SENATORS, PENGUINS VIE FOR SAME SPOT
Ottawa • Andrew Hammond’s calmness in the face of the ultimate pressure can be more than a little disarming.
The task of facing two-time Hart Trophy winner Sidney Crosby, one-time Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday in a one-game showdown which will essentially decide whether the Senators season is alive or dead?
All in a day’s work, according to the Ottawa Senators goaltender, who on Monday received yet another honour as the NHL’s first star of the week for his 3-0-1 record, 1.63 goals against average and .940 save percentage. Last week, Hammond was named NHL player of the month for March. “It’s just another challenge,” says Hammond, whose NHL record is now 17-1-2.
“It’s a team that’s in a similar position to us. They’re fighting to stay in the playoffs. For us, we’re fighting to get there. They’re a team we’re trying to pass. It’s not too much of a unique challenge, other than the fact they have two of the best players in the world.”
Monday was another day of physical rest for the Senators, following the heartbreak of Sunday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Mentally, though, there’s no escaping what Tuesday’s game is all about. The Senators are two points behind the Penguins, Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins in the battle for the final three playoff spots. All four teams have three games left. Due to the fact the Senators would lose all tiebreaking situations, they need to finish with more points than at least one of the other three.
It’s as simple as this: The Senators need to win out and hope for help. Somewhere. Anywhere.
“We’re keeping our heads high here,” said Marc Methot, whose near miss in overtime Sunday launched a Twitter storm of conspiracy theories on Monday. “We would like to think we’re still going to give ourselves a real good opportunity next game. Certainly, against Pittsburgh, we know what’s at stake and the magnitude of that game. Again, it’s a must-win from here on out. They all are. Ultimately, the next game is the most important of our season and we have to play it that way.”
In many respects, it is more of the same for the Senators. They’ve gone 18-3-3 since Hammond’s first start on Feb. 18. “This isn’t something we’re not used to,” Methot said. “We’ve been playing, I don’t want to say playoff hockey, but extreme pressure games for the last few weeks at least, and again, we know how to manage it.”
The Penguins, meanwhile, are facing a different type of pressure. Before The Hamburglar craze began, the Penguins were 15 points clear of the Senators. On New Year’s Day, they traded their 2015 first-round draft pick to the Edmonton Oilers for David Perron, a move to bolster their chances of winning the Stanley Cup. Missing the playoffs wasn’t even a remote possibility. Yet the Penguins flew into Ottawa Monday in a 3-8-2 tailspin.
If the Penguins win in regulation Tuesday, they’re in the playoffs. But if they lose, the temperature will rise considerably in Pittsburgh.