Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
No doubt: Senators hot
PITTSBURGH — The Senators heard the naysayers. The chorus has grown so loud over the last month, tuning it out simply wasn’t an option no matter how many one-goal victories they pulled off in the playoffs.
“A lot of people were doubting us and almost made us start doubting ourselves,” defenseman Cody Ceci said.
If there was any concern the Senators were just happy to be in the Eastern Conference finals, it vanished by the time Bobby Ryan slipped a backhander by Marc-Andre Fleury 4 minutes, 59 seconds into overtime Saturday night for a 2-1 victory over the Penguins in Game 1.
The team that spent most of the season trying to figure out roles in first-year coach Guy Boucher’s throwback 1-3-1 neutral-zone trap and the goalie who spent half the season away from the ice helping his wife undergo cancer treatment are more than just a feel-good story.
The proof came in 65 minutes against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Even with do-everything defenseman Erik Karlsson having an off night (by his impeccable standards), the Senators never trailed thanks to heads-up play by Ryan and 27 saves by Craig Anderson.
Anderson then got to spend Mother’s Day with wife Nicholle and their two children after doctors cleared Nicholle to travel while awaiting the next step in her battle against throat cancer.
While Anderson is content to speak softly and let his play do the talking, the guys in front of him are well aware of what his family is going through, circumstances that make his performance all the more remarkable.
“He’s playing like a man possessed right now,” Ryan said. “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.”