Your eyes are not deceiving you.

The Penguins ARE playing better defense as the Stanley Cup playoffs progress.

Part of it is that they are no longer tasked with facing a flurry from fast and skilled forwards, as they were against the New York Islanders in Round 1.

Part of it, though, is simply playing better.

And a change in goaltenders – at least, the way Tomas Vokoun is playing goal since replacing Marc-Andre Fleury.

“It’s really us trusting (Vokoun),” defenseman Brooks Orpik said. “He plays a really challenging style. He stops that long shot and makes sure they don’t get a second opportunity.

“It’s about (defensemen) anticipating the play. As soon as the puck gets to the point, get on your guy and box him out. That limits his opportunity to get to the net.”

The Penguins mostly denied Ottawa forwards such as Chris Neil and Colin Greening the slot area in Round 2.

Against Boston in Round 3, Penguins’ defensemen must trust their instincts no matter who is on the ice, Orpik said.

Mark Eaton said that not changing what has worked just because the Bruins prefer to score the so-called dirty goals will be crucial.

“Our focus is just trying to prevent guys from getting to the net in the first place,” Eaton said. “With the rules (limiting obstruction), there’s not much you can do when a guy gets there. It’s more just trying to get in their way.

“If they do have position, just make sure you get to the puck first.”

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Rob Rossi covers the Penguins and NHL for Trib Total Media and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He is ClearChannel’s Penguins Insider. Follow him on Twitter: @RobRossi_Trib.

OTTAWA — Sidney Crosby has not scored a third-period playoff goal since 2010.

That is a stretch of 22 games heading into Game 4 of Round 2 at Ottawa on Wednesday night.

This is one of those statistics that might not mean anything.

Crosby has 15 goals in 27 playoff games dating to 2010, including six this postseason.

The notion that third-period scoring signals a player’s clutch gene is ridiculous, too. Given the overwhelming evidence backing the first-goal advantage, it can be argue that a first-period score is more clutch than any.

Also, Crosby has scored a few big late goals in his life.

Still, a though on this topic cannot be ignored.

Crosby has often talked of liking to play a “hard 20 minutes,” and rarely does his workload go beyond 22 minutes in a regular-season game.

The playoffs mean more minutes for hockey’s best player, but those minutes might not benefit Crosby or the Penguins.

The eye test from Game 4 showed that Crosby appeared strong at the start of the first and second overtimes, but could not maintain that dominant look as time ticked.

Of course, he did miss a month of the regular season with a broken jaw that prevented him from properly maintaining mass and conditioning levels.

Also, he plays in all situations for the Penguins.

He is so great that there are only nitpicks when evaluations of his play.

So, the latest nitpick is this third-period scoring statistical trend.

It is likely nothing.

But there may be a reason for it.

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And keep coming back here for your best Penguins inside scoop.

Rob Rossi covers the Penguins and NHL for Trib Total Media and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He is ClearChannel’s Penguins Insider. Follow him on Twitter: @RobRossi_Trib.

OTTAWA — Luck is a big part of any Stanley Cup run.

The Penguins have luck on their side in Round 2, especially between Games 3 and 4 against Ottawa.

Seriously, another two-day break? And now?

The Penguins could not have it any better.

They just lost a double-overtime game, one in which they gave up a late shorthanded goal in the third period, one in which their late-30s goalie played all of the nearly 100 minutes.

So, on this Monday, they get to hole up in their hotel, rest, refuel, and refocus – and then they get to practice on Tuesday.

Those are the breaks.

The Senators would rather play Tuesday. Know that. They would like to take this alleged momentum and turn it around quick, maybe even this series in which they are clearly overmatched.

The NHL schedule-maker has not provided them with that opportunity.

So now they, too, wait.

They don’t want to wait, though.

The big thing here for the Penguins is that goalie Tomas Vokoun can catch a breather. Had he to play a Game 4 on Tuesday night – well, wouldn’t that have been interesting? A possibly fatigued goalie maybe not sharp in a pivotal contest, with a Stanley Cup winner (Marc-Andre Fleury) waiting to get his job back.

Vokoun will be recovered for the Game 4 that is on Wednesday night. Maybe the Fleury thing becomes an issue if the Penguins lose, but it seems a safer bet that Vokoun plays well. Certainly, the two days off will benefit him.

The two days off should benefit the Penguins. In fact, it may become the biggest difference maker in this series.

Always check here for Tribune-Review Penguins coverage: http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/

And keep coming back here for your best Penguins inside scoop.

Rob Rossi covers the Penguins and NHL for Trib Total Media and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He is ClearChannel’s Penguins Insider. Follow him on Twitter: @RobRossi_Trib.