HUGE ROAD CHALLENGE
Sens face big task in New York
As the Senators gathered around the boards to start their first drill on Monday morning at Madison Square Garden, a bunch of kids started heckling the players.
“Let’s go Rangers. Let’s go Rangers,” they chanted from the stands.
“Kids, don’t chant or we’re going to get kicked out,” someone told the group.
If only it were that easy for the Senators to silence the Garden faithful.
Sitting one win away from the a trip to the East final for the first time in 10 years, holding a 3-2 lead in this Round 2 series against the New York Rangers, the Senators need to find a way to do it themselves Tuesday night on Broadway.
Trying desperately to avoid a Game 7 showdown at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday, the Senators will be trying to turn their fortunes around in New York after back-to-back 4-1 losses in Games 3-4 last Tuesday and Thursday.
The best bet for Ottawa is to get this series over with and get rested up for Round 3.
But they’re well aware that’s going to be a difficult task and, if it’s going to happen, then the Senators need a much better start than what the experienced in the last two games held here.
“Lots (has to change). Our desperation has to be better than Game 3, that’s for sure,” said winger Alex Burrows.
“We have to be smarter, make better reads without the puck. No matter what, we’ve just got to block everything. Whether it’s MSG or Canadian Tire Centre, it shouldn’t really matter.
“The play is the same, the game is the same, the same players on the other side and it shouldn’t matter that the fans are going to be cheering on the other side ... We’ve got to close everything in and focus on what we have to do to be successful. We have a clear game plan about how we can beat this team and we’re going to try to put it on display (on Tuesday).”
The Senators aren’t inside the Rangers dressing room, but most of the Ottawa players have sat in New York’s skates — facing elimination — at some point or another in their careers, and they know what to expect from the opponent.
“They’re going to be in desperation mode. They’re going to give it their all,” said Burrows.
“You think of how hard they came out in Game 3, and it’s probably going to be 10 times harder.
“At the same time, what they do is out of our control. It’s not something we can focus on. We’ve got to focus on how we have to play to be successful, what we have to do to approach this game and we know how.”
The Senators expect the Rangers are probably feeling confident because it’s not like they’ve been completely dominated by Ottawa. The Rangers have held a distinct advantage in the overall play and the Senators have only led for a total of 13:10 through five games.
“It’s do-or-die (for them). I know they’re confident, especially coming back home,” said winger Clarke MacArthur.
“It’s been a homer series and, for us, it will be just capitalizing on the mistakes. Hopefully, they have some nerves.
“When your back is right up against the wall, you can’t help but think they’re going to be a little jittery. They’re going to have that mindset to go and get us right out of the gates here. I’ve been in Game 7s and this is a Game 7 for them. Any little mistake or any one play could cost you the game and that’s always in the back of your mind.”
Coach Guy Boucher said the Senators won’t be caught off guard like they were in Game 4.
“The players know (what to expect). They saw it and I think we’ve developed a pushback like in the last game,” Boucher said.
“The last game (in Ottawa), when it was 2-0, the right things were said on the bench among the players, not from me. The leadership was great.
“The guys knew we had energy, we had legs, we had confidence, we were playing really well and we just made two mistakes and it was in the back of our net. We recognized it’s the same circumstances that we’re good at coming back from.”
An early goal, though, would silence the New York crowd and that brief chant at practice Monday was a reminder of what the Rangers mean to the people here.
“This place ... they’ve got some good backing here,” said MacArthur with a smile.
“You can’t even get an optional skate where we’re not getting chimed out there.”
If the Senators have their way, the Rangers and their faithful will exit the building quietly once this one is over.