from Frank Seravalli of TSN,

If the demise of the defending Stanley Cup champions has been greatly exaggerated, the Ottawa Senators have themselves to blame.

They let them off the mat on Friday night, making this Eastern Conference final a toss-up.

Just when it seemed the Pittsburgh Penguins might have been running out of gas, playing their 204th game since the start of last season, they guaranteed Friday night there will at least be a 206th.

“You can’t expect to come in here and play an average game and go up 3-1 in the series against Pittsburgh. It’s just not going to happen,” Clarke MacArthur said. “We had to have our best game and we fell short of that.”

Instead, the Senators poked a sleeping giant in Pittsburgh’s two-headed monster.

continued

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