Goaltender Matt Murray helps Penguins even conference final

MURRAY PROVIDES SPARK AS PENGUINS TIE SERIES AGAINST SENATORS
Making his first start since April 6, Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Matt Murray made 24 saves in the Penguins' 3-2 win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Friday to help the Penguins even the Eastern Conference Final 2-2.
Game 5 is Sunday at Pittsburgh (3 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVA Sports).

* The Penguins improved to 12-2 in playoff games following a loss under coach Mike Sullivan, including a 5-1 record this postseason.
* Murray, who sustained an injury prior to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Columbus Blue Jackets, made his first playoff start since Game 6 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final. He went 15-6 (2.08 goals-against average, .923 save percentage, one shutout) in the postseason last year to guide the Penguins to their fourth Stanley Cup.

* Center Sidney Crosby, third in playoff scoring with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) is one assist shy of becoming the 22nd player in NHL history to collect 100 playoff assists (55-99-154 in 139 games).
* Forward Jake Guentzel's 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in 16 games are five shy of the NHL rookie record for a single playoff year, set by Minnesota North Stars forward Dino Ciccarelli in 1981 (14-7-21 in 19 games) and matched by Philadelphia Flyers forward Ville Leino in 2010 (7-14-21 in 19 games).
* When teams are tied 2-2 in a best-of-seven series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the winner of Game 5 holds an all-time series record of 198-54, including a 5-0 mark this postseason.
* Six of the eight games played in the conference finals have been decided by one goal, with another decided by two following an empty-net goal.

FRIDAY'S RESULT

Home team in Caps
Pittsburgh 3, OTTAWA 2 - series tied 2-2

STANLEY CUP FINAL TO BEGIN MONDAY, MAY 29

With the Eastern and Western Conference Finals each guaranteed to extend to at least six games,
the NHL announced the 2017 Stanley Cup Final schedule
:
Game 1 - Monday, May 29
Game 2 - Wednesday, May 31
Game 3- Saturday, June 3
Game 4 - Monday, June 5
Game 5 - Thursday, June 8
Game 6 - Sunday, June 11
Game 7 - Wednesday, June 14

LOOSE PUCKS

Penguins defensemen Olli Maatta scored his first career postseason goal (47 GP), and Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin recorded his third career goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (45 GP). … Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson leads all defensemen in playoff scoring with 15 points (two goals, 13 assists) in 16 games. … Penguins center Evgeni Malkin played his 140th career playoff game to tie Jaromir Jagr for the most in club history. … Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen will miss the rest of the playoffs after having emergency surgery for a thigh injury sustained in the Predators' 3-2 loss against the Anaheim Ducks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final on Thursday.

SNEAK PEEK AT SATURDAY'S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Nashville @ Anaheim, series tied 2-2, 7:15 p.m., NBC, CBC, TVA Sports