Habs’ fourth line had a big night in Game 1

MONTREAL Sometimes a playoff surprise is really no surprise at all.

We’re referring to unsung heroes. Third- and fourth-line role players who rise up to score big goals in the rough-and-tumble playground of the post-season.

In Game 1 of the Senators-Canadiens series, Montreal’s fourth line of Torrey Mitchell, Brian Flynn (a Buffalo Sabres castoff) and Brandon Prust had a huge impact, scoring two goals, including the game winner by Flynn, who had a three-point night. Mitchell scored the Habs first goal, and was stoned by Andrew Hammond on a breakaway.

None of this came as a shock to Dave Cameron.

“The best team wins in the playoffs, which means the team that has the most guys going,” Cameron said, adding that third- and fourthline guys can be “key players” in the playoffs.

“If you go through the history of the NHL, AHL, junior, teams that win championships and playoff rounds get contributions from everybody,” Cameron said. “Am I surprised? No.”

The Senators’ own third line was one of their most effective units. Fans who have watched the J.G. Pageau-Erik Condra-Curtis Lazar line know this group can change the momentum and sometimes the outcome of the game.

On Wednesday, the line had nine shots and could have had one more, including the game-tying goal, if a Condra shot had not trickled through the goal crease wide of the net.

It will be interesting to see the makeup of the Senators fourth line on Friday, if Chris Neil is inserted into the lineup in the event first-line winger Mark Stone can’t go. With Stone absent, Neil was skating in line rushes with David Legwand and Mike Hoffman at Thursday’s practice.

HAMMOND SOAKS IT IN

Senators goaltender Andrew Hammond didn’t have his best night against Montreal, surrendering four second-period goals, but neither did he have much help as Ottawa forwards and defencemen got on the “wrong side of the puck,” as Cameron said, allowing chances.

A day later, Hammond was his usual calm self, telling reporters he enjoyed making his NHL playoff debut.

“Obviously, you have to experience it to really understand,” Hammond said.

“All of us have done that now. It’s fun to be able to play in front of a crowd like this. It just makes the game more meaningful.”

Hammond didn’t think the Canadiens had a particular strategy on him, although they beat him twice in close, once on a wraparound and one a delay move by Brian Flynn. Before he’d faced his first shot, Hammond was already hearing his name chanted derisively by fans at the Bell Centre. That didn’t bother him, either. “You’ve got to look at it in the right context, I guess,” Hammond said.

“It’s fun. I mean, you don’t necessarily dream about that when you’re thinking of playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but that adds to the moment, it adds to the experience.

“Obviously, we’re not happy with the result, but for me it was just a blast to be able to play (Wednesday) in front of that crowd.”