SENATORS CHASE MOMENTUM
Will their big win tilt Game 4?
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.
And 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 Wednesday at Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa players know they’ve planted a seed of doubt in their opponents. They can make the task monumental if they can push Pittsburgh to the brink of elimination in Game 4 Friday at home.
Leading the conference final by a 2-1 count, the Senators don’t care if anybody thinks they play a boring style or 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,” said Senators winger Bobby Ryan.
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,” added Ryan. “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 that 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 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,” said Boucher.
“I’m aware that a lot of people were taking the Rangers, even with Boston (in the first round). But to be honest with you, I don’t know what is said out there. I’ve been focusing on our team and I have no clue. I think there’s 7.5 billion people on the planet, so there’s 7.5 billion opinions on everything. So I’m certainly not going to sit here and try to decipher which opinions I agree with and which I don’t.
“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.”
Since we haven’t checked the population of the world lately, we can’t argue with Boucher on his numbers, but there is a growing feeling in the hockey world that the Senators are for real and a contender to win the Stanley Cup.
“It’s something you kind of have to keep in the back of your mind,” said the Senators’ Zack Smith. “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).
“(They’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.”
The Senators are only two wins away from their first trip to the final in 10 years. After dropping a 1-0 decision to the Penguins in Game 2 in Pittsburgh, many thought the Senators were headed for a downfall, especially when they failed to even record a shot for a stretch of nearly 19 minutes between the second and third periods.
Ottawa has shown all season it’s a resilient team. The Senators haven’t backed down to anyone and they’re not about to start now. They felt it was important to show they could push the pace of the game and make life difficult for the Penguins.
“I don’t want to say last game was a statement or anything,” said Ryan. “We had a good start and they had a poor one. You certainly take that for what it’s worth and you move on because Game 4 is not going to be that. It’s not going to happen again.
“They’re a veteran team. They’re a team that’s been through it. They’ll recognize that and they’re going to have a push. So we’ll be ready.”