WATCH FREE NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS! Columbus Blue Jackets vs.Pittsburgh Penguins LIVE Streaming Online from Consol Energy Center Saturday at 7:00 PM ET
Columbus began the series still searching for its first playoff win. Now the Blue Jackets have two in a week against a team considered a Stanley Cup contender. And they've done it in a most peculiar way, coming from two goals down in Games 2 and 4 to get Pittsburgh's full attention.
It's not exactly the plotline most expected. Then again, little seems to be going according to plan in a series that has Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin still searching for their first goals of the postseason.
"There's been surprises," Columbus coach Todd Richards said. "The way the series has gone, each team has had leads and found ways to lose a game, or the other team has found a way to win."
For Richards, a "textbook" win for the Blue Jackets would be of the 2-1, 3-2 variety. Instead both sides have endured wild momentum swings. Twice the Penguins have had a chance to take a two-game lead in the series. Both times they have faltered. Twice the Blue Jackets have put Pittsburgh in an early hole only to come up short.
The one thing the Blue Jackets haven't done, however, is fold. The belief that had existed only in pockets of the Columbus locker room has started to grow.
It's a process Richards believes began when the team acquired defenseman Jack Johnson from Los Angeles in 2012. During a team meeting after the season, Richards asked each player what they wanted from the following year.
When Johnson stood up, he didn't talk about simply making the Blue Jackets respectable.
"His response was 'I want to win the Stanley Cup. That's my goal," Richards said. "It was him that said 'I want to win the Stanley Cup.' Not make the playoffs or come in second. That was one real positive thing as far as the attitude and the expectation."
One that has rubbed off on his teammates. While the Blue Jackets still have plenty of work to do just to get out of the opening round, they understand they are already in uncharted territory. The longer they stick around, the higher the pressure mounts on the Penguins.
Only Crosby has remained healthy all year. Yet the magic he provided while leading the NHL with 104 points on 36 goals and 68 assists hasn't appeared yet in the postseason. He has four assists but hasn't scored in his last nine playoff games. The Penguins are just 3-6 in those contests.
Crosby isn't quite ready to panic, but he knows he needs to be more of a difference maker.
"I think to a certain point you want to create more," he said. "I wouldn't say more frustrating. We'll find a way to be better and score."
Time is running out.
The playoff game will be live streaming online at www.vipboxus.co/sports/ice-hockey.html
