NHL teams
Craig Custance, ESPN Senior Writer 7y

Penguins send message with dominant Game 5 win over Senators

NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins

PITTSBURGH -- The reigning champion Penguins are now one win away from advancing to their second consecutive Stanley Cup finals. With the way they beat the Ottawa Senators so convincingly, 7-0, in Game 5 on Sunday, new evidence was provided that this banged-up group might have more than enough left in the reserves to pull off a title repeat.

This was the Penguins' most impressive win since the first round, when the attrition of the postseason hadn't yet kicked in.

How it happened: This is what the Penguins look like when they get balanced scoring: absolutely dominant. For the second consecutive game, defenseman Olli Maatta opened the scoring for the Penguins, doubling his regular-season goal output in two playoff games. The Penguins piled on from there, with a commanding first period that chased Senators goalie Craig Anderson on his birthday. When Matt Cullen scored in the second period, it meant that a player from each of the Penguins' four lines, along with a defenseman, had a goal.

Karlsson leaves early: As if the blowout loss wasn't enough, Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson appeared to injure his ankle when his skate got tangled with Scott Wilson's skate in the second period. He left the game and didn't return. Needless to say, if this injury removes him for any length of time, it's a brutal blow for a team that relies heavily on captain Karlsson, who has solidified his standing as the best defenseman in the game during this postseason. Factor in an injury to Cody Ceci and the Senators' defense could be in trouble heading into Game 6, with the Penguins up 3-2.

Brassard banged up too: Late in the second period, Senators center Derick Brassard turned in to Penguins forward Chris Kunitz, and the collision to Brassard's head sent him to the ice. Brassard immediately went down and stayed down for several seconds. He slowly returned to the bench, where he was hunched over while being evaluated. Eventually, Brassard left the bench and went down the tunnel for treatment. It wasn't a dirty or vicious hit from Kunitz, but it got enough of Brassard to do damage.

What's next: The Senators' season is on the line when they return home for Game 6, which is at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday in Ottawa.

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