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After playing keep away with the Ottawa Senators for four playoff games, the Pittsburgh Penguins are heading to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with unbridled confidence and scorching momentum.

The Penguins dominated each facet of all four games, out shooting the Senators 161-112 and outscoring them by a 16-5 margin. The only part of Senators game that caught fire was a car that was torched by a disgruntled fan after Game 3. Devoted hockey fans take their beatings seriously.

This was the season the Penguins were supposed to make the next step in their quest for the venerated Stanley Cup. After the lockout season of 2005-06, the baby Penguins finished with the worst record in The National Hockey League. Last year, they dramatically improved their record enough to make the playoffs before succumbing in five games to the Senators. This year's domination of the Senators proves the Penguins have graduated from diaper school and now are ready to play with the big boys.

Granted, the Senators were decimated by injuries. And they were coached by the always incompetent Bryan Murray. The Penguins have dealt with the skepticism all season; especially the Canadian and United States national media outlets which refuse to believe that this edition of the Penguins is tough and mature enough to withstand the grueling eight week playoff schedule.

The Penguins do have some holes. Their defense is anchored by aging veterans Sergei Gonchar and Daryl Sydor. Neither player strikes fear into an opposing team's forwards.
Entering their mid-thirties, both players have lost skating speed and have been vulnerable to an assortment of injuries. Their defensive counterparts are young and rely more on agility than toughness to protect net minder Marc-Andre Fleury.

Of the remaining teams still in the hunt, The New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers appear to give the Penguins the biggest match- up problems. While the Penguins convincingly won the season series against the Flyers, the playoffs are a different game that rewards hard hitting and tenacious checking. Philadelphia has both attributes. The Rangers and Flyers have the type of big, physical forwards that can give the Penguins fits.

Fortunately for the Penguins, they have three capable goaltenders to offset any defensive lapses. Throughout the season, Head Coach Michel Therrien has employed a goaltender rotation system, playing the net minder with the hot hand. Marc-Andre Fleury is currently the hot goaltender for the Penguins

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