NHL Playoffs 2017: Game 5 TV Schedule and Odds for Senators vs. Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins came through with a gutsy effort in Game 4 of their NHL Eastern Conference Final against the Ottawa Senators, and their 3-2 victory at Canadian Tire Centre has given them home-ice advantage in the series once again.

The Penguins will be put to the test Sunday when they host the Sens in Game 5 of the series at 3 p.m. ET. NBC will broadcast the game.

In addition to coming through on the road in Game 4, the victory came after head coach Mike Sullivan benched Marc-Andre Fleury and replaced him with Matt Murray in goal. Fleury gave up four goals in the first period of Game 3, and Sullivan decided to go back to the goalie who backstopped the Penguins to the Stanley Cup last year.

Murray made a number of stellar saves in the victory, as he was able to anticipate where the Sens were going to attack. They were able to execute a number of cross-ice passes and follow with quick shots, but Murray was prepared.

When the Sens pulled goalie Craig Anderson in the final minutes, they let loose with a cannonade of shots, including two blasts from superstar Erik Karlsson. Murray made a brilliant stop on one of them, and the Pittsburgh defense blocked the other to preserve the victory.

In addition to the change in goaltenders, the Penguins got a big lift from captain Sidney Crosby. With injuries taking their toll on the Pittsburgh roster, they need Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the hard-shooting Phil Kessel to come through.

Game No., Date	Location, TV
Game 5, May 21	Pittsburgh, NBC
Game 6, May 23	Ottawa, NBCSN
Game 7, May 25 (if necessary)	Pittsburgh, NBCSN

Crosby earned high marks with a goal and an assist in Game 4, and his coach was impressed, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com: 

"He was on the puck. He was hard on the puck. He was making plays. He was defending hard. He was inspired. He was really inspired, and when he plays that way he's tough to handle and he inspires our group as well. He's played a lot of hockey, so for him to continue to play the inspirational game that he plays, I think, is indicative of how badly he wants to win."

The Sens are not going to fade away merely because they lost a home game. They won Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final on the road, and they have done well away from Ottawa throughout the playoffs. They were 3-0 against the Boston Bruins on the road in the first round, and they won Game 6 against the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden in the second round.

Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

With Karlsson leading the way, the Sens have shown they are capable of scoring key goals. The stellar defenseman has gotten support from Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Kyle Turris, Bobby Ryan and Mike Hoffman. 

The Penguins are minus-185 favorites at PPG Paints Arena, and the Sens are plus-166 underdogs, according to OddsShark. Those betting on the Pens would have to wager $185 to earn a profit of $100, while Sens backers would have to risk $100 to win $166.

This game appears to be much tighter than the oddmakers have figured. The Sens have been resilient, have a world-class leader in Karlsson and Anderson has been sharp in goal. The Pens have home ice, Crosby and the knowledge they have come through in crucial situations throughout the last two playoff seasons.