Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - Pittsburgh vs. NY Rangers

The well-rested Pittsburgh Penguins hope a lengthy layoff between series won't keep them from playing the way they did in the opening round of the postseason.

The Penguins swept Ottawa, the defending Eastern Conference champions, in four games of the conference quarterfinals. Pittsburgh outscored the Senators 16-5 in the dominating performance, and hasn't played since notching the Game 4 victory on April 16.

Pittsburgh dominated the Senators with a potent offensive attack that is led by a trio of superstar forwards in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marian Hossa.

Crosby, Pittsburgh's 20-year-old captain, was the NHL's leading scorer a year ago with 120 points, and was also named the league's MVP by winning both the Hart Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award.

This year Crosby missed 29 games with a high ankle sprain, but the Penguins still won the Atlantic Division crown and finished second in the East. That is not meant to demonstrate that Pittsburgh is somehow better without Crosby, but rather how much the Penguins continue to grow as a complete team.

The 20-year-old Crosby was still very productive this year when his ailing ankle didn't keep him from playing, as the phenom managed 72 points (24 goals, 48 assists) in 53 games.

Crosby appeared to be 100-percent in the Ottawa series, as he led all players in the set with eight points (2 goals, 6 assists).

Continued at My Sportsbook...