The 2013 NHL regular season was cut down in length due to a labor dispute that took way too long to resolve but even though each team would play a 48-game schedule as opposed to the the normal 82-game slate this season, certain aspects of the game were expected to follow a path of consistency.
One of the most consistent franchises in all of sports, the Pittsburgh Penguins played like they were in late-season form right from the start of the shortened season, something to be expected given the overall level of talent on their roster.
Dominating offensive play led by Chris Kunitz and the always-dangerous Sidney Crosby coupled with shutdown defense propelled the Pens to a 36-win regular season and the No. 1 overall seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
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Matched up with the extremely talented New York Islanders in Round 1 of the playoffs however, Pittsburgh has looked somewhat sluggish, especially when it comes to their starting goal-keeper Marc-Andre Fleury.
While the series is tied 2-2, the 28-year-old Sorel, Canada native has struggled mightily during this postseason.
Posting a shutout in a 5-0 Game 1 victory over the Islanders, Fleury has since allowed 14 total goals in games 2 through 4 and it is being reported by ESPN that the Pens' regular starter will be benched for Game 5 and replaced by veteran Tomas Vokoun.
Expressing obvious frustration upon hearing the news he will not start Game 5 between the pipes, the net minder will now be forced to watch his Penguins begin a postseason game without Fleury in goal for the first time since 2001.
The move now creates an opportunity for the 36-year-old Vokoun to put his stamp on this series.
"We brought Tomas Vokoun in to play big games for us," Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma said to CBS Sports. Pittsburgh will certainly need Vokoun to play big as they hope to slow down an Islander offense that's racked up 14 goals in 3 games since being shutout in Game 1.
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Along with getting a much bigger contribution from their goalies, the Penguins need to play smarter hockey as a team and take care of the puck, something not lost on the mind of their star center.
"Part of it is us not making bad plays sometimes too," he said. "When they're coming that hard the play needs to be made and you've got to execute or else they're coming back the other way pretty quickly."
Crosby and the Penguins will certainly need to be more precise moving forward especially since their opponents are unquestionably capable of upsetting the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
"We're hoping that they are a little rattled and they are a little worried about us because we think that we have every opportunity to win this series," Islander defenseman Matt Carkner said to NHL.com reporters. "We're here to win this series."
Tied 2-2 heading into Game 5, this series is well within reach for New York.
The puck will drop in the fifth game of this best-of-seven Eastern Conference Playoff series on Thursday, May 9th at 7:00pm, EDT. Check local listings for television coverage.
Watch The Islanders Take Down The Penguins In Game 4, Evening The Series At 2-2:
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