NHL Bust

My Game 3 pick between The Sens and the Pens was:
Pens 2, Sens 1 in one OT.

The reality was the Pens lost 5 to 1, (ahem, cough, cough, bad pick) NHL.com:

Ottawa Senators scored four first-period goals in a 5-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3[.]
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Marc-Andre Fleury allowed four goals on nine shots and was replaced by Matt Murray, who made 19 saves in his 2017 Stanley Cup Playoff debut.
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[The Penguins' Sidney] Crosby scored on the power play at 6:07 of the third to make it 5-1.

"You can't expect to win games getting a start like that, especially in the playoffs," Crosby said.

Well...maybe The Pens don't have it in them. Yes, it would be difficult to win games that begin being down 4 points to ZERO,  but you do have TWO and a HALF PERIODS left...to do anything but remain scoreless. And making your only point in the game a goal in the third period...well, you can't expect to win games like that, especially in the playoffs.

Fleury had an off-night? Okay. Still...down by four not long after the puck is dropped? In the First Period? And your only goal in the Third Period with six minutes left on the clock? That's painful.

Game 4, tomorrow night, Pens playing in Ottawa. Pick to be made tomorrow.

Game 4 of the Western Conference playoff has Anaheim playing at Nashville tonight.

My pick yesterday was:  Ducks 2; Predators 1. While I'm not "changing" that, I'll say that Nashville is more likely to win. I have no horse in any of these races. I would like to see the Pens win in order to be the first two Cups-in-a-row repeat since the Detroit Red Wings back to back wins in 1997 and 1998. 

The Pen are struggling more than I, and I think anyone else, ever thought they could. We'll see.

Given all the above, if Nashville wins tonight, they likely move on and win their Conference (sorry, Ducks). Nashville is a dominating team, has been since Round One and show no let-up and no lasting vulnerabilities. Barring any long-lasting player injuries, Nashville is Cupward bound and this is reflected in their game. They are this year's Powerhouse. Then again, Ottawa is in the zone and I haven't really given them the credit I should. I didn't think they would beat the Rangers and totally underestimated the Senators. So much depends on the glide of that chunk of vulcanized rubber. And that...that, is hockey.