Game 1 but it ended scoreless. Columbus led in shots 12-7 after one period in Game 2, although Sidney Crosby was able to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead. Then in Game 3, Columbus stormed to a 3-1 lead after one period only to lose 5-4 in OT. Finally in Game 4, the Blue Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead and hung on for a 5-4 win. "We have nothing to lose," Cam Atkinson told the Columbus Dispatch on the heels of Tuesday's victory. "We're still down. We're still crawling back into this. But it's huge for us to get momentum. A lot of guys contributed, so feel good about this, get ready to work and we'll head to Pitt. Just play our game and we'll have success."
Pittsburgh: The Penguins have 16 goals in the series' four games. Rookie Jake Guentzel continued his successful run by scoring on Wednesday to increase his point total to six (five goals, one assist) in the last three games while his goal total is the most in the first four career postseason contests since Montreal's Maurice "Rocket" Richard in 1944. His six points are tied with Phil Kessel but trail Evgeni Malkin, who notched two assists to record his third multi-point game of the series and push his point total to an NHL-best eight (two goals, six assists).
The pick: Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan is thrilled to be up 3-1 and is pleased with how his team has finished games. However, he would love a fast start in Game 5. "It's about being ready from the drop of the puck. It's a mindset. It's not a wait-and-see approach," Sullivan said following Wednesday's practice. "We've got to be ready to dictate the terms from the very first puck drop." With its two wins in Games 1 and 2, Pittsburgh is 33-6-4 at home this season, while averaging a whopping 3.79 goals. Make Pittsburgh an 8* play as the Pens send the Blue Jackets back to Columbus a loser.
Columbus: The Blue Jackets built a 16-3 shot advantage in the first period of Game 1 but it ended scoreless. Columbus led in shots 12-7 after one period in Game 2, although Sidney Crosby was able to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead. Then in Game 3, Columbus stormed to a 3-1 lead after one period only to lose 5-4 in OT. Finally in Game 4, the Blue Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead and hung on for a 5-4 win. "We have nothing to lose," Cam Atkinson told the Columbus Dispatch on the heels of Tuesday's victory. "We're still down. We're still crawling back into this. But it's huge for us to get momentum. A lot of guys contributed, so feel good about this, get ready to work and we'll head to Pitt. Just play our game and we'll have success."
Pittsburgh: The Penguins have 16 goals in the series' four games. Rookie Jake Guentzel continued his successful run by scoring on Wednesday to increase his point total to six (five goals, one assist) in the last three games while his goal total is the most in the first four career postseason contests since Montreal's Maurice "Rocket" Richard in 1944. His six points are tied with Phil Kessel but trail Evgeni Malkin, who notched two assists to record his third multi-point game of the series and push his point total to an NHL-best eight (two goals, six assists).
The pick: Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan is thrilled to be up 3-1 and is pleased with how his team has finished games. However, he would love a fast start in Game 5. "It's about being ready from the drop of the puck. It's a mindset. It's not a wait-and-see approach," Sullivan said following Wednesday's practice. "We've got to be ready to dictate the terms from the very first puck drop." With its two wins in Games 1 and 2, Pittsburgh is 33-6-4 at home this season, while averaging a whopping 3.79 goals. Make Pittsburgh an 8* play as the Pens send the Blue Jackets back to Columbus a loser.
