PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Here is the simple narrative of the Eastern Conference finals, from the Pittsburgh Penguins' perspective: If Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin do not score, the Penguins are cooked.
See? We said it was simple.
The problem is the theory behind this particular narrative is neither simple nor necessarily accurate.
However, it's easy to see why people might believe it to be true. Crosby and Malkin are two of the most talented hockey players in the world. Crosby has gone eight games without a goal, and Malkin is currently in a six-game drought.