Pageau takes show to Broadway
Senators forward puts his huge Game 2 performance behind
So, what do Jean-Gabriel Pageau and the Ottawa Senators do for an encore? No better stage than Madison Square Garden to find out.
Pageau was getting lots of attention as he entered the Senators dressing room after practice Monday at MSG, and that’s no easy task on Broadway where a star is born every minute.
Preparing to face the New York Rangers on Tuesday in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal with the possibility of taking a commanding 3-0 series lead, the Ottawa centre, coming off an incredible four-goal performance in a 6-5 double-overtime victory Saturday at home, was trying to look ahead and not back.
While he had plenty of congratulatory texts Saturday after his fourth goal — the game-winner — Pageau hasn’t been able to return any messages because he dropped his phone on the weekend and it doesn’t work anymore.
He believes that’s not the worst thing that could have happened.
“Breaking my phone was good because I could turn the page pretty quick, not getting messages from friends,” Pageau said with smile. “I was more happy we won the game (because) scoring those goals and losing the game would have changed everything. Winning the game was why I was really happy.
“We know we have to (be) better in our game. We have (to be) better with the details in our transition game from offence to defence, and I think it’s easy to turn the page and focus on the next game where we want to be better.”
Sitting in control of the series as they arrived in Manhattan, the Senators have a chance to go up 3-0 for only the second time in team history. The last time the franchise completed the feat was the 2007 Eastern Conference final against the Buffalo Sabres, and Ottawa has never swept a series 4-0.
But the Senators understand they have to be way better than they were against the Rangers in Game 2. They were able to get six goals on 28 shots against New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist, but that’s not something you’re going to see every night, and the club did force Craig Anderson to make 43 stops on 48 shots.
“They played better than we did. We found a way to win the game, but I don’t think that was a game we’re very proud of or something we feel like we have to do to be successful,” said captain Erik Karlsson, who was given Monday off from the skate. “I feel like we snuck one away and it’s going to be a totally different game (Tuesday).
“They’re a veteran group, they’ve been in this position before and they know how to deal with all this adversity that’s been thrown at them and they’re going to have their best game coming out (Tuesday). We know that if we want to have a chance to play with them, we’re going to have to be a lot better than we were (Saturday).”
Senators head coach Guy Boucher is trying to keep his foot on the pedal to make sure his group doesn’t get overconfident.
“We expect their very, very best,” Boucher said. “First of all, they’ve got a thousand games of playoff experience, which is more than double what we’ve got. Over the span of the games that they’ve played, whether it’s this year or previous years in the playoffs, they’ve displayed experience, resilience and ability to bounce back.
“If you look at the Montreal series, I think they showed just that. When they looked like they were in trouble, they came up with a big game. We’re expecting exactly that. We’re expecting them to, just like Anaheim (in Edmonton) last night, come out and be really strong.
“If we’re like we were the last game, it won’t be good enough. If we’re like we were (in Game 1) it will be a tight fight. That’s our focus.”
For his part, Pageau is trying to look ahead, as much as the reporters around him Monday didn’t want to let him forget what he accomplished. He knows that by Tuesday’s puck drop his four-goal effort will be old news, and if the Rangers get the win in Game 3, the momentum swings in their direction.
Of course, after declaring Saturday he thought he’d eaten too much when he had two chicken parms before going out to score four goals, he was asked if he was going to have the same Tuesday.
“It’s a 7 p.m. game, so I might have more,” Pageau joked. “I’m a pretty routine guy for pre-game (meals) so I don’t think I’ll change anything.”
And he shouldn’t — but as a group, the Senators have to make changes to ensure a victory.