Sens have Bruins on the ropes

BRUCE GARRIOCH

POSTMEDIA NETWORK

BOSTON — The Ottawa Senators have the Boston Bruins right where they want them.

Frustrated, angry, disappointed, upset and inching closer to an early summer.

Now, as the Senators prepare to face the Bruins in Game 4 of this first-round playoff series Wednesday night at the TD Garden, Ottawa players are well aware they’ve got the opportunity to plant a huge seed of doubt in the Boston dressing room if the club can find a way to take a 3-1 series lead.

The Senators believe with the Bruins mad, they’ll try to get even before both teams head back to Ottawa for Game 5 Friday night at the Canadian Tire Centre. So, are you anticipating more hatred from Boston?

“I think so. The games have all been really close, they’ve all been battles so I think they’ll be similar in these playoffs. Things are really ramping now,” said defenceman Cody Ceci Tuesday at the club’s Boston hotel.

After taking a 2-1 advantage with a dramatic 4-3 OT victory on Bobby Ryan’s winner in Game 3 Monday night, the Senators were calm, cool and collected as they met with the media at their Boston hotel Tuesday and they understand the Bruins aren’t about to back down just because this series hasn’t the way they expected.

The bad blood between the two teams is starting to grow. There were scrums after the whistles with lots of pushing and shoving plus the odd punch being thrown.

“That’s what you expect in the playoffs,” said winger Alex Burrows. “The first few games the teams feel each other out but as the series goes on there’s a little more heat. We expected that. We’re focused on tomorrow’s game now.

“We’re happy with the last night but we have to be focused. We have to have a good start and that’s what we’re focusing on.”