Playoff Series Analysis: Pittsburgh vs Ottawa

VS

SEASON SERIES:
Ottawa wins 3-0-1

Statistical keys to the series (Courtesy of TSN.ca):

- Pittsburgh ranked fourth in the league on the power play, with a 20.4% success rate. Ottawa ranked 12th at 18.3%.

- Pittsburgh ranked 23rd in the league in penalty killing, with an 81.0% success rate. Ottawa ranked 22nd at 81.0%.

- Ottawa ranked first in the league with 3.15 goals per game.

- Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin ranked fourth in the league with 47 goals.

- Ottawa's Dany Heatley ranked third in the league with a plus-33 rating.

- Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin tied for fourth in the league with 17 power play goals.

- Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson tied for the league lead with seven shorthanded goals.

- Brooks Orpik (239), Ryan Malone (138) and Jarkko Ruutu (134) are the Penguins' leading hitters.

- Mike Fisher (234), Chris Neil (204) and Christoph Schubert (187) are the Senators' leading hitters.

- Sidney Crosby is the Penguins' top face-off man -- 51.4%.

- Antoine Vermette is the Senators' top face-off man -- 56.7%.

- Ryan Malone led the Penguins with six points in four games against the Senators this year.

- Jason Spezza led the Senators with eight points in four games against the Penguins this year.

- Pittsburgh's leaders in power play ice time (per game):
Sergei Gonchar 5:38
Ryan Whitney 5:14
Sidney Crosby 5:12
Evgeni Malkin 5:01
Marian Hossa 4:33
Petr Sykora 3:53
* - Hossa's numbers include stats with Atlanta.
- Ottawa's leaders in power play ice time (per game):
Dany Heatley 4:27
Jason Spezza 4:20
Daniel Alfredsson 4:18
Cory Stillman 4:07
Wade Redden 3:48
Mike Fisher 2:53
* - Stillman's numbers include stats with Carolina.

- Pittsburgh's leaders in penalty killing ice time (per game):
Hall Gill 4:27
Mark Eaton 4:12
Sergei Gonchar 3:52
Jordan Staal 3:27
Adam Hall 3:15
Rob Scuderi 3:14
* - Gill's numbers include stats with Toronto.

- Ottawa's leaders in penalty killing ice time (per game):
Chris Phillips 4:32
Anton Volchenkov 4:16
Chris Kelly 3:47
Antoine Vermette 3:39
Mike Commodore 3:00
Mike Fisher 2:53
- Commodore's numbers include stats with Carolina.

This one seems like a foregone conclusion, but it was only one year ago that Ottawa was in the Stanley Cup final -- and favored to win, even. But a year later, they were lucky to even make the playoffs. After one of the best starts in NHL history, the Senators completely fell apart. Amidst the Ray Emery controversy, the Sens plummeted, posting a sub .500 winning percentage since Christmas. On top of the lack of confidence in their play, the Sens are missing captain Daniel Alfredsson, and gritty forward Mike Fisher.

On the other hand, the Penguins are firing from all cylinders, just barely missing out on first place in the Eastern Conference after dropping a game to the Flyers on Sunday afternoon. Some have speculated that they may have thrown the game so that they could face Ottawa in round one. Well, they certainly got their wish. With Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Hossa, and a plethora of others in their lineup, they more than match up with Ottawa's top line, which is missing perhaps its most important member.

Ottawa will give it their best shot, but there's just no way they can handle the surging Penguins.

X-FACTOR'S PREDICTION: Pittsburgh in 4.