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Senators shut down Crosby, Penguins

Apr 18, 2007 - 4:23 AM PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The Ottawa Senators are showing the Pittsburgh Penguins that it takes more than a scoring champion to win in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Defenseman Anton Volchenkov scored the deciding goal with 10:29 remaining in regulation as the Senators downed the Penguins, 2-1, in Game Four of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals matchup.

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, who scored an NHL-best 120 points during the regular season, was held without a point by the Senators, who have a commanding three-games-to-one lead and can close out the series Thursday night in Ottawa.

"It's big (leading three games to one)," said Ottawa's Jason Spezza, who scored his second goal of the playoffs in the win. "We've got a couple of chances now to close out the series and you don't want to give this team any life. They're going to come out, they're not going to lay down.

"They've got a lot of young guys who are trying to prove themselves over there and some older guys who don't have many chances left so we expect them to have a good effort."

Ray Emery made 23 saves to improve to 5-1 in road playoff games and played a pivotal role in holding the Penguins' power play scoreless for the second consecutive game.

"Our penalty kill has been real good," Spezza said. "Your best penalty killer is your goaltender and Ray was phenomenal tonight. They've been trying to get under his skin and he's really stayed calm."

The Penguins finished the game 0-for-5 on the man advantage and are 0-for-9 over the last two games.

"It's hard work (to kill penalties)," Ottawa coach Bryan Murray said. "(Chris) Kelly, (Antoine) Vermette, again, and our defense really did a good job. Those two guys in particular started every PK and I thought they did a heck of a job against the number one unit."

"When you get five (power-play) opportunities, if you get one, it makes a big difference in the game," Pittsburgh veteran right wing Mark Recchi said. "Power plays can win games for you. They get one fluky on their power play and it ends up being the difference, really."

Spezza's "fluky" power-play goal opening the scoring 3:35 into the game. The center was attempting a cross-ice pass on the play, but the puck deflected off the stick of Pittsburgh's Jordan Staal in the slot and sailed over the right shoulder of netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, who never saw it.

"I'm trying to go to (Dany Heatley) back door, it's a play that we work on, and it goes off Staal's stick and I kind of see it go in and I'm watching it the whole way and it's in super slo-mo in my mind because I can tell that it had a chance to go in," Spezza said. "It's a lucky play and those happen sometimes."

Pittsburgh tied the game at 8:08 of the second on Staal's third goal of the playoffs. Michel Ouellet's centering pass from behind the net was sent over the net by Staal, but Ouellet gathered the puck behind the net again and swept a pass into the goal crease. Gary Roberts' attempt was stuffed by Emery, but Staal was there for the rebound.

Volchenkov's game-winner came on a one-timer from the high slot after receiving a backhand pass from Mike Comrie, who had carried the puck out from behind the Pittsburgh net.

"In the regular season I don't score too much and to score a big goal in this game is nice," said Volchenkov, who scored one goal in 78 regular-season games.

Fleury made 24 saves for the Penguins, who despite the loss where pleased with their overall performance.

"It's tough (the loss). But I think we have to be proud of the way we played," Crosby said. "We can come in the room tonight and every guy can look at themselves in the mirror and look at the guy next to them and say they gave an honest effort and laid it out there.

"It's playoff hockey and you're not always going to come out with a win but we laid it out there. I think we showed ourselves, we showed them, that we're a tough team to play against when we want to. Going into Ottawa, if we bring that game, we'll have a chance."