Moms play big role in Sens’ motivations during playoff run
PITTSBURGH — For the Ottawa Senators, the seventh player of this magical playoff ride may be Mom.
Mother’s Day brought with it mixed feelings for some Senators as they took time for rest and relaxation after a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday night at the PPG Paints Arena to take a 1-0 lead in the East final.
Only hours after scoring the winning goal at 4:59 of OT — his second game-clincher in these playoffs — Bobby Ryan woke up and texted his wife Danielle to wish her a happy Mother’s Day for the first time but, unfortunately, this was the first time the Ottawa winger wasn’t able to text his mother Melody Stevenson, who passed away last summer.
“It’s almost poetic,” Ryan told reporters at the club’s downtown hotel. “It’s my first without being able to text my mom but I woke up this morning and I was able to text my wife because it was her (first Mother’s Day). You take the good with the bad on a day like today.”
Not far away in the hotel lobby, goaltender Craig Anderson was sitting on a couch playing with his kids Levi and Jake while waiting to meet with the media. They came to town with their mother Nicholle from the couple’s home in Coral Springs, Fla., where she’s been undergoing chemotherapy for a rare form of the throat cancer, to take in the game and spend time as a family.
Anderson, who made 27 stops in the club’s victory, was thrilled to have his family in the stands. He last saw Nicholle when the Senators scored a 3-2 overtime win over the Boston Bruins on Apr. 23rd at the TD Garden and having the family in the stands meant a lot to 35-year-old Anderson.
“It was exciting. I think they bring definitely an X-factor to the game for me,” said Anderson. “It’s an exciting time. I haven’t seen the kids in a while. They haven’t seen me play in a while since I was on TV. They always see it on TV. To be there live was great for them and just exciting.”
This hasn’t been an easy season for the Anderson family.
Nicholle was diagnosed with cancer in late- October and Anderson left the team after a game in Pittsburgh on Dec. 4th to be with her and the kids for two months while she underwent treatment at a New York-based hospital. He returned in late-January, has been with the team since and he has been excellent through these playoffs.
“Mother’s Day is always special,” said Anderson.
Given everything he’s gone through did this day have a little more meaning?
“I think it’s probably one of the first Mother’s Days I’ve been playing, that’s for sure,” Anderson said. “We’ll take a little time today and reflect on it and spend some time with that and move on.”
The key for Anderson’s success has been his ability to focus on the ice. Perhaps, the rink is a bit of escape for him from what’s happening in his world. When the puck is dropped, he’s able to spend those 60 minutes only concentrating on making sure the Senators have a chance to win.
His teammates have marvelled at what he’s been able to do.
“It’s hard to describe, isn’t it? With everything that’s been thrown on him and his family this year, it’s remarkable, I guess,” said Ryan. “I don’t know what word left to use to describe it. He’s playing like a man possessed right now, and he’s giving us a chance every night, and he’s stealing them for us.
“He’s winning us games. He’s been our MVP. You look at what Karl does as well, but Andy is the guy back there doing it.”
Coach Guy Boucher has seen that as well.
“Any human being that gets time to have his mind go somewhere else, where it’s tough, of course, it’s helpful,” said Boucher. “Every individual is different. And, so some people are able to shut things down and be focused on something for a certain moment, and for other individuals it’s tougher.
“In his case, what we’ve seen throughout the year is his ability to focus is unbelievable. I mean, to be able to go from one reality to another and perform, that’s very tough to do. It’s not just his character. We talk about his character, but it’s more than that. It’s the ability to focus and refocus. When you’re a goaltender at this level, that’s usually your biggest asset. He’s displayed it now, not just in terms of hockey, but in terms of his personal life too.”
For his part, Anderson is just trying to enjoy this ride for as long as it lasts.
“I think it’s widely recognized as a pretty big day for most,” said Anderson. “We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for our mothers, and I know my kids wouldn’t be the same without their mother. It’s definitely a special day for everybody.”
Yes, and this is starting to look like it could be a special spring for the Senators.
COLOGNE, Germany — The United States defeated Slovakia 6-1 Sunday to stretch its winning run at the ice hockey world championship to five games ahead of its Group A showdown with Russia.
Johnny Gaudreau finished with two goals to take his tournament tally to six, and an assist, while Jimmy Howard made 19 saves on his fourth start for the Americans, whose confidence seems to be growing.
Still, U.S. head coach Jeff Blashill saw room for improvement before the next game against Russia on Tuesday.
“One thing we have to clean up is puck management and turning pucks over,” Blashill said.
Kevin Hayes and Brady Skjei played their first game on joining the side following the New York Rangers’ elimination from the NHL playoffs.
Skjei had an assist while Hayes picked up two and Blashill praised both for their performances.
Clayton Keller, the youngest player at the tournament, opened the scoring, assisted by Anders Lee and Skjei. It was the 18-year-old Keller’s fifth goal of the