Senators look to create more traffic around Lundqvist TFC downplays MLS Cup rematch but shows it still has a long memory
DENIS P. GORMAN
THE CANADIAN PRESS NEW YORK — Wreak havoc. That was Dion Phaneuf’s solution for the Ottawa Senators’ sputtering offence heading into Game 5 of their playoff series with the New York Rangers.
“We do have to do a better job of creating some more around their net,” the defenceman said Friday before the team headed home to Ottawa for Saturday afternoon’s game.
After winning Games 1 and 2 at home, the Senators dropped the next two at Madison Square Garden, where they were outscored 8-2. With the exception of Jean- Gabriel Pageau, who has five of Ottawa’s 10 goals in the series, the Senators have struggled to beat star goalie Henrik Lundqvist.
Through the first four games, Lundqvist has a .921 save percentage and has stopped 117 of 127 shots. The veteran Swede has yielded just 21 goals on 333 shots through 10 playoff games this season.
“Their goalie has been playing very well,” Phaneuf said. “As he has all year. As he has for his whole career. The biggest thing with him — like other top goalies — you have to get traffic on him. We seem to have been getting chances but we haven’t been getting second chances. That’s when we’re effective around the net is when we get second chances or screened shots (or) tips.”
And it’s not just the forwards who need to step up, Phaneuf said.
“Us as (defencemen) have to do a better job of getting pucks through,” he said. “We’re getting too many pucks blocked. Give them credit, they block a lot of shots. They do a good job of blocking shots. But we have to find a way to get more pucks on him and get some traffic and some rebound goals. Because we’re capable of scoring and we have to do a better job of it.”
Senators coach Guy Boucher pointed to New York’s defensive structure as a reason for the Senators’ lack of offence in Game 4.
“I find they played well defensively,” Boucher said. “They had numbers back the whole night. They respected our speed. They took away our 2-on-1s and breakaways. And so we have to manufacture more offence out of no space. And that’s what the playoffs are: A no-space game.”
By comparison, New York has eight skaters who have scored in the series. Fourth-line centre Oscar Lindberg leads the Rangers with three goals, all coming in the last two games. He is followed by Brady Skjei, Chris Kreider and Michael Grabner, who have scored twice, while Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan, Mats Zuccarello and Nick Holden each have a goal.
“We have to have four lines that can play,” Alain Vigneault said after Game 4. “If you expect to win you’re going to need contributions from your whole team.”
The status of Senators captain Erik Karlsson is a concern after he sat out the third period of Thursday’s 4-1 loss. The all-star defenceman, who is playing with two hairline fractures in his left heel, fell awkwardly late in the second period.
NEIL DAVIDSON
Toronto FC fans may have the date circled on their calendars but the team itself is playing down the revenge factor in Saturday’s MLS Cup final rematch in Seattle.
It was just five months ago that the Sounders defeated Toronto in a penalty shootout at BMO Field after a 0-0 championship game that saw Seattle fail to register a shot on target during regulation or extra time.
“You can’t ever make up for a final in a regular-season game. There’s no way of doing that,” said Toronto coach Greg Vanney.
He offers the company line that Saturday’s game is just another chance to pick up three points. Dig a little deeper and the emotion still seems raw, however.
While politely crediting the Sounders for the Cup win, he acknowledged calling Seattle champion is “a hard thing to say, but it’s a reality. It’s motivation too.”
And he said once his team is ready to take the field Saturday, “there’ll be a little bit of a hunger that you want to try to get one back over this team.”
Defender Eriq Zavaleta also said all the right things, while making it clear that Toronto has not forgotten Dec. 10.
“We obviously still have a bit of a sour taste in our mouths with how the year ended. But we also understand that beating them in Seattle is not going to change anything,” he said. “It’s not going to give us a better taste in our mouths and say, ‘Yeah, we deserved to win on that day last year.’ Because at the end of the day we know that chapter has ended and we’re on to a new one.”
“It’s more of a yearlong revenge tour, if you will, than it is just a one-game thing,” he added.
Both Cup finalists suffered through slow starts to the season.
Seattle lost its opener and collected just six of 18 available points from its first six games. TFC earned seven points over the same stretch.
Toronto (4-1-4) has since found its stride and won three straight to rise to third place in the Eastern Conference. Seattle (2-2-4) has lost just once in seven outings and stands seventh in the West.
May is a hectic month for TFC, with eight matches. Given Toronto played Wednesday — a 2-1 win over Orlando City — and the club had a long flight to a game on the artificial turf of CenturyLink Field, Vanney said he will “mix it up a little bit” when it comes to his roster.
If so, Victor Vasquez could be a prime candidate to have the weekend off. The Spanish playmaker, who leads the league with six assists, has a history of knee problems and artificial turf is not his friend.