Sens find themselves in unlikeliest of places

They have 2-1 series lead, but expect big pushback from Pens

What a difference a day makes.

The tide has turned and the momentum in the Eastern Conference final has taken a seismic shift in the direction of the Ottawa Senators.

Now it’s up to the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins to see if they can somehow wrestle it back before it’s too late.

As the Senators basked in the glow of their 5-1 victory over the frustrated Penguins on Wednesday at the Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa players know they’ve planted a seed of doubt in their opponent. They can make the task monumental if they push Pittsburgh to the brink of elimination with a Game 4 win at home Friday night.

Leading the conference final series by a 2-1 count, the Senators don’t care if anybody thinks they play a boring style. They don’t care if they’re not getting any respect from those who think they shouldn’t even be in this position. They’re not listening to the noise and are focused on the goal of finishing off the Penguins.

“We fly under the radar, that’s OK with us,” Senators winger Bobby Ryan said.

As Ryan notes, at this time of year, that’s not a bad thing.

“I think all season and then in the playoffs, we’ve been the unsuspecting team that finds a way to hang around,” Ryan added. “You can call it because of the style or the way we play or whatever it is, but we’re just a resilient group that wants to get it done in the third period most nights.”

Senators coach Guy Boucher isn’t worried his team isn’t being shown much respect. He has changed his tune now, but he did play the underdog card in the last series against the New York Rangers. This time, he has just talked about the fact that he has nothing but respect for the Penguins.

“I didn’t talk about being underdogs. I was asked. So I answer questions. I certainly didn’t come out and on my own state that,” Boucher said.

“The only thing that matters, really, is our players, what we’ve done. We’ve been in a bubble all year long in that respect, in terms of what we wanted to do, what we wanted to be, and what our identity should look like. We’ve grown steadily in that respect and we keep it this way. So everything else, to be honest with you, I don’t know. I’m not interested in it, either.”

There is a growing feeling in the hockey world that the Senators are for real and are a contender to win the Stanley Cup this spring.

“It’s something you kind of have to keep in the back of your mind,” the Senators’ Zack Smith said. “You don’t want to get too comfortable. (There are) a lot of positives when you score that many goals. You win at home in front of your home crowd, you have to check your emotions, too. So we’ll have to be aware of that (Friday).

“(We’re) expecting a big pushback from them. I don’t think that was their typical game they played (Wednesday). So we’ll be ready for a lot better game from them. They’re a proven team. They’ve been here. So they know a thing or two about composure as well.”