President's 2 Cents

2008-09 Regular Season, Game #25

2008-12-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

SENATORS GAME RESULT: Florida 4, Ottawa 3 (OT).
Ottawa scorers: Kelly, Heatley, Spezza.
Florida scorers: Boynton, Repik, Bouwmeester, Weiss.
3 Stars: Bouwmeester (Fla), Alfredsson (Ott), Weiss (Fla).
Honourable mention: Volchenkov (Ott).
Power play: Florida 1-5, Ottawa 0-3.
Shots on goal: Florida 40, Ottawa 38.
Attendance: 17,497 (19,153 capacity).

PRESIDENT'S 2 CENTS: After three penalties that the Panthers got away with, combined with the save of the year from Craig Anderson on a Mike Fisher one-timer, it turned out to be failing a Hockey 101 lesson that did in the Sens, who should have won with multiple OT chances: the lesson of eating the puck when overtime or the end of a period is looming. Filip Kuba, intending to find Dany Heatley with a fancy blind drop pass, failed that lesson. Alex Auld, of course, unfortunately let in a very stoppable Stephen Weiss slapper after arguably outduelling Anderson on the other end …

…It was a game where the Panthers played catch-up immediately after every goal. On the tying third goal, Stephen Weiss was pushed in by Anton Volchenkov. Not only are the Panthers mimicking the Sens by scoring almost right after them, they copped the Sens' get-pushed-into-the-cage-by-the-defenceman trick on the home team's first. The Sens' first, of course, saw Chris Kelly charge hard to poke in the biscuit, but only after Jesse Winchester was pushed into Anderson by Nick Boynton (one of three former 67s on the ice), rendering the keeper helpless. "It's a good hockey goal," announced the zebra …

… Besides the loss, lots of positives for the home squad, which, after four straight wins, finally loses the first contest in the new black unis. (Official Presidential Opinion: the new third jerseys are okay, but the "SENS" script definitely drags them down. Longtime TV beat reporter Patricia Boal makes a good point that the "O" design that was all over the Internet would look too much like a zero, but the old-school touch is always safe) Notably so: the 2 Cents honourable mention. Besides his two third-period penalties – including a suspendable hit from behind on Brett McLean – Anton Volchenkov had a heck of a game. In the first, he makes a stop in front, clears it, then Gregory Campbell tries a cross crease pass in front - Two big defensive plays on same shift for the A-train. A later shift had him throw a solid check in the back end, then hop on the rush and follow up his own scoring chance with a great short-side whack. Ditto with another good whack off a second-period Jason Spezza slapper. How about a third-period 3-on-2? Vermette, Fisher, and A-Train. Not mention a point-blank slapper in the same frame. A busy game overall, and A-Train still found time to jump the rush, maybe starting his audition for the season-long Puck-Moving D-Man Sweepstakes …

… The much-ballyhooed Jarkko Ruutu-Cody Bass-Chris Neil bruiser line needs more skill on it, particularly at centre. On one first-period shift, the physical component of the line shone through, as Bass and Neil both finished two checks each. However, it's the only component of the line most of the time, as the checks were late and the puck was cleared by the Panthers twice. When Mike Fisher began to see some time on that line in the latter half of the game, you could tell the dynamic of it began to change, as some chances happened …

… Newsflash: the Panther D can move. A Chris Phillips failed check allowed Ville Peltonen to break through on a 2-on-1 coast-to-coast and have a good shot at the glove side on the 1-1 tying goal. The offensively-minded Bryan McCabe nearly scored on a bad rebound on the rebound on the short side later as well. The Panthers may be mired in mediocrity for the rest of this year, but as long as they have Jay-Bo leading the charge, watch out for their free-wheeling, puck-moving back end …

… Poor old Antoine Vermette – Campbell pushed him just enough to stop a wraparound in the second period, moments after Pepe was in the slot on an early second-period chance. Sooner or later the most snakebitten Sen will light the lamp …

LINE OF THE NIGHT: "He looks like Tim Thomas when Tim Thomas looks like Tim Thomas," said Dean Brown, as he and colour man Garry Galley commented on the lack of "comfortability" (a new made-up Galley word) displayed by Anderson in the Florida net, off a Mike Fisher poke that seemingly knocked him back. Thomas, of course, is the confident but anti-fundamentals Bruins goalie …

FUNNY STUFF: Somewhat ironic that beer giant Molson Canadian is sponsoring the "Keys to the Game," which used to be sponsored by – you guessed it – GM. You know the current economic climate is tough when the money-bleeding car company gives up dibs on that segment to a product that shouldn't be near car keys. Oh well, we all know that Molson does campaign against impaired driving. Know what? Why don't the Molson folks start sponsoring the "Last minute of play" promotion, instead of GM's Pontiac and Chevrolet? Would be an ideal trade. GM gets the keys, and Molson could liken the last minute to last call at the bar … Maybe it was the camera angle, but bruiser D-man Jason Smith looked exactly like U.S. sports talk radio king Jim Rome from the side. He, of course, is taking part in the team's hideous (but successful) moustache-growing contest, but going full-goatee. What would really be funny would be to hear Smith impersonating Rome and sounding off on some of the entries, including that of Antoine Vermette, who Jason Spezza says looks like Pepe Le Pew. Best part though? Sidney Crosby still wouldn't qualify for the sweepstakes … A Sportsnet camera caught former Sens coach and current Panthers GM Jacques Martin in a rather awkward, extended piece of footage of him on the phone in the Bank's arena-level corridor. Was meant to be a harmless cameo, but it just ended up looking like any "deal" he was making on the phone wasn't really a hockey one … Another really funny promo, depending on how dirty your mind is and what kind of poker is played, is the "Game in a Flash," brought to you by Party Poker … Funny to see Brett McLean literally walking away with the net on the Florida non-goal, as the puck started to cross the line … State Farm has an advertisement on the end which the visiting team attacks twice. Wouldn't it be better if the ad was switched to the other end so the Senators, a terrible third-period team the past two years, could be inspired into some insurance goals?

OTHER STUFF: The captain had a heck of a dipsy-doodle show in the second, as he cycled around the corner more than Lance Armstrong. Not only that, but he nearly converted a Spezza offering, then hammered his man into the boards to keep the rush going. The Sens managed to change up their defencemen on the play, against some clearly tired Panthers. Don't forget the captain's three posts hit in this one as well, the second and third (yes, the same shot!) off a Slick Spezz Dispenser Saucer … Most Predictable Block of the Year: Stephen Weiss, already kneeling down, to turn away what turned out to be a 10-foot Nick Foligno slapper … Those in-game interviews are neat for the fans, but they need to stop. What helps a player lose focus more than a reporter (kudos to Ian Mendes though, he's solid) sticking a microphone in his sweaty face? … Jason Spezza, scoring on that zero angle for the second game in a row, has found his new office … The third period saw a subtle but smart play by the veteran Jason Smith on a mid-third penalty kill: knowing he was unlikely to make a safe clear with two Panthers in the way, he chipped the puck expertly back to himself, took a huge stride, then made the safe dump. Little plays like these win games … Interesting Stat Line of the Night: Kudos to A-Train's eight hits, but Mike Fisher edges him with nine shots (two more didn't reach the keeper), five hits, two blocked shots, and six faceoffs won. He was busy … Last but not least: It's the anniversary of the legendary Beatle John Lennon's death, already 28 years ago. Should the Sens win Stanley this summer, think of the Sens Mile and imagine all the people…

ARCHIVE: http://sens2cents.blogspot.com
SENS ARMY CENTRAL: http://forums.ottawasenators.com

a non-hockey column: NCAA champs visit Ottawa!

2008-08-31T23:35:00.001-07:00

Jayhawks fly through Capital

Defending U.S. college champs rout Gee-Gees in preseason tour finale

By Greg Gallagher

uOttawa Gee-Gees Basketball Broadcaster

OTTAWA – They lost five key players in June's NBA draft, but you wouldn't know it from how the Kansas Jayhawks played.

The NCAA's defending national champions completed their Canadian tour with a 91-60 victory over the uOttawa Gee-Gees in front of a near-sellout crowd at Montpetit Hall, one day after defeating the Carleton Ravens in a nailbiting, 84-83 thriller at Scotiabank Place.

Freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor and junior guard Mario Little, with 20 and 21 points respectively, led a Jayhawks effort which saw several points scored on fastbreaks resulting from turnovers.

Quintrell Thomas and Cole Aldrich each chipped in with 12 and 10 respectively, while Dax Dessureault was the lone Gee-Gee in double-figures with 16.

"These guys were great players," said Taylor afterwards. "We had some tough matches (McGill and Carleton) … it was great to (get to) play this early together."

Taylor, who started the game and scored eight of his points on the fastbreak, is looking to make an impression this year.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself," he said, in reference to playing a role on KU defending its championship.

Taylor wowed the Capital crowd with not only his speed, but also his deft scoring touch, notably so on a second-half run to the basket in which he gracefully avoided a sure block from third-year Ottawa forward Nemanja Baletic.

Little, for his part, helped punctuate a solid end to the first half, scoring back-to-back buckets, including a buzzer-beating fadeaway jumper over two Ottawa players. A complete player, he also dropped a game-high eight assists and added seven rebounds.

Little and Taylor, along with Aldrich in the middle and lanky guard Travis Releford—who shone against Carleton—figure to be the main options on what looks to be another promising young Jayhawks team.

On the Ottawa side, fifth-year centre Dessureault continued to play in mid-season form, passing well out of the block and forcing the issue offensively on the 6'11" Aldrich.

Dessureault had 11 points on 4-6 shooting at halftime, keeping the Gees close at 18-15 before Kansas embarked on a 11-3 and never looked back, leading 46-31 at the half.

The Gees' first-half aggressiveness helped them on the offensive end several times when the normally explosive Josh Gibson-Bascombe's weekend shooting struggles continued.

David Labentowicz (4-5) and Dessureault (8-9) were money from the free-throw line after earning repeated trips following confident and quick team passing around the horn. The Gee-Gees were 21-28 from the stripe, while the Jayhawks were 13-19.

However, on most occasions the Jayhawks simply answered on the offensive end every time, and closing in on halftime and for most of the second half, they served notice that defence will play a major role in a hopeful second straight national championship.

Ottawa missed four straight field goal attempts during a second-half 18-4 run by the Jayhawks, which effectively ended the game.

According to Gee-Gees head coach David DeAveiro, the team, which shot 18-57 (31.6 percent) simply couldn't bury its open looks.

"We didn't shoot the ball well," said DeAveiro. "We didn't play our best (defence). It gave us a chance to play our kids.

"I think we can point to the emergence of Warren Ward, and the importance of Dax (Dessureault)," added DeAveiro. "Dax was our best player this weekend."

THIS 'N THAT: A sizeable contingent of Jayhawks supporters made the trek from the Kansas City area, filling up a good half of the 800 in attendance at Montpetit Hall. With about 30 seconds left, they began singing their traditional anthem, "Rock Jock Jayhawk," when the outcome was not in doubt … Cole Aldrich was the only Jayhawk in action vs. Ottawa that also saw minutes in last April's title game vs. Memphis, as junior guard Sherron Collins did not play … Gee-Gees second-year guard Vlad Pislaru has adopted #23, giving up #10 to rookie Warren Ward …

ROOKIE WATCH: Point guard Max Clarkson impressed in his 16 minutes, showcasing poise and particularly sharp, peripheral court vision, which allowed him to make several sharp passes on offence. He's fast, too, and could challenge for the backup quarterback role this season. The #25 coincidence aside, he bears a striking resemblance to former standout Alex McLeod … Faysia "Fuzzy" Ibrahim was the recipient of a few of those Clarkson passes. His lateral quickness is promising … Warren Ward continues to make a case for the starting two-guard spot. A late airball aside, he's putting up solid minutes and continues to impress DeAveiro. In the South Alabama game, he was particularly adept at drawing contact.

FAMILY AFFAIR: Sophomore Jayhawks guard Chase Buford is the son of R.J. Buford, general manager of the San Antonio Spurs. The elder Buford built the Spurs into four-time NBA champions (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007), while Chase won a title with the Jayhawks last year. Think winning runs in the family?

OTTAWA-KANSAS CONNECTIONS: Jay Roberts, who played basketball, football, and track at KU from 1961-64, also played seven years with the CFL's Ottawa Rough Riders. He was presented with a #55 jersey before the game from coach Bill Self, and with a #76 Gee-Gees football jersey from uOttawa president Allan Rock … Basketball inventor Dr. James Naismith, born and raised in Almonte, Ont., which is about 50 kilometres from Ottawa, was also the first head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks.

CONTACT: greg.g2@gmail.com

2007 Stanley Cup final: Senators were closer than you'd think

2008-07-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Series only truly turned in third period of Game 4

It’s been over a year since the Ottawa Senators’ dreams of their first championship in over 80 years unravelled in shocking fashion, when they lost 6-2 to the Anaheim Ducks in the decisive Game 5 of the 2007 Stanley Cup final.

Back home, they wasted no time putting away the Senators, who finally cracked under pressure and simply self-destructed in all facets of the game. The goal by Chris Phillips on his own team, the whiffed penalty shot by Antoine Vermette, and weak goals let in by goaltender Ray Emery were notable low-lights.

The 2007 Ducks were a big, mean squad that physically punished the Senators at nearly every possible opportunity, and scored timely goals.

They also barely made it to the Stanley Cup final, and were lucky to get away with what they did physically – but more on the bruising later.

Many would say Ottawa really lost the series early on after going into a 2-0 hole, and that Game 5 was simply the icing on the cake.

Not so. They were in it until the third period of Game 4, which led to the total write-off that was Game 5.

By the skin of their teeth

After Game 4 was in the books, the Ducks had won a record 12 one-goal games in their playoff run, equalling their own record from 2003, and Montreal’s 1993 run.

This meant that getting through all four rounds was done by the skin of their teeth. Nine of the 12 required victories to claim the West were by one goal, along with three in the Cup final (3-2 in Game 1, 1-0 in Game 2, 3-2 in Game 4).

Five of the Ducks’ nine one-goal games to beat the Western teams were in overtime, including three in Round 2 vs. Vancouver, and two in the Conference final vs. Detroit.

The Ducks caught a huge break when Red Wings defenceman Andreas Lilja whiffed on a breakout pass, allowing Teemu Selanne to score in overtime of Game 5. With only 47 seconds left in the third period, Ducks defenceman Scott Niedermayer had scored the Ducks’ only goal of the game with the man advantage, tying the contest.

Hardly a walk.

Granted, the Senators also won two overtime games in the Eastern Conference final vs. Buffalo, but also made quick work of the East in a 12-3 romp.

Ray Emery...for Conn Smythe?

Well, that could be a stretch now, but it was not outrageous at the time.

During the aforementioned 12-3 romp, Senators goaltender Ray Emery had three shutouts en route to the final, while his opponent in the final, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, had none.

It should be pointed out that Emery had the shutdown tandem of Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov playing in front of him, with the latter leading the league with 273 blocked shots in the regular season.

In the same breath, Emery made the stops when he needed to. In the second round, he outshone future hall-of-famer Martin Brodeur, who let in several soft goals.

Notably, the brash Emery shone in the third round against the Sabres. An athletic, aggressive netminder who was at his peak, one of Emery’s best and most crucial saves came in overtime of Game 2 of the series, when he denied Thomas Vanek a wraparound attempt with a quick stretch of his right pad.

The would-be series-tying goal found Emery’s pad, opening the door for Joe Corvo to score in the second overtime, putting the Sabres in a 2-0 series hole. Emery would go on to shut out the Sabres 1-0 in a razor-thin Game 3, before the Senators dropped Game 4 despite nearly digging themselves out of a 3-0 hole (they lost 4-3).

Fast-forward to Game 2 of the Cup showdown with the Ducks, which might have been Emery’s best. As Giguere shone at the other end, thwarting the Senators’ glorious chances to take the lead on a 5-on-3 power play, Emery made big saves of his own on Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Rob Niedermayer.

Emery would let in the only goal of the game with just over four minutes left, a screened shot from Samuel Pahlsson on the wing that would hold up as the winner.

In front of him, his team held up well, considering the beating they took in Game 1 while managing to take two leads. Drawing on the positives, the Senators returned to hockey-mad Ottawa.

Bowman to Murray: Ducks flying in the face of the rulebook

Game 3 set the stage for what would be a clearly energized Senators team, considering how close they came in the first two under hostile circumstances.

Before Game 2, Senators coach Bryan Murray had to bite his tongue about the officiating in the series thus far. The most penalized team during the regular season for their aggressive, physical style, the Ducks seemed determined to win at all physical cost, which was evident in their ascent to the final.

“They got their physical play from good dump-ins and not us holding anybody up. Their first man in got the hits,” he told the Ottawa Sun. “That was the main part. The other part is when people are standing around in front of the net trying to defend and they’re hammering away at our defencemen, as well as our goaltender. Those are two areas that concern me.”

Murray said he spoke with former Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman, who at the time was a special assistant to general manager Ken Holland, about the Ducks’ tactics. Murray said that Bowman warned him about the illegal obstruction the Ducks employed to send the Wings packing.

“I just talked to some of the Detroit people and they just told me this is the way it went (in the last series),” Murray also told the Sun. “I guess it should have been clear in my mind this is what’s going to happen and we’ll be allowed to do likewise.”

Clearly, a thinly-veiled shot at the zebras.

As the series unfolded, it became clear that the checking line of Samuel Pahlsson and wingers Rob Niedermayer and Travis Moen knew their roles and were pushing the boundaries. As Murray alluded to, the Senators’ defence—and often Emery too—got pounded at every opportunity. In Game 4, a frustrated Emery tried to sell the latest run on him by Niedermayer, finally resulting in Ducks penalty.

The most obvious consequence of this for the Senators?

The Pahlsson-Moen-Niedermayer unit had last change in Anaheim, so the trio were able to effectively keep the powerful Ottawa line of Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, and Daniel Alfredsson in check, obstructively speaking or not.

Bruising defencemen Chris Pronger and Francois Beauchemin, as Murray alluded to, were only too happy to obstruct Ottawa forwards from gaining the zone. Pronger, of course, only got suspended one game for elbowing Dean McAmmond in the head to try and prevent McAmmond’s Game 3 winner, despite being a repeat offender (he sat out Game 6 of the Detroit series for cross-checking Tomas Holmstrom into the glass in Game 5).

Game 3: stealing back momentum

Despite the adversity, the Senators took matters into their own hands in Game 3. The Ducks took three leads in the game, but the Senators erased all of them and won 5-3 in their most determined effort yet, in front of a red-clad, raucous Scotiabank Place crowd of 20,500.

Chris Neil led a revengeful physical effort, notably tattooing Teemu Selanne into the glass for one of his five hits on the night (The Senators outhit the Ducks 32-26), and also potted the tying goal.

The Senators scored three straight goals to close out the game, which saw the Ducks take seven of 12 third-period penalties handed out.

More calls on the Ducks created more chances for the Senators, who jumped on the opportunity to shut down their bigger opponents on a suddenly even playing field. Despite the Dean McAmmond injury in the third, momentum was the Senators’ heading into Game 4, and one stat showed it all.

Shots on goal.

Ottawa’s momentum in Game 3 allowed the team to force the issue with the Ducks, who managed a paltry three shots on net in the final frame. This would continue into Game 4, as the Ducks managed just two shots in the opening period.

Game 4: the tide begins to turn

After nearly escaping the first period unscathed, despite being outshot 13-2, the Ducks allowed Daniel Alfredsson to score in heartbreaking fashion off of a slick feed from Mike Fisher, with 0.3 seconds remaining.

Normally, a team would be deflated after such a goal. After missing a glorious opportunity to take an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the series two nights before, the Ducks effectively allowed the Senators back in the series; up 1-0 after one period, at home, and only down 2-1 in the best-of-seven.

This moment was truly a turning point for either team, and therefore the series overall. Either the Senators hold on and make it a best-of-three, or the Ducks find it within themselves to claw back and put the hammer on any comeback attempt.

The Ducks proved themselves mentally stronger, and refused to let either the Senators or the officiating, which finally improved in Game 3, rattle their psyche or change their bruising battle plan. Rob Niedermayer led a hit parade and a rejuvenated defensive effort in the second period that was stronger than ever.

The Senators’ psyche would hold up, but not much longer. Outshot 13-4 in the second frame, the suddenly vulnerable team allowed two more goals from Andy McDonald, who ended up with five in the series.

McDonald didn’t even score until midway through the period, after Ottawa killed off two straight penalties. He outwaited Emery and defenceman Andrej Meszaros, swirling around both to roof it in an open cage.

Exactly one minute later, he caught Chris Neil not hustling back on the backcheck, and took a Rob Niedermayer pass right in on Emery and tucked one under the pads that Emery should have had. Fearless defender Anton Volchenkov slapped his stick in disgust on the play.

“Say it ain’t so,” blared Weezer through the loudspeakers.

The slide was evident on the other end when the Ducks’ defensive pressure only allowed Dany Heatley (three), and one other Senators player (Alfredsson, with a 48-foot wrister) to hit the net. Heatley would score to tie things up heading into the third off of a cross-ice Spezza feed, but it was the beginning of the end.

The frustration got the better of Alfredsson, as the Conn Smythe Trophy favourite and Ottawa’s beloved hockey hero shot the puck at fellow captain Scott Niedermayer in the dying moments of the second frame.

It was obvious, uncalled for, and unfair. Even fellow Swedish national teammate Samuel Pahlsson was sure to physically make his displeasure clear to Alfredsson, and undoubtedly the incident and the melee that ensued gave the all the Ducks a chip on their shoulders heading to the dressing rooms.

“We took it as an act of desperation to try and get his club going,” commented Ryan Getzlaf afterwards in a jubilant Ducks dressing room.

“It definitely hit a chord with our hockey club,” added Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, talking about his captain’s leadership following the incident. “The thing that surprised me the most about it all was that Scott Niedermayer took it upon himself to tell the team to just turn the page on it.”

A sad moment for the classy Alfredsson, it was the harbinger of the death march for his team; if the Ducks could get inside the leader’s head, they were on the right path.

Nail in the coffin: Dustin Penner, 4:07

Cue the inspirational speeches and clichés; the season was officially on the line for the Senators. At home, with 2-2 on the scoreboard, and facing a rejuvenated Ducks squad that didn’t need anymore inspiration before their captain was rattled, it was time to lay it on the line.

Dustin Penner, who hadn’t scored since Round 2, had other ideas.

In a play with haunting similarity to the third-period winning goal in 2003’s heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference final, a few Senators were caught with their pants down.

In that game, Wade Redden was caught defending two Devils after defensive partner Karel Rachunek was caught up ice and did not make a quick decision on which Devil to defend. Devils winger Grant Marshall got the puck through Redden’s legs to Jeff Friesen, who had an easy shot. In the blink of an eye, the Senators’ season was done.

Fast forward to 2007. Chris Neil and Chris Kelly got caught up ice forechecking, which led to both Penner and Teemu Selanne rushing freely towards the Ottawa blue line. This time, it was Redden’s split-second decision that was costly; instead of standing up Selanne physically at the line, he turned to chase Penner and both got in cleanly and despite a momentary bungling of the puck, the mistake allowed Selanne to find a charging Penner, who had a wide-open cage.

After turning on his heels, Redden was a full two strides behind Penner. Sadly, the play exemplified the criticism Redden had taken all year for his dropoff in play after a stellar, 50-point 2005-06 campaign that earned him a two-year, $13 million extension.

The series was effectively over after the goal, if the Senators could not respond.

Emery, for his part, made up for the second McDonald goal with an unbelievable glove stop on Beauchemin late in the second, and stoned Corey Perry on a breakaway after Penner’s goal. Ironically, it was Penner that hauled down Joe Corvo in obvious fashion (no penalty was called) on the play and seemed to injure him, allowing Perry to move in alone.

It would not be enough help from Emery, as the Ducks closed the door on the mentally tired Senators after the Penner marker, allowing only three shots. The best chance came in the closing moments off of Andrej Meszaros’ stick.

The tide turns, and finally comes in

The pressure of the Alfredsson-Niedermayer incident, the two McDonald goals, and the Penner goal, plus travelling back to play at the raucous Honda Center down 3-1 would be too much.

After coming so close to getting back in the series, the Senators finally sunk, and sunk fast after the late Game 4 meltdown. No need to analyze the forgettable Game 5 if you’re an Ottawa fan; one replay of the Chris Phillips own-goal on Ray Emery will cement that notion.

Bryan Murray was even forced to double-shift Phillips and Volchenkov, as the Ducks’ relentless pressure was getting to the defensive pairing of Joe Corvo and Tom Preissing.

So the Ducks would celebrate their first Stanley Cup, albeit with somewhat of an asterisk.

Yes, they scored timely goals. Yes, they were mentally and physically tough. Yes, they had solid coaching and goaltending, and were very deep.

The asterisk?

Despite being the most penalized team in the league, there’s the whole matter of still getting away with all the illegal obstruction, crease-crashing, and body contact as well as catching the breaks to win those one-goal games

But as the saying goes, you’ve got to be lucky to be good, and good to be lucky.

That’s hockey, after all. Oftentimes, it’s reduced to a game of bounces.

The Ducks took it all, but the Senators were in it until the end, despite circumstances beyond their control.

Not that the Prince of Wales trophy is any huge consolation.

TALE OF THE TAPE: 2007 STANLEY CUP FINAL, GAMES 1-4

GOALS:

Ottawa 9

Anaheim 7

LEADS:

Anaheim 7

Ottawa 4

SHOTS:

Anaheim 106

Ottawa 88

PENALTY MINUTES:

Anaheim 58

Ottawa 42

SENS ARMY CENTRAL MESSAGE BOARD: http://forums.ottawasenators.com

2007-08 Playoffs: Round 1, Game 2

2008-04-11T22:52:00.000-07:00

2007 Eastern Conference quarterfinal
GAME 2 RESULT: Pittsburgh 5, Ottawa 3
(Penguins lead series 2-0).
Game recap: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=234081&amp...s=topStory_main
Ottawa scorers: Donovan, Stillman, Bass.
Pittsburgh scorers: Gonchar, Sykora (2), Malone (2).
3 Stars: Sykora (Pit), Malkin (Pit), Malone (Pit).
Honourable mention: Gerber (Ott).
Power play: Pittsburgh 3-6, Ottawa 1-2.
Shots on goal: Pittsburgh 54, Ottawa 30.
Attendance: 17,132 (17,132 cap.)

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: And the Oscar goes to…Jarkko Ruutu, for making sure to embellish Marty Lapointe’s high stick in order to draw a power play. Ruutu, who figured in the only regular-season Penguins win by scoring the shootout winner in November, played a big part again, ensuring a man advantage would help snuff out a Sens chance to steal Game 2—which it did. In their most complete effort since the 8-2 drubbing of the Leafs, it was a character loss and a display of consistency which in this case went hand-in-hand with determination to allow the comeback to happen. Fifty-four shots aside, the Sens finished their checks, scurried to loose pucks, and drove the net. Great example? Didn’t end up with a goal, but a Chris Phillips check on Crosby led to a rush up ice, which saw Mike Commodore (who’s stepped it up in the playoffs) and Dean McAmmond charge hard to the end boards, hit and force the issue. Another play saw Jason Spezza (!) scurry back to cover for Phillips on the blueline when the Big Rig was caught a little too far up ice. McAmmond was also fantastic with Antoine Vermette, who also had a strong night, notably so in denying Petr Sykora a one-time attempt on a first-period penalty kill. Attention to detail was solid overall… Solid is the best word to describe Chris Neil’s effort on the night. Very obviously early on, he was intensely trying to neutralize the Gary Roberts factor by getting in the Sen-killer’s face. Neiler also drove the net hard, had a wraparound scoring chance, and fed Shean Donovan to start the comeback …

… Martin Gerber was fantastic in the Senator net for the second straight night, and even better this time around, turning away 48 of 53 shots. Ironic, though, how his best save of the night—off the Brooks Orpik breakaway out of the penalty box—was followed right up by Petr Sykora’s second of the game to make it 3-0. Kind of exemplifies the Senators’ season – good, but only momentarily so, as bad always seems to creep in … Creeping in was Evgeni Malkin for one of his many shots (see ‘Interesting Stat Line’ below) for a backhand chance in the second, but Darth was there with the glove. With every save, it appears moreso that the Razor will be the one getting cut, not cutting. We’ll give Gerber a mulligan on the winning goal (perhaps his lateral quickness could have been better) …

… The much-maligned and inconsistent Wade Redden was on tonight, after a subpar Game 1. In subtle fashion, he was strong in his defensive coverage. An early Ruutu-Evgeni Malkin two-on-one wide-open chance was broken up calmly by Wade. On another occasion, he thwarted gunner Jordan Staal on the short side from causing further damage to a team already down 1-0. Another play saw him hold off a Penguin attacker, and still manage to pass the puck safely over to Lapointe, who could clear the zone from behind the net. Officially credited with two hits and a blocked shot, he was better tonight …

FUNNY STUFF: Shotblocking machine Anton Volchenkov came out to play again, registering a game-high four blocked pucks (shared with Antoine Vermette and Ryan Whitney), a mere 48 hours after taking one in the melon. Speaking of which, the Team 1200 morning show’s Buzz had it about right, saying poor A-Train looked like Chucky from Child’s Play fame on the cover of the Ottawa Citizen’s sports spread. Good thing he sported a full cage to hide the 14-stich gash. On the subject, the Line of the Night goes to Dean Brown, and for the first time it’s a pregame line. “I’m not entirely sure he has a nervous system,” said Dean about Anton’s ability to keep getting in the way of pucks. “He might be a cyborg, an alien,” he went on … Don Cherry Suit Rating: The black-on-black theme with the double-breasted jacket and gold buttons was slick, but minus one point for the tie which was Penguin yellow. Six out of 10 … Not sure what was worse: a shot of Mario Lemieux’s awful moustache (which he can’t pull off at all), or former teammate Jaromir Jagr’s as-awful vertical strip of hair both below AND above his lips, seen on a highlight from the Ranger game … Speaking of facial hair, the injured Mike Fisher’s playoff beard looked better than most of his teammates’ ones ... Marian Hossa twice found himself on Martin Gerber’s back doorstep: both times, Darth reached behind, and on one of the plays, tripped up the former Senator to save a goal … Could have sworn that redhead taking in the game in the front row was actress Jane Seymour. However, not even the medicine woman could prescribe some anti-hex medication for the Sens … Funny how on the tying goal, a certain camera angle captured the celebrating Senators—who all happened to be Canadian—in the foreground, with ads on the boards behind them belonging to CBC and CIBC. How patriotic. Good to see the bank taking an ‘interest’ in advertising south of the border (one pun per 2 Cents) …

… Interesting Stat Line of the Night: Evgeni Malkin, who led the Pens with eight shots, all stopped by Darth Gerber. Malkin also had four attempts blocked and four missed shots. With scary numbers like that, it’s only a matter of time before he lights the lamp again. For good measure, the big Russian had five hits too … Hometown Stat of the Night: Game 2 saw the first playoff goal scored in Mellon Arena by a native Pittsburghian, when Ryan Malone potted the winner … Another solid night for grinders Ruutu, Brooks Orpik, and Malone … Last But Not Least: the Penguin power play officially killed the Sens’ chances of returning with a split at the end. Nevertheless, it was a blessing in disguise, as the penalties signalled the much-needed (other) changing of the guard in the Capital, to a more blue-collar style. It was the harbinger of the comeback, and the style of the goals scored paid homage to it.

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2007-08 Regular Season, Game 81

2008-04-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

Senators 8, Leafs 2

SENATORS GAME RESULT: Ottawa 8, Toronto 2.
Game recap: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=233470&hubname=

Ottawa scorers: Heatley (2), Spezza, Bass, Vermette (3), McAmmond.
Toronto scorers: Bell, Moore.

3 Stars: Vermette (Ott), Heatley (Ott), Spezza (Ott).
Honourable mention: Donovan (Ott).
Power play: Ottawa 2-6, Toronto 1-6.
Shots on goal: Ottawa 37, Toronto 28.
Attendance: 19,466 (18,819 cap.)

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: They say revenge is a dish best served cold. And it was an ice-cold entrée of eight pucks that found their way behind an abandoned Vesa Toskala, in a game that saw Mark Bell deliver an elbow to Daniel Alfredsson that ever-so-slightly crossed the line. Bell, who’s already served a 25-game suspension for DUI and hit-and-run convictions (from his San Jose days) to start the year in Hogtown, seems to not know how to control himself on the ice. He’ll be serving four months in the crowbar motel for it this summer under a plea deal, and will have plenty of time there to think about the hit … Speaking of which, the revenge factor was somewhat of a disappointment, as Bell also took Wade Redden’s legs out from under him on an icing chase in the second period and escaped having to atone for both offences. There were two opportunities in the last part of the third period for the Sens to ring on the Bell, but they didn’t do it. When the captain goes down like that, Bell should be punished physically. Granted, Cody Bass, Marty Lapointe, and Shean Donovan answered the call toward the end of the first with pest Darcy Tucker (thrown out against the Heatley line) and the rest of the Leafs …

… The game itself was one the free-falling Sens obviously needed, one that was the first real 60-minute effort in a long time despite a season that has come to hang in the balance and behove desperation. And sportsmanship be damned after the Bell incidents, Bryan Murray stuck Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza on the ice with 8-2 on the scoreboard and the team up one man. Broken down into individual plays, it was a game where every man fought for one another, kept it simple, and kept it honest. A good example was the Sens’ fourth goal, where Wade Redden calmly broke up a 2-on-1, helped things get set up on the PP, but most importantly, passed up an open shot in favour of Christoph Schubert’s cannon. It, of course, found Antoine Vermette … Speaking of Mr. V, it was the first-ever hat trick for the hard-working two-wayer. His third was the most embarrassing, as the Leaf defenders allowed him to get three chips at the biscuit. Jiri “pixellate me” Tlusty, in particular, seemed to give Antoine a free pass … All in all, an inspired effort from a beleaguered bunch, who also were without Mike Fisher for most of this one …

… A solid effort from the fourth line exemplified the blue-collar effort on the night. Best example? Schubie, after Chris Neil’s initial charge to the net, shook off three defenders as he came to the blue line before dumping the puck back to the corner to Dean McAmmond, who nearly unlocked the side door. No goal on the play, but it was typical of the Sens on the night – trusting in one another and confident … Marty Lapointe was a horse in front of the net on the PP and an important agitator in Neil’s absence due to a 10-minute chirpconduct … And how about more unlikely playmakers? Vermette spins around Bryan McCabe to ignite a 4-on-2 on a penalty kill, setting up Chris Phillips. Big Rig then feathered a saucer (that would make UFOs jealous) pass over to Cody Bass, who popped it in. We’ll say this much – Big Rig’s a well-oiled machine …

FUNNY STUFF: Cody Bass, recently returned from injury, joined some exclusive company on the night, tying Gordie Howe’s career-high with his first Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, fight). Kudos to a sharp Dean Brown for pointing that one out … Though the audio was missing from the Sens TV pay-per-view the entire first period, Dean still made sure to fill the airwaves with some priceless gems. “I wonder if Chris Phillips gets a piece of Dany Heatley’s Easton (stick) deal,” he wondered aloud after the Heater lent Big Rig his lumber for a penalty kill. And after Gord Wilson likened Leafs D Pavel Kubina’s stick-smash in frustration to something a pee-wee player would do, here’s the Line of the Night: “I just got a text message from a pee-wee player, who said they don’t slam their sticks like that, they’re too expensive,” retorted Dean. Good job on the mike, fellas … Two funny lip-reading sequences: firstly, McCabe saying “Oh (bad word)-off,” during a goals/hits montage; secondly, Chris Neil in the second period, spouting “(same bad word)-me,” in response to another penalty on him. Ever notice how these “miked-up” players are never chirpy ones? … Dumbest Song Choice of the Night: “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” blaring through the Air Canada Centre’s loudspeakers, smack in the middle of a chippy second period … The rotating advertising sign near the Sens’ bench first displayed ‘Canon,’ then ‘Viagra.’ Logical progression? …

… Interesting Stat Line of the Night: only one recorded giveaway for the Spezz Dispenser, who ended up with one goal, two helpers, three shots, two blocked, plus-2 and two penalty minutes … Congrats to our GO RED Facebook group’s Darth Gerber Fan Club VP, who won the Rivalry Train contest and took a friend of her and the Prez’s down to the ACC to take this one in … Last but not least: don’t forget to sign up at forums.ottawasenators.com for Sens Army Central. The playoffs are coming (yes, keep the faith), and the Sens’ e-community is ready!

2 CENTS archive: http://sens2cents.blogspot.com/

SENS ARMY CENTRAL MESSAGE BOARD: http://forums.ottawasenators.com/

2007-08 Regular Season, Game 62

2008-02-23T23:12:00.000-08:00

Senators 4, Penguins 3 (OT)

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: For the first 30 minutes, it appeared as if Ottawa would force the Pennsylvania legislature to rename the Penguins’ hometown “Armpits-burgh” for the way the Senators were stinking out the joint. But the captain completed the comeback with under five ticks to go, for game-winner number five on the season. Of course, Ryan Malone nearly stole the show with a two-post ringer moments before. Still, it was probably significant that Ray Emery stole it right back with huge stops on the white-hot Evgeni Malkin (as he did all afternoon) and on offensively-gifted D-man Sergei Gonchar (a gorgeous glove grab). Evgeni’s 10-game point streak was snapped, Heater got back into the swing of things, and the Sens hang onto top spot …

… Top spot is probably something of a pride factor that played into the win, after the Sens allowed Malkin and co. to run roughshod over them for half the game. Plain and simple, the comeback showed character and will likely carry some momentum into the Battle of Ontario …

... The game basically seemed like a rehearsal for a low-budget Jekyll-and-Hyde thriller until the Sens hit rock-bottom in the second, when the Pens went up 3-0 after another darn neutral-zone turnover allowed Malkin and Jordan Staal to waltz in two-on-nada (their puck control and pressure were uncanny). Worst part? Only Mike Fisher had roared back to try and stop the trailer, Jeff Taffe, who scored after Razor stopped the initial assault … Speaking of assault, when the Sens decide to get down to business, that’s what happened. The Soccer Goal (see below) helped ignite things. As insinuated by Cassie Campbell, the Cash Line woke up. Jason Spezza’s deceptively long strides helped set up the second Heater goal of the afternoon. Of course, those strides are only part of the reason that his Scotiabank Place goal song is “I Like the Way You Move.”

… Razor was sharp again this afternoon. He was weak again on the second goal, scored by Colby “the witch” Armstrong, but it was was the result of (sigh) another Sens neutral zone turnover. The aforementioned saves in overtime cemented his well-deserved second star on the afternoon, which included a whitewash of the Pens in the third to give his team a chance to come back. He stopped all seven of Malkin’s shots, halting the NHL’s scoring leader’s 10-game point streak. He’s athletic, confident, and has that swagger which nearly backstopped the team to a Cup. Say what you want about Paddock’s handling of the goalie situation, but it appears as if he’s giving Razor the chance to run with it …

… Christoph Schubert was one of a few Sens that stood out for the entire game—albeit subtlely—not just in the second half either. A simple hustle play in the second period helped cause pressure, leading to a good Luke Richardson chance. Another play in the third caused him to take a penalty, but instead of being gun shy, Christoph got thrown to the ice while charging hard into the Pens’ zone to keep the intensity of the comeback on. A solid effort from the German, helping to cover for Chris Neil’s toughness in his absence …

FUNNY STUFF: Still no 2 Cents this year covering a Bob Cole-manned CBC game! In lieu, we award the Line of the Night to play-by-play man Mark Lee: “He’s one of the nicest bad guys I’ve ever met,” he said, after a clip showing Pens tough guy Georges Laraque playing some floor hockey with a Pittsburgh-area Boys and Girls’ Club. True. Still, part of you was just waiting for him to start picking a fight with one of those kids … We’ve said it before in 2 Cents, but Mellon Arena’s longtime PA man, John Barbaro, still sounds way too happy when announcing a Pens penalty or opposing team’s goal … With 2:26 remaining in the first, about $226 worth of composite lumber shattered when the puck from Wade Redden’s shot hit Jarkko Ruutu’s stick. One of only 10 players left in the league using old-school wood sticks, no doubt the Spezz Dispenser gets his giggles every time someone else breaks one … The French soccer team has probably found its perfect talent. A stickless Antoine Vermette’s nifty little kick towards the net helped set up Cory Stillman’s goal off a Chris Kelly rebound. And no headbutting either … Three separate CBC camera shots showed Evgeni Malkin’s parents taking in the game. The second showed his mother zoomed in; Evgeni definitely has his mother’s nose. The third one showed Mr. Malkin enjoying some fine American cuisine, in the form of some Mellon Arena nachos …

… Scary Stat of the Night: Ottawa’s power play, which is 1/19 in its last seven games, including this one. Maybe some iron pills, and not iron pumping, is the answer … Interesting Stat Line of the Night: the Pens were a combined minus-9, while the Sens were a plus-9. If the comeback didn’t happen, it probably would have been almost otherwise … The Vermette-Kelly-Stillman line is still hot, despite the Cash Line waking up. It needs a name, though. “Vermestilly” was suggested on the Sens Army message board. It’s catchy … Last but not least: speaking of the Sens Army message board, you can join up and check it out at www.ottawasenators.com . Yours truly is a moderator under the name “ggroove” and would truly enjoy having you a-board (sorry, at least one pun per 2 Cents), along with the rest of the members, who have a ton of fun.

SENS ARMY MESSAGE BOARD: http://www.ottawasenators.com/

2007-08 Regular Season, Game 51

2008-01-29T21:51:00.000-08:00

Ottawa 5, N.Y. Islanders 2

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: And so, the Sens swung the Emerygate to shut the Islanders’ attempt at knocking off a possibly distracted team. Well, not even figuratively speaking, really, as Martin Gerber was the one collecting his 23rd win of the year. Still, who knows what can motivate teams to come together these days, parity being what it is in the NHL. Best part? The secondary scoring problem was put to bed, at least for another night, and even two D-men jumped into the mix. Both Andrej Meszaros and Chris Phillips—reminded by Patricia Boal of his 29 games without bulging twine—potted some nice goals to give the Sens a cushion. Speaking of Big Rig, seems like only yesterday that he was a fresh-faced rookie helping the Sens knock off the first-place Devils in 1998. In that intermission interview, the Official Presidential Opinion is that he’s (gasp) thinning on top. Just an update for the Sens TV hairwaves … Speaking of that pun, it was indeed a Sens TV pay-per-view game. Too bad the in-house broadcast had to have an awkward tone at the start, when the coach and GM interviews had to include a Ray Emery question. Both John Paddock and Bryan Murray answered quite diplomatically, with the latter’s usual dose of refreshing frankness. More on the Razor situation later … On the subject, it took the Islanders until quite a bit later to wake up somewhat. They did just that, knocking the Sens onto their heels and making them look like the bottom-third defensive team they’ve become, attacking consistently and forcing two goals. The Isles really were two close tip shots and a post away from making it a different result. One of the goals was the result of an awful Joe Corvo turnover from behind his own net which he put right on Josef Vasicek’s stick. Still, Joltin’ Joe has unwavering 2 Cents approval for his fast-skating, exciting style of play the Sens thrive off of (case in point, his slick crossover move during a first-period power play), even if his only assist on the night was on Sean Bergenheim’s goal (more on this guy later, too) … Speaking of assists, poor Nick Foligno. Just called up again to replace Cody Bass and his injured ankle, the rookie had to slide the biscuit to Jason Spezza instead of potting his own empty-netter at the end. Maybe if he had done the Foligno Leap before instead of after this particular goal, he would have eluded his defender and been able score. He’s on record as saying he won’t do it again, after doing it on his first-ever NHL goal to honour his dad. Maybe he should reconsider for situations like this …

… After a slow start to the year, no one is likely complaining about Mike Fisher’s 22 points in his last 21 games, including tonight’s tilt. That pass he made to Dean McAmmond was laser-guided, out of a crowd, and likely is second-only to the puck he put on Dany Heatley’s stick to beat the Leafs in OT to open the season (YouTube it). The guy is dynamite. Understatement of the year … Speaking of under, the oft-under-appreciated fourth line for the Sens came through tonight with some fantastic shifts, causing havoc and scoring chances, and taking hits to make plays. How about that Brian McGrattan 2-on-1 pass to Christoph Schubert? It was a nice feed which Schubie nearly converted. As for Grats, they should utilize his scoring touch more. Remember, he potted a game-high five (you know he rubbed it in to the Cash Line) during the team’s intrasquad scrimmage on a Muskoka retreat during that silly three-game, 21-day stretch in October … Anton Volchenkov might not have a letter on his jersey, but two sequences tonight prove why A-Train is not a caboose in the leadership department: firstly, he had a rare miscue in the second period which allowed Bill Guerin to roll around the net. A-Train recovered to knock Bill out of the play, but not before he fed the slot. Right there to block the ensuing few chances were no less than three Sens: Randy Robitaille, the Captain, and Big Rig. The other follow-my-lead happened in the third, when A-Train blocked two shots on one shift. Luke Richardson, likely inspired, then blocked two of his own. The first one saved a surefire Bergenheim-to-Vasicek goal, and the second block involved a very brave Luke using his face and teeth. He left for repairs but he’ll be ok …

FUNNY STUFF: Right after one of the Sens’ goals, the Darth Vader Star Wars theme played through the loudspeakers. It was almost as if Isles G Rick “67.5 million reasons to smile” DiPietro should use Darth Gerber as his inspiration to stop the puck … During the intermission feature which profiled Sens’ head equipment guru Scott Allegrino, it was interesting that the closeup shot of him packing two jerseys into a trunk were those of Patrick Eaves and Cody Bass, both of whom did not play tonight … Line of the Night: in this case, it was courtesy of all three guys. Grant Ledyard, perhaps rusty since the last PPV game, mispronounced Sean Bergenheim’s name, saying what sounded like “Boogerheim.” Dean Brown couldn’t resist playing along and said to Gord Wilson, “That’s what you sound like when you try to pronounce (referee) Don Van Massenhoven’s name.” After some heavy laughing and giggling by all three, Grant shot back. “You guys are all off my Christmas list,” said the big former Sens defenceman … One amusing and extended close-up of Isles coach Ted Nolan panned left to right. Behind Ted were four empty seats, a security guard, and another empty seat. Maybe those ugly yellow jackets they wear are scaring people away. Whatever it is, less than 10,000 bothered to come, and Nassau Coliseum is averaging 13,549 butts in its seats this year …

… Lots of former Sens and Islanders that played each other tonight, and factored into the goals: former Senator (and former every team, look him up) Mike Sillinger unfortunately left Fisher wide open for the fourth Ottawa goal, while Wade Redden was in the sin bin when the guy he was traded for, Bryan Berard, scored. Of course, none other than last year’s valuable rental, Mike “Mr. Duff” Comrie assisted on Berard’s goal, a nifty blue line pinch. The other former Sen, who needs no introduction, is likely enjoying the $17 million paid to him to not play … Interesting Stat Line of the Night: perhaps a by-product of two-thirds of his line out (Alfie left the game in the third), the Spezz Dispenser actually led the team with six shots. He had one blocked as well … Last but not least: it’s clear Ray Emery still has motivation problems. After earning the #1 job following a solid second half of last season and nearly backstopping his team to a Stanley Cup in determined fashion, Razor’s season has been full of off-ice mishaps, the latest being four minutes late for practice in Long Island on Monday. If he really wants to, he can wrestle the starting job away again from Darth Gerber with effort in practice and by showing up on time. It’s that simple; he’s more athletic, has confidence, is edgy, and has more upside. He need only look to what might be the greatest athlete all-time in team sports for inspiration. It wasn’t always common knowledge that Michael Jordan was always the hardest-working practice player, and demanded the same from his teammates. Six title rings later, it’s pretty obvious what you have to do to stay on top.

2007-08 Regular Season, Game 31

2007-12-15T20:53:00.001-08:00

Senators 7, Thrashers 3

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: The 7-3 whooping aside, the Senators should be credited with two W’s tonight: one for winning their fifth in a row, and one for the mental game. Dany Heatley’s goal, the 200th of his career, came off a gorgeous one-timed feed, over a Thrasher stick, from Joe Corvo, who had an outstanding game. The Bank erupts in relief. It was quite significant that the two hopped out of the penalty box together and connected to put away the Thrashers. Two minutes before, Joltin’ Joe was whistled for a cross-check on Slava Kozlov, who, in the opinion of zebra Bill McCreary didn’t get in two jabs on Joe. Heater voiced his displeasure with The Moustache, who teed him up for two more. Result? Sens kill the second of the 5-on-3s, decide enough is enough with the Thrasher comeback, and end things. Heater, who scored his 199th earlier in the game, seemed to mock Ilya Kovalchuk’s first of the night, scoring in similar fashion on the far side … Speaking of which, the Thrashers seemed to want to get into a Far Side comic by making a mockery of diving. In the span of about a minute, Kovalchuk and newly-acquired vet Mark Recchi drew two penalties on four suspiciously easy fall-downs. First, the speedy Russian gets “hauled” down by Andrej Meszaros, then Recchi felt contact from Chris Phillips and fell. Recchi tried it before on Wade Redden, but the fellow league vet didn’t bite. Kovalchuk scored to make it 5-3 on the first 5-on-3, but the Sens saved their bite for the Heatley goal … It was just one of those games for the Thrashers, who have been up and down all season. They lost to the Leafs 4-0 only the night before, and maybe it was that plus the travel which did them in. A good example of Atlanta’s lack of attention: Atlanta blueliner Niclas Havleid (three giveaways on the night) with a third-period, horrible giveaway to Dean McAmmond, point-blank, who couldn’t believe his fortune. Second game of the back-to-back aside, the Thrashers had trouble containing the Sens, who held the zone slightly more than they usually do, and usually the Sens are excellent at it. Most obvious? Those battles along the boards and individual plays for the puck. The Sens were able to win those battles nine times out of 10 and wear out the already-weary visitors, whose only consistent effort came from Kovalchuk. The best Atlanta chance in the second period before the Perrin goal was a Steve McCarthy post … A great example of the Sens forcing the issue: when Mike Fisher went down with an abdominal injury in the first period, the fourth line of the hour, comprised of Dean McAmmond, Shean Donovan (who was the best skater in the first), and callup Cody Bass (playing his first NHL game), skated incredibly together, forcing three turnovers on one shift. It was an example of how they didn’t give the Thrashers any break from covering the Sens’ big guns, who rang up the score early …

… You can’t really say Alfie “saved his best for last,” but the captain did make sure to notch an assist on Antoine Vermette’s goal, the last one of the game, keeping his 10-game point streak alive. The captain’s best work—as it often is—was away from the scoresheet, as he battled for loose pucks, killed penalties, and drew a few in the process. Kanye West’s “Stronger” was the appropriate song of choice in the Bank right after Alexei Zhitnik hauled him down when Alfie forced a turnover. Amen. And though the captain’s a millionaire, we know he’s not a gold digger … Speaking of music, some Sens players have a certain song played over the PA when they score. Notables: U2’s “Beautiful Day” when Alfie pots one; Glenn Frye’s “The Heat is On” when Dany Heatley bulges twine; and of course, Mike Fisher has his own song, named in his honour by local band Thousand Foot Crutch. However, none is more appropriate than Kriss Kross’ “Jump” for Nick Foligno, who opened the scoring tonight. Nick’s on record as saying he wont do The Hop anymore, but to the Bank’s DJ Glenn Gower: good on ya for trying …

Christoph Schubert, who’s got a tendency towards humorous, over-the-top, and sarcastic facial expressions to go along with his similar personality, had two headshakes in these fashions tonight: firstly, when he was involved in a giveaway—which led to the Perrin goal from Recchi—in which he thought the puck went into the bench first; and secondly, when he missed a point-blank chance at the second period-ending horn off a gorgeous feed from the captain. If you saw them, thank the good CBC camera work … Speaking of chances, Recchi wasn’t going to miss that aforementioned 2-on-1 feed. An excellent passer (and suspected diving aside), there’s still room for a 39-year-old, wiley vet like Recchi. Nice to see him get new life as a Thrasher … Speaking of new life, Martin Gerber played solid when he was actually tested (shot count with 5 minutes to play in the second: 30-9, Sens), recovering somewhat from his mini-slump with another win. Darth Gerber played his angles well and shut down the Thashers on the second 5-on-3. The force is strong in this one. The Sens marketing staff played along with the new black mask-inspired nickname, using the Star Wars music and Vader’s breathing to accompany highlights right after one of his saves …

FUNNY STUFF: Yes, it was a CBC game, but with Bob Cole escaping the Line of the Night honours (again) because of the Leafs-Habs tilt, it was Garry Galley stepping up admirably: “He walked through and left everything on the ice except his jockstrap,” he offered, in reference to Vermette’s highlight-reel goal on Dallas last week while talking about another close one for tonight’s first star. A good one, Garry, but can you top it? “When Kovalchuk made the last zing, Recchi was already zagging,” said Galley when Recchi went off-side on the last Thrasher rush of the 5-on-3 before Corvo’s goal. Funny AND clever soundbites from the Ottawa native and former NHLer … Darth Gerber made a kick save off a solid Eric Cairns slapper from the wing in the first period, and you can’t help but laugh every time Cairns gets involved with kicking Senators. Remember the Havlat fight in 2005? … Maybe Recchi was “gambling” when he was risking a diving call while trying to draw those penalties in the third. Two of his three attempts took place in front of none other than the ad sign for the Casino du Lac Leamy in the corner …

Interesting Stat Line of the Night: Alfie, with one helper, five shots on goal, two missed shots, four hits, three takeaways, and four giveaways. Oddly enough, the Sens were awarded three more giveaways than Atlanta … The Sens have still not scored on a 5-on-3, dating back to last year’s playoffs. They had one tonight, and turned over the biscuit three times … It was nice to see Sens owner Eugene Melnyk and his wife host some underprivileged kids for a recent skate at the Bank, and the players visit CHEO for the annual Christmas visit. Especially for the players, the impact they have on young children—especially sick and underprivileged—is huge. One little conversation, a smile, or an autograph can lift spirits higher and take away the pain … Last but not least: a belated 2 Cents congratulations is in order to Wade Redden and Danica Topolnisky on their engagement. The latter was a solid University of Ottawa Gee-Gees basketball player when the Prez attended the U of O and was covering basketball for the campus paper. Danica has since worked with the alma mater, the Ottawa Lynx and the Sens in marketing/promotions capacities. Best of luck to the ultra-athletic couple, who might just produce either a hard-nosed hoopster, or a hockey player who could out-jump both Folignos combined.

2007-08 Regular Season, Game 25

2007-12-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

Rangers 5, Senators 2

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: Almost there, but not quite. Blair Betts’ (he played a pretty good game on the back end) empty-netter off a brutal cross-ice giveaway by Joe Corvo was significant, in that it spelled out how playing half a game isn’t good enough to snap the worst losing skid in seven years. Up till that point, the Sens overcame a sloppy first period and made a game of it, outshooting the Blueshirts 27-11 and outscoring them 2-0 after dropping the first four goals on 11 shots against. Of course, like Thursday’s Russian roulette display vs. the Predators, giving up the first goal kind of opens a floodgate. For the second game in a row, the defence and Martin Gerber kind of teamed up to chip in with enough mistakes to make sure the game was out of reach early on. The worst one? Jaromir Jagr walking right out into the slot and roofing one on Gerbs. There’s debate as to whether Alfie tipped it, but the captain didn’t by much if he did. Gerbs had a good look at it. The resurgent Sens netminder is in as much of a slump as the team as a whole, and everyone will be out of it soon enough … Speaking of good looks, the Rangers had more than the entire cast of Desperate Housewives. At the net, that is, especially the Jagr marker. They just did a good job of walking in, on the road, and firing biscuits at a struggling goalie and D. Makes you wonder if some of the Sens’ wives are reluctant to bring up their hubbys at dinner conversations these days, with the losing streak and all. At least we know Mike Fisher can go home alone (yes, he’s single, ladies) to a nice hot tub (designed by The Artistic Group, you know the overplayed commercial) and forget about it all. Maybe he, for one, has been in the tub thinking way too much about his personal scoring slump, now 13 games without a goal. That and his clearing attempt which found its way to Martin Straka on the left point, who had loads of time to feed Brendan Shanahan a perfectly-placed shot to tip in … On the subject, Dany Heatley should have had about three goals on the night. He did connect off of a gorgeous give-and-go from Jason Spezza, but that cross-ice slap pass from the Spezz Dispenser was thwarted by the steady Henrik Lundqvist, as was the power-play attempt where Spezza shook off two defenders to find Heatley alone in the slot. Lundqvist’s now got 11 wins in his last 14 battles, and was solid when the Ottawa skaters could actually muster either a good shot or a second chance at him. Rather ironic that he’s now stolen the torch—for how long, we don’t know—from the guy at the other end …

… Sometimes coaches are a tad reactionary when things go into the tank, and that’s what bench boss John Paddock seemed to be after the Sens coughed up four goals. He yanked Gerber after the first period, then started shuffling lines like a blackjack dealer. At first glance, it seemed kind of ridiculous. He broke up the Cash Line after the fourth goal and had a unit of Alfie-Kelly-Robitaille going for awhile. Then it was a return to Cash money, Corvo scores, and a switch back. In the third period, it was Fisher centring the captain and Kelly. Finally, Dealer Paddock throws out the full house, and Heatley scores with the help of fellow aces Spezza and Alfie. Seemed having the captain help to spread out the defensive awareness on another line helped give a comeback a chance, and putting him back with the Cash unit was timely for the scoring opportunites … An opportunity is something Brian McGrattan has been looking for, and he was arguably the Sens’ best player in the first period. A couple of strong drives to the net and an attempt to engage in fisticuffs with fellow pugilist Colton Orr helped to set a stronger tone for the second …

… It just wasn’t the same out there without shot-blocker artiste Anton Volchenkov. Or was it? Christoph Schubert, back on the blue line and helping to fill in for the A-Train, blocked one during a first-period penalty kill and got hurt (he kept playing and blocked one more). A-Train’s injury happened in the first as well … Speaking of “breaks,” (sorry A-Train!), Ottawa couldn’t buy one, seemingly, in any area of the game. Two icing calls in a row against the home team were followed up by one against the Rangers, a shift in which the Jagr line was tired. No change, right? Well, didn’t matter, as a TV timeout came right afterward … Joe Corvo played an otherwise solid game, despite the giveaway at the end. Two goals in two games for the slick-skating defenceman, who also had four more shot attempts blocked. In fact, it was Joltin’ Joe’s fleet of foot that made the difference between his hauling-down of Petr Prucha during a breakaway ruled as a minor penalty, and not a penalty shot …

FUNNY STUFF: Jim Hughson, calling the game on CBC with Garry Galley (he usually does the Western games), is one of the best at his craft. The Line of the Night, courtesy of him, came in the first: “Get some oxygen, take a number, you’ll be ready to go,” he said of Chris Neil, when Neiler tried to fight Colton Orr at the end of a tiring shift … As mentioned, Brian McGrattan played a fantastic first period and helped to get his team going. So much so that during a rush into the Ranger zone, his stick got hacked out of his hands by Fedor Tyutin and it twirled up and into the timekeeper’s bench. Smart move by Grats. May as well bribe the timekeepers with a souvenir or two and ensure some, you know, home cooking? … The Viagra advertising sign has been moved around a bit between the home and visitor’s benches lately. Before being moved back to the Ranger side for the third (same thing happened at the Predators game), it was right beside a McDonald’s ad in front of the Ottawa bench, which said—you guessed it—“I’m Lovin’ It.” Insert your own joke here … Speaking of jokes, CBC had to be joking when it showed a comparison of last year’s standings and this year’s, which is OK except when shown in the form of Ron MacLean’s spotty penmanship. Co-host P.J. Stock “complimented” it … Last but not least, how’s this for the Chummiest Interview of the Year? After the game, former Team Canada captain and gold medallist Cassie Campbell interviewed Rangers coach Tom Renney, who coached the Canadian men’s program for years. It just gave off a vibe of a chat between friends, especially when Cassie said “Do you want to say hi to anyone back home?” It was a clever way for Cassie to remind Tom to wish his parents a happy 62nd wedding anniversary, if he had forgotten.

2007-08 Regular Season, Game 21

2007-11-22T22:45:00.000-08:00

Penguins 6, Senators 5 (SO)

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: Jarko Ruutu, the most unlikely of psychics, had the last laugh on the night as the Pens’ agitator potted the shootout winner, glove-side, through Martin Gerber’s legs. It was Ruutu, who, after the second diving call in a row against him in the first period, laughed his way over to the sin bin to serve his time. It’s almost as if these sarcastic, laughing facial expressions foreshadowed the fact that he’d be serving up the last laugh. He certainly did, putting an end to what was a weird, wild night of hockey at Snowy-bank Place (three cheers for another Ottawa winter!). Talk about bookending a night, what with that thundering bodycheck on Wade Redden to open up the pleasantries right after puck drop. The best part? With the pay-per-view feed failing (again)—it happened a few times last year—Ottawa viewers watching the subbed-in Fox Sports Net feed from Pittsburgh got to see the hit nominated as the “Subway Sandwich of the Night.” For his part, Redden played the next 24:08 of his night pretty well, making slick passes and taking a few more hits to make plays. As for his favourite sub? Let’s just say Wade won’t ‘Finnish’ his order tonight … Making plays, on the subject, was something first star Jason Spezza did pretty well. Two goals, one assist, plus-1 and the Sens’ only shootout marker. Only problem? A tad too many giveaways tonight. He was dinged with two by the stat crew, but probably had at least five. It’s that leeway we’ve all allowed him to have, and tonight was one of those nights where he tries everyone’s patience to the breaking point but still comes out ahead. He’s still a defensive liability at times, none worse than during Sergei Gonchar’s tying goal, as the sight of Spezza standing at the faceoff dot watching Gonchar (who snuck into the short side uncovered) was painful. Still, the Spezz Dispenser is indispensable. He rung a shot off the crossbar in OT … Speaking of faulthood, callup Alexander Nikulin takes the cake, as he made the fatal mistake of trying to pokecheck at the puck, instead of stopping the man, when he was the last defender back at the blueline. Furthermore, the puck was on the stick of Evgeni Malkin, who of course made quick work of his inexperienced fellow countryman, undressing him for a pretty partial breakaway goal. Speaking of Alex, if you haven’t read his Bingo blog, do so. It’s quite entertaining … Speaking of goals, the shootout-trying goal by Erik Christensen was correctly allowed to stand. Christensen didn’t interfere with Gerbs on the play, which saw the puck bounce off his right pad, onto the keeper’s arm, and into the goal …

… So the flightless birds avenge last year’s playoff loss to the Sens, albeit barely and temporarily. Some things have changed, notably Colby “the witch” Armstrong being usurped by newcomer Ruutu as the thorn-in-the-side. However, most things haven’t, including Marc-André Fleury getting yanked (remember Round 1, Game 1), the overrated Georges Laraque not being a factor, and of course, Sidney Crosby getting booed. Don’t know what to think about the booing – arguably, he’s the next Wayne Gretzky. Would The Great One, or say, Crosby’s former teammate Mario Lemieux, get booed at the Bank? That one’s up for Rhetorical Question of the Year … Speaking of Crosby, one helper got him back on track after being held pointless for the first time in 19 games the night before. The twist? It was such a complete game on the scoresheet for all the other birds that he didn’t need to do much more. Ryan Malone has developed into quite a force (three points on the night) in his young career, as have many of the young core of the team, all of which stepped up tonight. You can bet many GMs will be chomping at the bit with offer sheets once they’re up for some new cash. Malone makes $1.38 million and is unrestricted in the summer. Fleury makes $1.2 million and is up this summer; Jordan Staal and Evgeni Malkin are up in the summer of ’09. All three are restricted and due for hefty raises. Will this core stay together? …

… so Chris Phillips gets a power play goal on some rare PP time. Perhaps that’s the reason Michel Therrien yanked Fleury, trying to jolt the team into shape. If so, it worked … Speaking of working, the captain nearly did his best Ruutu impression in the third, as he fell down when making contact with Malkin to try and draw a penalty. A crafty Alfie drew referee-directed boos from his beloved faithful in protest, but the zebras made the right non-call … Speaking of Malkin, he was stoned cold by Gerber with 2:59 to go from point-blank. Both goalies let in lots of rubber, but both were also good, especially Dany Sabourin in relief, who stopped all but one of the 18 shots he faced during a wild third-period Sens charge … Stat Line of the Night: Sens D-man supreme, Anton Volchenkov, played over 25 minutes but spent a whopping 9:09 on the PK. He blocked three more shots tonight and still leads the league. If you haven’t already, join the ever-growing movement, a la Rory Fitzpatrick last year, to vote the A-Train into the All-Star Game …

FUNNY STUFF: Colour man Gord Wilson, alluding to being able to hear either Phillips or Gerber from the press box as one of them yelled, mistakenly called the Sens keeper “Gerbil.” Laugh if you must, but it kind of makes sense, as he was basically scurrying around the crease all night in this barnburner. Wilson had another funny line when Fleury got pulled: “Maybe he just had to go to the bathroom,” said Wilson just before Fleury re-appeared in the tunnel, mask still on … After Christoph Schubert scored his third-period go-ahead goal, he laid quite the doozy of a smooch on Andrej Meszaros’ helmet. I guess even those tough Germans don’t have a thing for other bearded men. Remember that Doug Gilmour was clean-shaven when Grapes laid one on him … What’s neat about pay-per-view games is that there are no commercials, This means you can hear what’s going on in the arena during scheduled TV timeouts, and during one of those timeouts, you could faintly hear the Foo Fighters’ hit “Hero” being blasted over the PA, except with an unlucky contestant singing along for a karaoke contest. Dave Grohl, your job is safe … One fan in the front row had a sign saying “Gerbie Gerbeson is the REAL #1!” It caused a few players to do double-takes, including the Gerbil himself, apparently … Last but not Least: Sens assistant coach Greg Carvel, answering a question from Ian Mendes on the physical first period, said this: “Our playoff series with them was the most physical series we had.” Really? Oops. I really hope no Anaheim Ducks caught that snippet of the interview.

2007-08 Regular Season, Game 4

2007-10-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

Senators 4, Devils 2

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: No turkey hangover here! The home team improves to 4-0 on the season after raking in two piles of leaves, outlawing the lone rangers, and exorcising some demons. All 18,260 on hand at the Bank (first non-sellout in a meaningful game since Cupid hooked up 18,561 bums with seats last Valentine’s Day) had something hockey-related to be thankful for, despite an inconsistent second period and part of a third. The Cash Line continues to gobble up the league, collectively stuffing eight more points onto the league leaderboard. Highlights abounded tonight with the money unit, notably so on the second goal of the game, where the script looked to be drawn up as per usual: the captain corrals the puck along the half boards, feeds Jason Spezza, who dispenses a pass to Heat– oh wait, former Senators D-man Karel Rachunek got some lumber on it too! Anyway, script continued normally from there; Heater converted the slot pass, Rachunek remembered what team he was on, and shoved Dany over for good measure. The pass was unintentional of course, but quite entertaining … Entertaining comes to mind for the supporting cast as well, which had a solid night. Chris Kelly’s goal was the result of some fantastic blue-collar hack-away by Antoine Vermette, who opened the year’s scoring and was a star on the afternoon. He slid the puck over to Kelly, who connected on hack #2. Smartest play? Chris Neil, literally using his head and ducking while sitting on the ice with his noggin dangerously next to Kelly’s shooting lane … Speaking of Neiler, the quick dust-up with David Clarkson was quick because he was caught off-guard, but he was feisty enough while lying on the bottom that the young Clarkson made sure to check his chiclets afterwards … On the subject, the Sens were probably checking their, figuratively, after an aforementioned wobbly second. Still, they hung on. One one play, a Wade Redden clearing attempt ended up bouncing to “Tiny” Brian Gionta, as the 42-goal scorer broke in on Martin Gerber point-blank, but the Ottawa netminder stood tall. He was equally solid later on in the frame, when he outwaited and forced outside a charging Patrik Elias to the outside of a yawning 6x4. Gonna be a goalie controversy soon enough when Razor’s back …

… As mentioned, the second period was the Devils’. Not many scoring chances abounded, but they battled back and definitely had more of an edge, in obvious fashion when they held the Cash Line in check towards the end of the frame. They also made the most of any chances, notably on the Asham goal. They played smartly as well, when they forced the tired pairing of Redden and Andrej Meszaros to stay out for nearly three minutes after the Gionta chance … Speaking of chances, there’s a good chance Zach Parise’s goal wouldn’t have counted if not for the new HD overhead cameras that will be in all league rinks by the end of next week. There was just enough high-def white between the biscuit and the goal line for it to be conclusive. Lucky for Zach they’re already installed in the Bank … Conclusive was definitely the word on Wade Redden’s game-winner in the third, which also went to reply but was more obvious. Still, the episodes, along with the Heatley goal in the home opener last week, were perfect examples of how the league’s idea was worth the extra cash … Extra dough from that new $21 million deal is something Mike Fisher’s been earning sp far, especially with his physical play. Two big hits punctuated his night: firstly, the corner hit in the first period which prompted colour man Garry Galley to say “He created space for himself in the first three rows.” There was also the running back-style bump to Parise which flipped the youngster. At the end of the day, Mike does it cleanly …

… Today’s matinee was the first 2 Cents report on a game with Dean Brown and Garry Galley at the mike. Naturally, this made for some excellent one-liners. In lieu of the Line of the Night, we’ll go over a few gems. Firstly, Dean mentioned that 14 former NHLers had sons playing in the league this year, to which former journeyman defenceman Galley retorted “And you thought I played with all of them.” Galley’s three-rows line about the Fisher hit was funny too, but Brown added some well-directed sarcasm in the first: “There’s #27, you know him– nope,” he said in reference to defenceman Mike Motteau wearing the digits that used to belong to longtime Devils star blueliner Scott Niedermayer. Brown, who added, “I couldn’t resist,” was bang-on in questioning the move to not retire Niedermayer’s number, and sharply pointed out that GM Lou Lamoriello made sure Ken Daneyko and Scott Stevens—both of whom retired and spent their entire careers as Devils—both got theirs hung in the rafters. Niedermayer bolted the swamp, prompting suspicions of bitterness … On the subject, Jay Pandolfo has to feel somewhat bitter. The perennial Selke nominee, who today played in his 285th straight game and was a key to those championships, still does not serve as a captain or alternate. He and Sergei Brylin, who have both been there longer than the three current alternates of Elias, Gionta and Danius Zubrus, have got to feel confused. Here’s an all-in bet of two cents that new head coach Brent Sutter was trumped by Lamoriello for letter selection …

… Stat Line of the Night: 10 blocked shots (five each) for Anton Volchenkov and Chris Phillips, which tied them with the entire Devils squad. The Sens got in a way of a total of 25. It might be October, but this is a big reason why the Sens dispatched the younger Devils in five last spring … Anyone else think Devils assistant Larry Robinson is using Just for Men? The salt-and-pepper look suits him much better … Martin Gerber catching a rut and falling down early in the first period was extra funny since he synchronized his tumble with the direction of Chris Phillips’ stop behind the net to corral puck. Right after, the Bank faithful booed. Jury’s still out on whether they were grading the fall or a shaky stretch of play leading up to it …. Last but not least: let’s put the rivalry aside and extend the thoughts and prayers of Sens Nation to Maple Leafs forward Jason Blake and his family. Blake, the Leafs’ star new acquisition, was diagnosed with leukemia on Friday but apparently the prognosis is good and he will fight it while still being able to play. During this Thanksgiving season, it’s another reason to be thankful for good health, which can change at any time.

2007-08 Regular Season, Game 1

2007-10-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

Ottawa 4, Toronto 3 (OT)

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: The Heat is on! The newly-minted richest member of the Cash Line cashed in with a fine performance, scoring the OT winner past Andrew Raycroft. Three points on night number one with the new $45 million, six-year extension in his back pocket? A mighty fine start. And how about doing it the hard way? Off an Anton Volchenkov hit to make a play, Mike Fisher shakes off a Leaf himself, plays give-and-go with Heater, heads for the wing, and feeds him with a laser-guided pass which Heater had zero room for error with, as Chad Kilger was right in front of him. Boom. Five-hole, and Dany heads for the side glass in exactly the same fashion that Alfie did the last time the Sens scored when it mattered in OT, in that big Game 5 winner to win the East. That’s 15 goals for Dany in 20 career games vs. Hogtown. Best part? It’s now three years in a row that the Sens have spoiled the Buds’ home curtain-raiser (2005’s 3-2 shootout win, 2006’s 4-1 win). And come to think of it, the 48th Highlanders, an opening night tradition that began with the first game at the old Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931, bear a striking resemblance to the Sens’ colours with their gold, red, and black duds. For the record, the Leafs lost that 1931 opener 2-1 to the Blackhawks. It’s a nice tradition, but maybe it’s time for some new luck. That or get them hired, pronto, at the Bank … Speaking of the Sens’ barn, the two teams will hook up there on Thursday in the back half of the home-and-home, and the question remains – who will be the starting goalie for the Leafs? In the Official Presidential Opinion, Raycroft should be between the pipes. Sure, the Leafs gave up a lot—including yet another first-round pick—to get Vesa Toskala, but Raycroft outperformed him in the preseason and coach Paul Maurice was right to start him tonight. He had some fantastic saves, none prettier than three in particular off his left pad: firstly, stopping Chris Kelly’s second-period breakaway, stoning Joe Corvo’s dance to the net in the third, and Patrick Eaves’ equally-impressive dance. The funny part? Raycroft was jeered by the ACC “faithful” and quite loudly when Wade Redden cleared the puck out of his own zone during a first-period penalty kill and right on him. The same crowd then cheers his play, sans le sarcasm, later on. Fickle Leaf Nation, methinks? … Speaking of Redden, those fights he got in really helped get him going after a subpar season and playoffs. The second one in particular with Bates Battaglia also helped fire up the team, no doubt aware he was hurt earlier in the period. Reds sported a nice gash on his forehead but was none the worse for wear …

… So Mats Sundin fails to score goal #389 on the night to tie the great Darryl Sittler for tops all-time on the Leaf goals list. Everyone in the place, including Darryl, thought he had it when Nick Antropov’s first of two on the night actually went in off Chris Phillips’ skate. Darryl had nothing but nice things to say about Mats and him both having served as captains of the team, and both dealing with the pressure of doing so. “It was a lot of pressure playing back then, under Harold Ballard,” he told TSN’s Dave Randorf, unable to resist taking a pot shot at the late, eccentric former Leafs owner. Good point. No way GM John Ferguson Jr. would be keeping his job if the old geezer was still around … Back to the Sens: Martin Gerber played another solid game on the night, not having much of a chance on the first Antropov goal or the Stajan go-ahead marker. Notable stops: the Blake pokecheck & subsequent stoning of Boyd Devereaux point-blank, the two big ones on that first-period Leafs power play from Bryan McCabe’s point cannon and the Tucker rebound, as well as the Blake shot in OT from the left …

… The Sens had a brutal second period and a bit of a bad first one as well. Mistakes and giveaways were the mantra, even in the first when a normally flawless Alfie coughed up a few biscuits and rushed a shot on Ottawa’s 5-on-3. Redden and Spezza were guilty parties too, as the sharp Leaf defence (Wozniewski and Gill were great on Spezza), in particular on the penalty kill, forced the latter into some bad turnovers. Gerbs kept the Sens in it in the second, albeit in it on their heels, after an Alfie cough-up (he and the Spezz dispenser had four giveaways each) forced a Tomas Kaberle-led rush which ended in a big save. A stupid Phillips delay-of-game penalty for moving the net finally caused a kink in the armour. 3-2 Leafs on the aforementioned Stajan goal. Funny how Stajan, after unwittingly providing a nice screen for Alfie on the captain’s goal, made up for it. It was just the general feeling that the home team would bust through on its hard work, and it did. But an 12-4 Sens shot count in the third, along with an anemic Leafs 0-7 power play, would be the momentum-changing difference. How about Mike Fisher too? Wow ...

… Some fantastic TSN camera work throughout, with three shots in particular: firstly, of Sens GM Bryan Murray clutching a pen tightly in his hand following Heater sitting down after popping his first. Murray looked either nervous after handing out $45 million to one guy, or like the height of his new (well, kind of familiar you’d think) press box perch was taking some getting used to. Either way, funny stuff. Another fun shot? The one that caught Leafs’ assistant Keith Action seemingly trying to cover a giggle with his hand when discussing something (probably the Redden targeting plan) with Maurice, who did his best poker face. Thirdly and also amusing was the capture of league boss Gary Bettman schmoozing in the platinums, flanked by Toronto Mayor David Miller on his left and MLSE bigwig/Raptors governor Larry Tanenbaum on his left. Bettman and Miller were chatting it up and having a great time, while Tanenbaum, looking bored out of his mind, was probably counting down the days until the Raps open on Halloween …

… TSN Line of the Night: “Maybe he should be the starting goalie against Ottawa (on Thursday),” offered Gord Miller, poking fun at the Leafs’ goalie controversy after Tomas Kaberle blocked two Joe Corvo shots. No Don Cherry Suit Rating until 2 Cents covers the next CBC game, but there was that commercial with golf great Gary Player, who was sporting a nifty zip-up cream turtleneck with a black jacket. Eight out of 10 style points to the Presidents Cup captain, who smartly picked Mike Weir (who, of course, beat Tiger) for the team … Stat Line of the Night: Anton Volchenkov, with three hits and six blocked shots. Welcome back for another year, A-Train. Notably, Jason Blake looked good and led all shooters with seven … Interesting Stat of the Night: Sens had 19 giveaways to the Leafs’ 11, but the Buds edged the Sens 17-13 in missed shots … Last but not least: the Eastern Conference Champions banner gets raised to the roof at the Bank on Thursday. Bittersweet as that might be, the place will go nuts. And judging by the Sens’ record-setting season-ticket holder count of 13,000+ thus far, Leaf Nation might put forth its smallest Bank crowd ever.

2007 Preseason, Game 5: 9-25-2007

2007-09-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

Senators 4, Flyers 2

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: Nothing wrong with physical play, as the soon-to-be record-setting number of fights in league preseason play edged up significantly in tonight’s Flyers-Sens tilt. Unfortunately, that number was given a shot in the arm due to that flying shot out of nowhere to Dean McAmmond, courtesy of hothead Flyers prospect Air Steve Downie. McAmmond had his melon down on the play, but that probably mattered little as Air Steve was in full, but uncontrolled takeoff mode. Thought to be somewhat reformed and level-headed following his world junior performance which somewhat erased the memory of his dustup with an Oshawa Generals teammate in an OHL practice––an incident which forced a trade to Windsor––Downie has just killed his chance at making the Flyers this season, not only by the despicable act itself, but by the fact that he will docked 25 games minimum based on recent precedents (see: Chris Simon, Todd Bertuzzi). Downie brings the physical edge and was trying to make an impression on the Philly coaching staff in time for last camp cuts. He did what any physical young kid is going to do, and that is take a run at an established NHLer. Worst part? He’s labelled once again as a dirty player, one that the Flyers will be forced to cut since he won’t be playing over a quarter of the campaign anyway. This suspension could even scratch him from the lineup card into next season. All for one mindless play, which could also cost McAmmond a good chunk of the season. All Sens fans know Dean’s value to the team as its fastest skater, one of the best penalty-killers, and sadly, now one of the most targeted (are you listening, Chris Pronger?). With two concussions happening within just over three months of each other, Dean’s long-term health is now an issue … Only positive from this sad situation is that it could give a bubble player like Nick Foligno a further chance to make the team out of camp, at the very least until Dean recovers. He was solid again tonight; smart and strong are plays that come to mind, especially during the second period where he drew a hook on Denis Gauthier …

… The game itself was actually quite boring until the wild second period which included the infamous hit and the ensuing melee, featuring very little except for the Meszaros hit and two bad Flyer goals. Ray Emery, making his first start since Game 5 of the final back on June 6, struggled mightily on the few times he was actually challenged. Both goals came on the (healed and rusty) glove hand side, and both times Anton Volchenkov came over to help Razor out. Hopefully it’s sooner rather than later that Razor finds his groove again, and A-Train can get his masterful shot-blocking defence back into form. They need each other … Speaking of those needing each other, the water cooler and bar talk all over town (up until the McAmmond hit) was about Dany Heatley’s possible new contract extension being in the works. However, since Kevin Lowe is GM in this league (Google “Thomas Vanek” and “Kevin Lowe” together), and Jason Spezza will be a restricted freebie in July, it’d be wise to get both locked up now since the Sens can’t compete with ridiculous offer sheets. Not only that, but these guys are dynamite together and it’d be symbolic to have a side-by-side press conference announcing that both are back in the fold for next year. With Wade Redden’s expected departure along with his $6.5 million off the books, it makes room for Spezza but could force a cap squeeze-out of Antoine Vermette or Chris Kelly, but better to lock up the Spezz Dispenser …

… Back to the game: it was painfully obvious that the Flyers, who were playing the second of three straight games, were resting most of their stars as opposed to the Sens, who iced mostly regulars. The Flyers were a step behind and taking dumb penalties––10 to be exact, including six in a row––which cost them any chance of holding that 2-1 early lead. Never, ever give the Sens any sort of extra-man life, as the Leafs found out in OT the previous night. In fact, Spezza tried the same circling-of-prey move in the first period. Didn’t work out, but maybe it set the tone, as well as the floodgate release switch for the second … Scottie Upshall had a decent game, save for the cough-up to Alfie for the Sens’ first goal. Alfie continues a fantastic preseason with another two points on the night … The night belonged to Patrick Eaves, however, with two goals and two helpers. Seemed the only thing he couldn’t do was heave his darn lumber over the glass for a souvenir on the first try. Sure, he doesn’t get much practice since he hasn’t been named a star all that often but c’mon Patty, these light composite sticks pretty much weigh the same as Calista Flockhart … Speaking of famous people, Joe Corvo has undoubtedly seen many from his days living as a King in Los Angeles, but the smiley (Game 2 OT winner vs. Buffalo) yet intense and dramatic (down on himself after the New Year’s OT giveaway) defenceman should definitely star in the next hockey movie, say Slap Shot, if there is one. After tonight’s PP cannon, it’s only further proof that his slap shot is also star quality …

… Again, with Rogers TV capably at the helm tonight, here’s the Line of the Night: “There’s padding there,” remarked Team 1200 personality-turned-colour man Lee Versage on the referee taking a puck in the midsection. “Better to have it there, than off a bone, or something else,” he added cheekily, as play-by-play partner Ed Hand agreed awkwardly … Excellent camera work too, catching the Ben (over) Eager retaliation slash on Razor, but more importantly, the subtle jab that stirred up revenge in the youngster … Official Presidential Opinion: There are some that say it was a mistake for the Flyers to sign hulking (and slowing down) d-man Derian Hatcher a year ago, but there’s still a role for him in this new NHL. Two goals tonight as well as six apiece in the hits and blocks categories? Speed helps, but size is good too … Last but not least: it’s an honour for the President to now be joining up with the largest Sens group on Facebook. And here’s the best part: supporting your Sens is an actual GOOD reason to be on the darned, addictive, time-wasting website.

2007 Preseason, Game 2: 9-20-2007

2007-09-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

Senators 5, Capitals 4

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: A little preseason 2 Cents action to whet the appetite! The Eastern Conference champs return home to the Bank for the first time since June 4, which saw the home team fall 3-2 to the Ducks in Game 4 of the final. One-goal games, a bit of an Achillies’ heel for the Sens in recent years, did not factor in tonight despite a Caps’ resurgence at the end … Star of tonight’s show? None other than Nick Foligno, whose presence all over the ice tonight earned him second star honours, but more importantly, the Official Presidential Opinion: that, of course, that he will be in the lineup when the Sens get things going for real October 3 vs. the Leafs. The kid has responded to coach John Paddock calling him out through the media at the start of camp with back-to-back solid games to open the preseason. How about that goal, the result of a highlight-reel feed from gritty acquisition Shean Donovan in the corner, who fed Foligno, who slid a slicker feed to Kelly? Well if that wasn’t pretty enough, the son of Mr. Hop (those aged 20-ish and under may need to Google the ‘Foligno Hop’) danced his way in for that second-period, game-tying water bottler-rattler over a helpless Olaf Kolzig. It’s only two preseason games, but he looks ready to crack that fourth line and maybe beat out Brian McGrattan for a regular spot … Speaking of that October 3 opener, it might just be an interesting sideshow for Mike Foligno and Thomas Steen (son Alex is a Leaf) to watch their sons play each other. Seems like just yesterday that they were involved in epic battles with the Leafs and Jets, respectively. Recent retirees who played with them: Tie Domi and recent Cup champ Teemu Selanne. Domi actually played with both Steens … But back to the Bank: no slouch himself on the night was the captain. Alfie, who on one of his first shifts kind of coasted around and still looked good, playing catch with potential linemate Antoine Vermette then dropping a blind setup to Christoph Schubert, looks like he’s focused and ready for big things again. And only Alfie could do no wrong and make a blunder look good, as he fanned on his point shot, only to feed Dany Heatley for that slo-mo go-ahead marker in the third. And let’s not forget him tallying the Sens’ first of the game, as he did his best Fat Joe impression, doing a lean-back to pop a perfect Spezza offering top shelf. While he wasn’t doing the Roc-a-Wear, here’s a safe bet that the nifty new Sens duds will outsell Jay-Z’s clothing line in the 613 anyday. Especially #11 ones. But you know, some fly black Roca jeans could complement it nicely. So necessary…

… It was more of an average night for Martin Gerber, surrendering three goals on 18 shots after turning away all 52 two nights ago against the grounded Flyers. The first goal in particular might showcase a ‘stretch’ of an observation on the tight new jerseys (minimum one pun per 2 Cents), but that was a rather bad bounce of a rebound off Gerbs’ chest which Chris Clark potted home. Think the older, baggier sweaters might’ve been better for swallowing chest shots? Something to ponder … On the subject, Leafs coach Paul Maurice takes the cake for the day’s best tightness joke: “He’s suffering from general body stiffness,” he said about forward Kyle Wellwood, which was quickly followed by a red-faced grin and a refusal to elaborate. Perhaps because he used that adjective to describe a player whose name ends in “-wood”… But back to the goalie situation: Gerber’s replacement in the pipes, prospect Brian Elliott, played extremely solid. Of note, he stymied former Sens prospect Jakub Klepis on three separate occasions, notably once on a second-period chance right in the slot. Right before that, he turned aside Tomas Fleischmann from the right side. Elliott seemed to see the puck quite well through screens, only surrendered one goal, albeit a pretty one. Fleischmann passed the puck to himself off the end boards, spun and fed phenom Alex Ovechkin, who’s been known to score nice goals from time to time … Speaking of Ovechkin, either it’s a coincidence or the Senators had a little fun with the placement of tonight’s advertising signs. Tonight saw the pride of Russia in front of the Caps’ bench (Smirnoff Ice ad) and on the bench itself (Ovechkin). Two days removed from his 22nd birthday, maybe he’s indulged a bit recently. Who knows, after being frustrated by the Sens’ defence for a large portion of the game, including a solid first-period Wade Redden check, he might want to … Other former Sens playing: Brian Pothier and Brooks Laich. As usual, Pothier, a solid stay-at-home defenceman, led all Caps in ice time and probably will lead the league again this year …

… Other Prospects Watch: the highly-touted Nicklas Backstrom was rather quiet on the night, playing under 20 minutes, with no points and was a minus-1. Sens hopefuls Josh Hennessy, Brian Lee, and Cody Bass might find themselves headed to Bingo if the Foligno Show keeps running strong, but all three played ok. Bass smartly took a page out of the Anton Volchenkov manual by blocking a point shot with the Sens up one with just over three minutes to play. Hennessy showed some fleet of foot with a 180-degree spin on one rush. Lee took an undisciplined cross-checking penalty in the third period which led to Tom Poti scoring right off the faceoff. A tough, but quick lesson for the youngster … Patrick Eaves made a strong case to be a regular on the Cash Line with a solid effort on the night, notably on the power play. The first goal, which was waved off, saw Eaves hold his ground in front and pop in the biscuit despite being pushed in by Boyd Gordon. His presence in front of the net could make the difference and allow him rebound opportunities off Spezza and Heatley offerings. You know he’s got a chip on his shoulder to make an impact after being sidelined for most of the playoffs … Speaking of Cash Line auditions, Chris Phillips had one of his own as he jumped out of the box and joined Heatley on a 3-on-2. He was half-expecting the pass from Heater, and amusingly bumbled it. Unfortunately, Big Rig also bumbled and deflected a Tomas Fleischmann pass attempt into his own net in the dying ticks of the first period. We don’t need to re-hash what happened last time he did …

… Official Presidential Rant: again, more non-related jerseys, including those of the Stars and Leafs, were spotted at the game. Why? … As pointed out by colour man Tim Higgins, the Bank was rather quiet at times. I’ll say it again, non-playoff Ottawa crowds are sometimes a letdown. Get up and cheer, people … Speaking of Higgins, he and the local Rogers crew did an excellent job. It’s here where the Don Cherry Suit Rating usually appears in 2 Cents, but in lieu of Grapes, we’ll single out studio host Matt McCooye for his simple yet sold black jacket and award an eight out of 10. Also in lieu of the Bob Cole Line of the Night is this Higgins line: “Everyone knows how important they are,” he remarked in regards to a 5-on-3 opportunity the Sens had. Obvious? Maybe, but don’t forget the last two times the Sens had a 5-on-3, one each in Games 1 and 2 of the final, and blew them. Both were one-goal games, too … Two excellent examples of camera work: the second-period shot of a rather intense Brian McGrattan on the bench, and a reassuring capture of Spartacat and his Master Blaster. There is simply nothing better than the thrill of free hot dogs, and the between-whistles entertainment. Welcome back Sparty, and happy 15th birthday this October … Lawrence Nycholat had a feisty game on the back end, and it will prove to be quite the fight for playing time between him and Luke Richardson for that sixth defenceman spot … Last but not least: our humble Go Red playoff group’s General Manager is in Ghana for a work assignment, but is following our Sens on radio whenever he can. After our Team Chemistry Coordinator and Fisher Fan Club VP visited Africa, maybe the third group officer to visit those shores could be the charm to a Stanley Cup? Stay tuned …

Senators vs Ducks: Round 4, Game 5

2007-06-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

Ducks 6, Senators 2

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: The handshake between the two captains in the postgame line put to rest any animosity that might have hung over from Game 4, when Alfie fired a puck at Scott Niedermayer, this year’s Conn Smythe winner. In a way, it also solidified once and for all Alfie’s playoff effort this year as a classy and tirelessly hardworking leader. His two goals tonight really punctuated not only his numbers (14 goals, 22 points) but his sheer will. That shorthander with Ryan Getzlaf all over his back was particularly incredible. He could not be stopped, even by the huge Getzlaf. Unfortunately the team was … Alas, it is over, and Ottawa bows out in five. Painfully obvious, moreso now than ever, Anaheim was no doubt the better team. A different type of beast than the inexperienced Penguins, the slower Devils, and the smaller Sabres, the Ducks forced the Sens onto their heels and took away space. There’s nothing much else to say other than to give credit where credit is due. The hottest team in the NHL since December would not be stopped or figured out by anyone. Anyone except the Ducks, which used a perfect combination of size, strength and sheer overwhelming will. Not to take away anything away from them, but they sure got some bounces as well … On the subject of bounces, none was worse than Chris Phillips’ misplaced clearout which sounded the Sens’ death knell as it dragged in off Ray Emery’s skates. The comparisons to Steve Smith’s hiccup in 1984 vs. Calgary are uncanny. Of course, Smith’s Oilers would lose that series but would also go on to win five Cups. With the Sens keeping their nucleus for next year, who’s to say they can’t win at least one? … As for Phillips, that bad break certainly was not indicative of his season and playoff run. Signing this guy for four more years before the playoffs started was a smart move by GM John Muckler, who also signed Anton Volchenkov at the same time.

… Watching the Ducks run up the score and raise Stanley at the end of the game was like a punch in the stomach to all Sens fans. The consolation is that many of them are hard-working Canadian kids (or players with Canadian connections) like Saskatchewan farmhand Travis Moen, world junior champ Corey Perry, or the giant Ryan Getzlaf. The big forward, perhaps so lost in the euphoria of winning the title, forgot he was on national (G-rated) TV had the funniest postgame reaction. “We played our (er, male hardware, in pairs) off tonight,” he remarked … It was also nice to see Scott Niedermayer not only win the Conn Smythe, but help brother Rob raise his first Cup. A sigh of relief no doubt came over their mother, who this time could smile happily and cheer for both, unlike in 2003 when Scott’s Devils defeated Rob’s Ducks … Happily shedding the label of third-longest-serving player to never win a cup was former Jets star Teemu Selanne … J.S. Giguere, who many picked to win the MVP again, took home his first Cup despite health issues with his newborn son in the first round … Ottawa and Almonte natives, Sean O’Donnell and Kent Huskins respectively, represented the area …

More to come on Thursday!

Senators vs Ducks: Round 4, Game 4

2007-06-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

Ducks 3, Senators 2

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: You can’t win a Stanley Cup by taking two periods off. Might sound a little harsh, but the score did flatter the Sens somewhat (the Ducks struck iron three times), as the hockey, er, hotbed of California is on the verge of celebrating its first championship. For the second Cup final loss in a row, rain fell on the Capital and has put quite a damper on such a promising season that now hangs in the balance. Similar to the team’s turnaround after an 18-18-1 sputter to start the season, a turnaround of epic proportions—in proportion—needs to happen now. There will be plenty to think about on the five-hour flight to Anaheim tomorrow, but it will all add up to one thing: a glorious and missed opportunity. All three losses the Sens have suffered in the final have been by one goal, whether the score flattered them or not … In this dark hour, let’s roll back the clock one year for some Canadian inspiration: Edmonton, down 3-1 in its series vs. Carolina, storms back in double OT off Fernando Pisani’s hot stick. 3-2. Series shifts back to Edmonton, where the Oilers absolutely manhandle their way to a decisive 4-0 victory, making the whole thing a best-of-one. The Hurricanes squeaked out Game 7, of course, on an empty-netter to win the game 3-1, but it could have gone either way. All this to say, the Sens have it in them to shift momentum on the road, in similar fashion, in a pivotal Game 5. The cruel irony is that former Oiler Chris Pronger is on the other side of the ice … Speaking of the elbow artist, the Ducks showed incredibly resiliency without him last night. Second star Francois Beauchemin was fantastic, playing a game-high 31:40, blocking three shots and registering three. His only real blunder came early in the third where he appeared a little tired and took a penalty for dropping Peter Schaefer with his free hand after allowing the Sens’ stickhandle artist to gain the zone … Speaking of the zone, especially in the final period the Ducks were all over the Sens and seemed to have at least one guy on every Senator who dared go in deep. Problem was, there didn’t always seem to be enough getting in there. No example was more glaring than with about 30 seconds left, where Dany Heatley didn’t seem to hustle in as hard as possible to take one last desperate effort … In a nutshell: Sens have it in them to win three straight. They beat the league’s top scorer, top goalie, and highest-scoring team in five games apiece. They’re simply facing a different beast. Only problem is, their margin of error is hovering around zero now …

… So Andy McDonald burns the Sens again with two on the night. That’s three in two games now, and you know he wasn’t going to forget hitting that crossbar only minutes before when a gaping 6x4 stared him in the face. Bad ice aside, how the heck do you miss a chance like that? … Official Presidential Opinion: yup, Alfie did fire a shot across the bow to sitting Duck Scott Niedermayer. Controversial as it was, here’s one thing to think about – if the puck had hit him in the face, that prized playoff beard would have safely and entirely absorbed it. Humour aside, that gave the Ducks an unsolicited edge … So much for the absence of Chris Pronger making a difference. The Ducks are now over .500, regular season included, without him in the lineup. Worst part? Sens really could have used the lightning-quick Dean McAmmond tonight to not only jump-start a subdued forecheck effort, but also on the defensive end. You wonder what would have happened if McAmmond was on the ice when Dustin Penner zoomed to the net to receive the fateful one-timed feed. Would the fastest-skating Senator have made a difference? You make the call … Speaking of calls, it appeared from the opening minute that the slash Chris Neil drew from Beauchemin would make this one a carbon copy of Game 3. A heck of a first-period display ensued, with the Ducks not striking Ray Emery until less than ten minutes remained. Antoine Vermette’s 360-degree spin midway through, followed by an assault on Jean-Sebastien Giguere, was the highlight of a Sens storm in which the home team dominated on both ends. On one particular play in Ottawa’s corner, Ducks F Todd Marchant seemed to give up on trying to pressure Chris Phillips into a giveaway. On the other end, Alfie was on the receiving end of a pretty tic-tac-toe play. No dice. You had the feeling throughout the period—at least four or five times—when will this thing go in? When Alfie finally did score with less than a second left, the deflating feeling that the visiting team is supposed to have heading into the second simply did not happen. Hats off to the Ducks’ resiliency …

… Despite being caught out of position (not his fault) on a bad change which led to the Penner game-winner, Wade Redden is normally an excellent positional player. He’s in the right place at the right time, especially when it comes to making that first pass and holding the line on the power play, but the hustle still is not consistent enough. It’s the Stanley Cup final … There weren’t too many highlights for the Sens in that awful second period, but they still did prevent the Ducks from converting with the extra man. Notably, Alfie actually almost stopped the first McDonald goal from happening with fantastic pressure on Beauchemin and forced the puck out on the next play. Unfortunately, two goals in two minutes by the same guy will take the wind out of any sails … Speaking of sails, it appeared to be clear sailing after Bryan Murray changed their direction by shuffling the lines. Patrick Eaves, whose sweater Jason Spezza wore briefly the game before, fed Heatley in Spezztacular fashion to tie the sucker. What a great sigh of relief that was, to finally hear “The Heat is On” at the Bank again. Razor made two great glove saves before that too… However, in the third, the Ducks’ attention to detail was excellent. Random example? Mike Comrie causes a turnover, jumps on the biscuit and heads to the net. Tiny Mike is immediately surrounded by three hustling Ducks. Another random example? The trap starts with about 12:17 left. It’s like a plague, and you can bet the elder Niedermayer brought it over from New Jersey, where it originated … Another muggy night in the Capital caused ice problems and trips all over the place. Giggy had to leave the Ducks’ net, Chris Phillips needed repairs, and Joe Corvo ran into defence partner Tom Preissing in the first period. The gates opened at 5:30 again, and maybe that should stop …

… Official Presidential Rant: as the melee ensued following the captain’s beaning of Niedermayer, a spectator sporting a Leafs jersey in the front row was spotted on camera. WHY do people wear Leafs, Habs, or any other non-participating team’s jersey to Sens games? At Game 4 vs. Buffalo, a young girl was spotted wear Tie Domi’s jersey, perhaps hoping he’d get signed by the Sabres before puck drop. Also vs. Buffalo in that January tilt where Heater got a hat trick, an entire family of five was sporting Habs apparel. People: even if the Sens are your second-favourite team or something, stop sporting other colours! Oh well, at the end of the day, team owner Eugene Melnyk is happy to have those confused fans’ ticket money, as the team appears headed towards its first operating profit in history … On that subject, it’s important to remember Bruce Firestone and the rest of the original owners who each put up hefty sums of money—which they would never see again—to see the NHL’s return through. And let’s also not forget Rod Bryden, who lost over $40 million of his own money to keep this team afloat through the pre-salary cap, crappy Canadian dollar years. Hats off, gentlemen …

… The NBC/CBC simulcast of that second intermission show was the best pundit-ertainment in recent memory, with Don Cherry and Brett Hull squaring off. Best part, obviously, was the exchange about Alfie’s controversial Game 3 goal. “No he didn’t,” said Grapes, defending the captain. “It hit the inside part of his skate.” Brett Hull flatly disagreed, to which Grapes responded: “You should talk, (with) your foot in the crease,” referring to Hull’s own Stanley Cup-winning goal in 1999 over the Sabres that should not have counted. Not only did he put Brett in his place, he also scored another perfect 10 in the 2 Cents’ Don Cherry Suit Rating. That cream suit with the bold black pinstripes, coupled with a red corsage, was killer. To top it off, bringing on Gen. Rick Hillier of the Canadian Forces was a nice touch. He’s a pretty good hockey analyst too … Bob Cole Line of the Night: you could swear he almost certainly said “two-line offside” on a long Anton Volchenkov pass attempt. Brain freeze perhaps, but you’d think even Mr. Cole might not say that, two years into the rule change … Billy Talent’s “Red Flag” was an excellent Sens-themed musical choice for the HNIC opening montage … Speaking of music, Alanis Morrissette is now 1-1 at Sens games singing the anthem. Constable Slewidge should have sung, plain and simple … Last but not least: swallow your pride Sens fans, and look back to the 1942 Leafs (yes, the Leafs) for inspiration as the last team to come back from being down 3-1 to win the Cup. In fact, the Leafs were down 3-0 to the Red Wings, who actually invited the Leafs to their victory party. Now while there won’t be any such locker room bulletin-board material like that this time around, take this to heart: It’s either been a Canadian team or Detroit that’s won every year with seven as the last digit. Detroit is golfing, and this series has to go seven games in 2007 for the Sens to win. Will it be a lucky seven? Stay tuned, Sens fans, and keep the faith now more than ever for what is easily (and in obvious painful fashion) the toughest test of the season.

Senators vs Ducks: Round 4, Game 3

2007-06-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

Senators 5, Ducks 3

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: Back in the series! You can throw out the clichés now, folks. The Senators came home to a raucous, red, record-setting Bank crowd and battered down the hatches, forechecking and fighting their way back into contention for Stanley. The stepped-up forecheck effort, of course, was the mantra heading into Game 3, and the Sens made sure it was the difference. Leading the way was proud new papa Chris Neil, who welcomed 1-day-old daughter Hailey into the world with a Duck-smacking sideshow and a real nifty goal, focussed all the way as he kept his stick on the ice for the precise strike. Talk about a guy who had that extra jump in his step, right from the opening faceoff when he jostled with Travis Moen all the way to the end when sending a message after the dirty Chris Pronger elbow. Take a bow, Neiler … On the subject of the Pronger hit on Dean McAmmond, you can bet Ducks GM Brian Burke, who has a way with words, will spin the story and claim that the 6-6 Pronger didn’t see the shorter McAmmond and was just finishing his check. This was definitely not the case when Pronger elbowed Detroit’s Tomas Holmstrom in the melon in the West final, and certainly not this time. Replays clearly show a targeted elbow swing, and it appears that the big Ducks defenceman, now a two-time offender, will sit one or two games for his actions … The hit was probably a result of Pronger’s frustration after knocking the game-winning biscuit into his own net. The goal was credited to McAmmond but kudos also goes to Oleg Saprykin, who hustled in hard to corral a Chris Phillips dump-in, took the hit, passed to McAmmond and drew the defence away as he went to the net for the one-timer that Pronger took care of. Freakin’ Saprykin came to play again tonight, as did all the role players … On the subject, anyone not named Jason, Dany, or Daniel chipped in with some much-needed secondary support. How about Anton Volchenkov, who led the way with five shots on goal, three hits, and two blocked shots? One of A-Train’s shots bulged twine and he nearly had another, but Mike Fisher deflected it … Chris Kelly figured in nicely on the A-Train marker, as he was offside on the play but quickly retreated, spun around and zoomed into the corner to create room for Vermette to feed the Train. Just another blue-collar night for Kelly, really – it’s nice to see him finally figure in on the scoresheet. Second-liner Peter Schaefer almost got his second of the postseason on a third-period breakaway, but a muggy day in the Capital no doubt contributed to the bouncy ice that stymied the Sens’ best sticklandler …

… If the rest of the match would have went down like the first 10 minutes, Ducks F Andy McDonald would have been a game star. He forced Ray Emery to make one of his two best stops of the game off Dustin Penner, who was the recipient of McDonald’s gorgeous pass following a slick, twisting fake move off the wing. McDonald then scored a few minutes later after parking himself on Razor’s doorstep. It was the third goal of the series where an Ottawa player covering the guy behind the net didn’t hit hard enough to prevent a slot feed for a goal. As far as Razor’s second big stop, it came in the third period when he bailed out Tom Preissing with a spectacular stop (and midair stick swat of his own rebound) off Todd Marchant, who roared in on a breakaway on a Ducks penalty kill. The Sens still have work to do on the defensive end (especially against the PPG line), but the effort was exponentially better tonight … Speaking of feeds, Ducks pain-in-the-butt centre Samuel Pahlsson sure has fed Jason Spezza some frustration this series. The Spezz Dispenser let loose some of that pent-up frustration on Pahlsson in a second-period dustup, in which Pahlsson tore Spezza’s #19 jersey. What’s extra funny is that Spezza temporarily pulled on Patrick Eaves’ #44 sweater while his went for repairs. Notwithstanding last change, going in disguise is one way of getting away from that Ducks checking line …

… The physical play, normally a mainstay of the Ducks’ style, turned on them in the third period when Brad May got whistled for a trip. Minutes later, Ryan Getzlaf ruined his own team’s power play with a cross check, and the wheels officially fell off when Andy McDonald got a goalie interference penalty. Early in the first, discipline was a factor as Corey Perry knocked down Mike Comrie as the teams changed. The Sens truly stole a page out of the Ducks’ playbook, outhitting them 32-26 and forcing them into penalties … The two celebrity attendees CBC chose to show on camera both had a political twist: firstly, it was funny to see Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams in a Sens jersey, mere months after he took down the Canadian flag from the rock’s provincial legislature after a public spat with Ottawa over offshore oil revenues. The other celebrity ‘spotted’ on camera was CBC’s own news anchor Peter Mansbridge. Gotta plug the network’s newscasts on game night, eh? … Official Presidential Opinion: Daniel Alfredsson didn’t kick the puck in the net, but it’s in the realm of possibility that he, shall we say, ‘strategically’ stopped. Still, Alfie simply made it a point to go to the net …

… Don Cherry Suit Rating: normally you either like it or you don’t. However we’ll go in between and give the red-roses-on-white a seven. It was ok … the massive Canadian flag making the rounds in the Bank’s 300 level during the anthem was incredible. Speaking of anthems, please leave Lyndon Slewidge in there for Game 4. Nothing against Alanis Morrissette, who has a 1-0 record when singing them (1992 franchise opener), but Constable Slewidge is our guy and has earned his stripes … It was funny to see the Sens’ fourth line perform a little anti-Ducks karma at the end of warmup, as McAmmond, Schubert, and Saprykin turned the net backwards before leaving the ice, so Ducks D Ric Jackman could not get any empty-net practice. Looks like it worked, as the aforementioned Ducks’ penalty problems robbed them of any chance to re-take the lead a fourth time … Interesting Stat of the Night: Dany Heatley, with four missed shots to lead all skaters … Comforting Stat of the Night: Three shots on goal for Anaheim in the third period …

… That guy who held up the “Canada’s Best Chance” sign behind Ron MacLean and the crew during the entire pre-game show and past the opening montage had tireless arm stamina. Way to represent … Either Wade Redden is injured, or he’s having confidence problems. He needs to skate harder and finish checks. He’s capable of much better … Last but not least: the fact that the Stanley Cup was in town, polished and ready to be potentially awarded to the Ducks on Monday, had to be inspiration to the Sens. It’s only one win, but the fact that the entire team chipped in tonight, making the last change vs. the checking line sideshow a non-factor, is a true indication that the momentum has balanced out. If the Sens Mile jubilation and horn-honking was any indication, stay tuned.

Senators vs. Ducks: Round 4, Game 2

2007-05-31T07:15:00.000-07:00

Ducks 1, Senators 0

PRESIDENT'S 2 CENTS: It's now been beaten to death in ad nauseam fashion, but yes, Ottawa's boys have now lost two regulation games in row for the first time since Santa Claus was making the rounds. Bad thing is, it's happened in the first two games of the Cup final. And boy, did Ray Emery almost steal one for the Sens and gift-wrap it for his team, which struggled mightily again. If anything, Razor's performance proves two thing for sure: not only did he have his best game of the postseason, he also clearly proved, once and for all, that he is a bona-fide, elite, number-one backstopper that can lead a team to a championship. Plain and simple. How about that midair grab in the third? He's surely in contention for a gold glove award too. Come to think of it, the Yankees are 13 or so games behind the Red Sox, and Razor likes the Big Apple's nightlife. The Yanks should make a run at the star Ottawa netminder, who's a free agent come July ... And for the second game in a row, despite being outplayed, the Sens nearly hung on to squeak out a W. Ducks D Sean O’Donnell—in cruel irony, an Ottawa native—made the save of the series when he swatted Peter Schaefer’s otherwise guaranteed tying marker harmlessly off to the side. Moments later, Jason Spezza, Joe Corvo, and Alfie miss glorious chances. The hardest part? Eventually Ottawa wouldn’t get the bounces to go their way, and it just has to happen in the final … Another strong game into the books from giant blueliner Chris Pronger, who along with the Ducks’ shutdown line continues to make life miserable for the Sens. One subtle example was during a second-period power play rush, when Schaefer tried to scoot the puck in along the half boards, where all it took was a slight bump from Pronger to knock Pistol Pete off his trajectory. Unfortunately this example was one of many. Memo to the Sens: please get it in deep and forecheck. Pond hockey will not work in the final, even at the Pond ...

... Yet again, the Pahlsson-Niedermayer-Moen line was fantastic against the Cash(less) Line, which was a combined minus-3 and had six shots on net. The fact that Pahlsson got the game-winner was extra significant, since he had Spezza's number at the faceoff dot. The Spezz Dispenser, normally no slouch on draws, won three of 13, good for 18 percent. Pahlsson blew him out of the water, with an 83 percent showing on 10-and-2. The goal itself was significant too, as the Ducks jumped on Dany Heatley's one registered giveaway of the game (one of 21 to the Ducks' 22) and Sammy potted it ... Speaking of potting it, besides the Schaefer chance at the end, the Sens really should have potted something on their second 5-on-3 in as many games. Mike Comrie should have converted that one-timer, but Giggy would have none of it ... Speaking of Tiny Mike, his first-period cross check on Ryan Getzlaf was pretty much revenge for him taking exactly the same punishment from Getzlaf in Game 1. Not good Mike. Scoring is the best payback ...

… Great CBC camera work in the first period, catching Christoph Schubert taking the puck off the boards and, in the words of Greg Millen “placing it carefully down.” A deft touch shown by the hard-hitting German. Speaking of CBC though, as Canada’s national broadcaster, couldn’t the opening montage have shown just a little less Duck highlights? … A deft touch certainly was not evident when Mike Fisher knocked down Corey Perry in front of the Ottawa net not once, not twice, but five times before finally being sent to the sin bin. Disciplined, physical play is what made Slewfoot successful, and now more than ever it’s needed. You can do better, Mike … Wade Redden struggled again for much of the night, but did show flashes of veteran brilliance again in a first-period penalty kill, where he took two separate hits to make two clearing plays. He’s a top-10 defenceman in this league when he skates his hardest … Speaking of skating hard, the Ducks are not only big, but obviously move with a purpose. After a third-period Fisher hit, the transition to a scoring chance on the other end was impressive. Proof positive? Shots on goal were 27-11 at one point. Pretty one-sided and not indicative of the stereotype of big and slow … AC-DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long,” played during a third-period stoppage, was perhaps a subtle swipe at the Sens by the Honda Center DJ. Because of the Ducks’ fantastic D, you could change the first lyric to “Sens weren’t a fast machine.” …

… Anton Volchenkov’s hit on Corey Perry, for which he was penalized, was really not a penalty. Perry, perhaps intentionally, turned his head at the last second if maybe to draw the boarding call. If so, that was smart but really foolhardy … Bob Cole Line of the Night: “Giguere goes out from his net, you hope he’s right,” he observed during a delayed penalty call against the Sens, when the Ducks clearly had possession of the puck … Don Cherry Suit Rating: a perfect 10 out of 10, for only the second time this postseason! The flowery blazer was retro and slick, as well as very hip and seasonal, but most importantly, it was daring. Grapes pulled it off though … Last but not least: the Cash Line has got to come through at home. Last change is great, but Jason Spezza absolutely needs to win offensive-zone draws to prevent Randy Carlyle from throwing out the Pahlsson line on the fly. That being said, the power play and secondary scoring have to wake up too and pressure the Ducks into more Sens-friendly bounces. There have been several, but they need to continue for the Sens to have any chance for more California dreamin’.

Senators vs Ducks: Round 4, Game 1

2007-05-28T21:59:00.001-07:00

Ducks 3, Senators 2

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: Quack. After hanging on just hard enough to force extra time, the Sens literally lost by misplaced momentum. Andrej Meszaros had Rob Niedermayer lined up, but just couldn’t get enough mustard on the hit. Nieder(oscar)mayer, of course, broke free and made a hot dog of a pass over to Travis Moen, who made no mistake, beating Ray Emery in similar fashion to the Andy McDonald goal in the first period. Blame the Sens’ long layoff if you will, but the Ducks recovered nicely from two deficits to take this thing by the horns in the third and win in regulation. Perhaps the high blocked shot count (22 to the Ducks’ 13) was one of the clearest indications that the Sens, who spent most of the first and second periods limiting second chances, were on their heels. To no one’s surprise, Anton Volchenkov led the way, blocking 10 pucks. However, block of the game goes to Chris Kelly, who bravely got in the way of a Chris Pronger point shot. He took that one in the chest area … Ryan Getzlaf may have been the game’s first star thanks largely to that slick five-hole move on Razor, but he’s also still maturing in the discipline department. Did the 6-3, 211-pound power forward really think he was going to get away with three clear cross-checks on Tiny Mike Comrie? Also, don’t forget the subtle shot he took at Razor after a third-period dump-in. Think he’s pushing the zebras’ buttons? … On the subject, Razor was probably the best Senator tonight. Especially on the Anaheim power plays, he made some key stops when his team really needed it. Perhaps his most clutch stop came when Daniel Alfredsson turned over the biscuit at his own blue line, Selke finalist Samuel Pahlsson bumped him, sending in Travis Moen in alone, only to be denied by Razor’s right pad. When the hard-working captain makes a turnover like that, you know a big save to negate it is a significant one … While talking defence, you can’t broach the subject completely without mentioning Chris Phillips, who turned in another solid performance. Besides being credited with three hits and blocking three shots, Big Rig was smart in his own end too, notably on a Sens’ penalty kill following the Ducks’ momentum-stirring, tying goal when he tied up Teemu Selanne’s stick just enough to prevent a yawning 6x4 from swallowing another. Tom Preissing had chipped in minutes before with a twisting-up of the ever-dangerous Corey Perry. Defence wins championships, and the Sens will take plays like these in their back pocket … Despite scoring, Wade Redden had his struggles in his own end and didn’t hustle to enough pucks. Like Bryan Murray had said, if Wade skates, he’ll be fine. Count on it for next game …

… So the Cash Line was held to five shots, was a combined minus-3, and registered zero goals and two assists. The Ducks’ checking unit, led by Samuel Pahlsson, helped negate the three amigos, especially so at the blue line … After the second-period 5-on-3 power play, the Sens and Ducks took part in a wide-open, hit-filled, energy-sapping free-for-all. You could argue the tables turned at this point, as a two-man advantage for 95 seconds should really result in a goal. Well, it didn’t, and the Ducks forced the smaller Sens into a hit parade. Normally the Sens like to play along that way, but the consistent forecheck seemed to dwindle a bit from there on in. Twas unfortunate for Ottawa, which drew some key penalties by outhustling the Ducks early on … Mike Fisher has a hard shot. Not even Jean-Sebastien Giguere could swallow a second-period quick wrister from Slewfoot. In this case, Giggy was getting “giggly” with it. Giggy, of course, didn’t see much action all night (20 shots) and couldn’t find the biscuit on that first bunker shot which found the green. Even Mike Comrie, who was originally credited for the goal, choked up on his stick like you would on a wedge for a short chip. It was kind of funny how the Honda Center sound people played “Start Me Up” a few whistles later, followed by “Get Ready.” Well, ready Giggy wasn’t to start this one. However, he did also have his share of bad luck on the second goal, where he lost his lumber before Redden blasted in the disc. In fact, Dany Heatley appeared to subtly try to interfere with the handoff when Giggy tried to get it back from his defenceman …

… Statistician Blooper of the Night: how did Patrick Eaves, who in the first half of the game seemed to have more hits than the Beatles, not get credited with a single smack on the scoresheet? The Ducks officially outhit Ottawa 30-21, but you can bet more Ducks’ hits didn’t make it onto paper either … One player credited with three hits (and nearly a first-period goal) was veteran Ducks forward Brad May. One was on Chris Neil, who flashed that million-dollar “I’m not scared of you” smile at May (and for the cameras) during two separate stoppages … Don Cherry Suit Rating: seven out of 10. Simple, grey motif with a white shirt and red tie is classic, but yet again, simple … Good to see Mayor Larry O’Brien out at city hall joining the crowd, and big ups for taking a few minutes to meet the Prez and pose for a photo. It was one heck of a party he threw. Seemed he was quite easygoing too, as not 20 feet away, the ganja was being lit up. Might’ve been for the amusing Borat cutout, who took in the game in a Sens jersey …

… Sobering Stat of the Night: teams that win the first game of the final go on to hoist Stanley 78 per cent of the time … Playoff Beard of the Century: Scott Niedermayer … You have to wonder how many Canadians wanted to throttle the Ducks PA man for announcing that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger “will present the prime minister (Harper) with an authentic Ducks jersey” on his upcoming trip to Canada … Last but not least: Ron MacLean was quite sharp on the opening spot, referring to Schwarzenegger and Don Cherry as “future president and prime minister” with both standing right there. Now there are two would-be leaders who could really shake up otherwise boring, token photo-ops. Here’s hoping that (a) the U.S. will allow non-native citizens to run for president, and (b), that Cherry can win over the non-hockey fans in Canada. Ok, so basically Grapes could get a majority.

Senators vs Sabres: Round 3, Game 5

2007-05-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

Senators 3, Sabres 2 (OT)

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: Eastern Conference CHAMPIONS! In the aftermath of the euphoric series-clinching overtime win over the Sabres, it is the duty of any Ottawa scribe to remind the denizens of our fine city that, with one skilful swipe of Alfie’s sizzling stick, the Senators have just accomplished something their rivals in Toronto have been unable to do since 1967: make it to the Stanley Cup final. Replayed countless times amid the red fallout that ambushed Elgin Street afterwards, the goal itself, of course, comprises both sweet revenge and irony for the captain. Not only did he stick it back to the Sabres this year in overtime in Game 5 on the road—just like 2006, when Jason Pominville skated around Alfie and ended Ottawa’s season in Game 5 at the Bank—he did it with Pominville on the ice. After disposing of former playoff nemesis New Jersey in five following a penguin cull, the Sens get another proverbial postseason monkey off their back. And this time, the highest-scoring team in the league finished the series with two power-play goals against the mighty Ottawa PK. Three high-fives to take the entire East? Who woulda thought … On the subject, who woulda thought the Sens could steal this thing on the road after racking up all those third-period penalties, the PK track record notwithstanding? Notably, gotta love Tiny Mike Comrie’s slide into home plate, er, the net, knocking it loose to save what was for sure the go-ahead goal. Not only that, he did it in such a way that he let on as if the call was preposterous. And as pointed out in an Ottawa daily, if Tiny Mike had pulled that stunt in the last two minutes, a penalty shot would have been awarded. With a nod to Belly’s hot new track currently burning up Ottawa airwaves, the Sens are ballin’ like Comrie. Y’all better surrender calmly … Calm was the theme as the Sens attacked in OT, after facing adversity and Sabre momentum from the tying goal, courtesy of Maxim Afinogenov (in humble presidential opinion, the scariest Sabre on the ice). It was eerily similar to Game 2, when Daniel Briere tied the game from the same side of the net, only to have his team lose in extra time on Joe Corvo’s knuckleball. Notably calm going into OT was Ray Emery, stopping Drew Stafford on a wraparound attempt on the same side as his Game 2 overtime robbery of Thomas Vanek with an outstretched leg. This, of course, gave his Sens life and eventually allowed Alfie’s OT winner to happen. However, the save of the game came from Sabres star backstopper Ryan Miller in OT, as he robbed Jason Spezza of a sure goal in eerily similar fashion to Jose Theodore’s legendary stick save in Montreal’s 2002 series vs. Boston. With all these eerie similarities, Miller sure is hoping he doesn’t turn into another Jose Theodore. All bets are he won’t. Count on it …

… So the Cash Line bounces back after a shaky Game 4, in which the Sabres expectedly came to play with their season on a thin, sweepy line. The tic-tac-(terrific!)-toe goal didn’t exactly go according to Spezza Script, as in this case he was the recipient of a slick feed from Alfie, who benefited from fantastic, blue-collar backchecking work from Dany Heatley. Still, no one’s complaining … However, Spezza and Razor surely were the target of complaints from Bryan Murray after the first goal, where Razor was as sharp as a bald tire on his only giveaway of the game, which led to the Jochen Hecht goal. Spezza was right on the doorstep and could have tried harder to clear the biscuit. It was the result of excellent Buffalo pressure as they dominated the opening frame with fantastic energy and check-finishing. But as it was towards OT, the Sens calmly answered back, in this case with two straight goals, including the PP marker from Heatley to tie it … Speaking of that PP goal, Ottawa’s first, it wouldn’t have happened if Wade Redden didn’t patiently wait for the right shooting lane with time winding down on the power play. The shot got through and Spezza was able to convert a nice rebound into a Heatley one-timer. A plus-1, Wade led all Sens with 28:08 in playing time, corralled the puck nicely on what was a terribly bouncy surface (again), and overall made smart decisions. He notched Ottawa’s first shot on goal in the game with similar precision to the PP setup. In the third, he calmly took the puck away in front of Razor, and followed that up moments later with a solid but subtle check on big Sabres D-man Toni Lydman. Plays like these are what sometimes what Redden’s armchair critics don’t see or take into account when jumping on his hiccups. Unfortunately that’s what a $6 million price tag comes with …

… If anyone deserved to win this thing for Buffalo, it was co-captain Chris Drury (with 15 playoff OT game-winners to his credit), who came to play after a lacklustre first three games, blocking everything in sight with every part of his body, including his head. Speaking of which, it would be funny if he was related the guy in the third row who got quite the headache from the glass falling on him. Both had great playoff beards … Another big performer was Toni Lydman, who blocked five shots to help the Sabres out-block the Sens a whopping 21-7. The Sabres also won five per cent more faceoffs, had only two less missed shots, and spent nearly half the time in the sin bin as the Sens. However, the Sens led the OT shot count 6-2 and that was the difference … Bob Cole Line of the Night: “Somebody interfered with somebody,” he observed intently, after Neil would get sent off to the box … Harry Neale offered up this gem, referring to the late, great Sens assistant Roger Neilson: “He’s watching tonight in HD, ‘Heaven Direct.’” … After getting their ultra-convenient and preferred 2pm start time, NBC broke away from overtime to broadcast the Preakness. If afternoon games apparently grow the game in the U.S., fine, but don’t cut those viewers loose by scheduling two events close enough to overlap. Way to ruffle feathers, peacock network …

… Random Anthem Observations: Jason Spezza was mouthing along the words to “O Canada” while Russian teammate Anton Volchenkov, standing next to him, seemed to still not know the words. And is it just me, or does anyone else expect Buffalo anthem singer Doug Allen to say “Deal or no deal?” at some point? The Howie similarities are there. Maybe we can get the Scotiabank Place ice-clearing girls to carry the briefcases … Interesting Stat of the Night: Daniel Briere was the most penalized Sabre heading into Game 5. Normally you wouldn’t really think so, but that hit from behind on Kelly sort of re-affirmed it … Good Karma of the Night: Ray Emery shaved his head just in time for Game 5. Result? The W … Last but not least: only four more wins separate the Sens from Stanley. Whether it was the impromptu Parliament Hill post-game rally, the incessant Elgin Street motorists’ horn-honking from Alfie’s winner until well past 1 am, or the “Go Sens Go” cheers emanating out of the Elgin Street Diner (which has the best Philly cheesesteak poutine in town), or the Senssquatch’s patrols, or the flag-and-radio-equipped rickshaws, or Mayor Larry O’Brien sporting a Sens tattoo on his bald dome, or the van with a Daniel Briere roadkill effigy on the front, this city certainly is showing that it realizes how close this team is. The Sens Mile was the place to be on a picture-perfect Saturday afternoon and evening, and let’s hope the party continues.

Senators vs. Sabres: Round 3, Game 4

2007-05-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

Sabres 3, Senators 2

The President was unable to pen his thoughts for this one...please proceed to Game 5!

Senators vs Sabres: Round 3, Game 3

2007-05-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

Senators 1, Sabres 0

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: Tonight was not only a night when Canada’s Team pulled within one win of the Stanley Cup finals, but also one that saw Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a Toronto native and Maple Leafs fan, take in the game sporting a Sens jersey. It seems the Senators are changing hearts every day, starting at the top … Revenge is a dirty word, but the Sens are on the cusp of dusting off one of their most haunting playoff nemeses, one that has sent the Sens packing three separate times. And how about having the chance to see the Prince of Wales trophy presented on home ice again, except this time to the home team instead of 2003’s Game 7 heartbreak? Granted, the Capital wants a date with Stanley, but becoming the Eastern Conference champs would be no small potatoes … Speaking of small potatoes, the Sabres were only able to fire 15 rubber ones at Ray Emery tonight, who turned them all aside and didn’t have much work with the exception of the Afinogenov chance and in the final minute flurry. No doubt that having a goaltender interference call had something to do with it, as Brian Campbell did his best Colby Armstrong impression of the playoffs when he slid into Razor in the second period. It’s about time the zebras heeded Razor’s constant crease briefings on the subject and gave Ottawa a PP … On the subject, the extra man might be something the Sabres might not want to use anymore, as their man-(dis)advantage count is now 0-18 in the series. The Sens handed the Sabres multiple opportunities to strike back, but often it was the home team that provided the highlights. How about Dean McAmmond’s first-period PK rush towards the net one-on-one, as he gained the blueline then pulled some slick side skating moves, as if he was about to turn a triple-axel? Well, out of respect for the opponents who hail from a bovine-named city, maybe a triple sow-cow … Speaking of bovines, anytime Alfie wants a steak dinner in this town, you can bet he (or any Senator) won’t be footing the bill for quite some time … The bill is something the rest of the Sabres should pick up for Ryan Miller, who had his best game of the series despite the loss and one bad goal. Too many notables to list (well, maybe his save on Peter Schaefer if only to spotlight the snakebitten Sen), but this thing could have easily been 3-0 by the time the horn sounded. In a nutshell, the Sens simply skated circles around the Sabres and didn’t allow the visitors even half-circles …

… Unlike the opening minutes of Game 2, it was Ottawa that dictated the play as Game 3 unfolded. Anton Volchenkov and Mike Fisher especially held the Daniel Briere line in check quite well. A-Train’s blue line partner in crime all postseason, Chris Phillips, was no slouch himself as he was on the ice for the only goal of the game and followed that shift up with a huge block on Briere, which itself led to an Ottawa chance. Buffalo then followed that up with a potential 3-on-2, but Chris Drury went offside … Speaking of Drury, the Sabres’ co-captain is capable of better. Not to single him out, but someone has to step up and lift this team out of its black hole … Right after the aforementioned Campbell interference penalty, CBC cameras caught Sabres GM Darcy Regier scribbling something vigorously. Kinda curious as to what that might be. Tee times? Perhaps. A ‘calm-down’ letter to owner Tom Golisano? Might be a good idea. Doing the salary cap math for what it will take to squeeze in Briere for next season? Who knows. Filling out a rush-order for several shots of the stiffest stuff on hand? Yup, that’s gotta be it … On a related note, by the time Joe Corvo took that phantom tripping penalty in the second period, most Sens fans were deep into the adult beverages but even that couldn’t help absorb the string of penalties … It’s been beaten like a dead horse, but Jason Spezza does need to shoot more at times, none more obvious than that late first-period rush where Dany Heatley provided the perfect decoy, not the perfect pass recipient … Andre Meszaros had a couple of great chances tonight but couldn’t buy a break, in particular when he rung that 2-on-nothing PK chance off the iron … Speaking of Meszaros, his partner, Wade Redden, had an awesome night too …

… Mike Comrie’s neon yellow stick probably came in handy for him, as the bright lumber’s hue provided perfect contrast between itself and the dark puck, so he wouldn’t touch the biscuit while pressuring Dimitri Kalinin to get a delay-of-game penalty by tossing it over the glass … Looking for a spark, Lindy Ruff put Tim Connolly, Maxim Afinogenov, and Thomas Vanek together in the third. But Connolly in for Derek Roy? Don’t mess with quickness. It’s the only way around these Sens … Anyone else gulp when Alfie coughed up the puck in his own end to Jason Pominville? …

…Should the Sens and Ducks make the final, who is hip-hop king Snoop Dogg going to cheer for? During a second-round Ducks game, Snoop was interviewed on NBC’s telecast sporting a Ducks jersey and proclaiming his ducky support. However, when he performed in Ottawa in January, Mr. Gin-and-Juice himself was wearing Sens colours and even hung out backstage with Razor afterwards. Two things for sure—it’s gonna be off the hizzle, and maybe the first time the rap world has seen an East Coast-West Coast beef with only one participant, as Snoop figures who to go for in what might be a “high” scoring series … Don Cherry Suit Rating: 6.5 out of 10. The plaid theme was nice and colourful and had potential, but at the same time screamed 1950s Hudson’s Bay catalogue or 1970s tablecloth roadkill. Maybe it’s time for Razor to lend Grapes his sharp blue ensemble … No Bob(vious) Cole noteworthy gem tonight, but Harry Neale’s insistence that Alfie was trying to draw blood on that high-sticking penalty was amusing … Last but not least: our humble fan group’s Team Chemistry Coordinator is leaving for Africa for a backpacking adventure. We wish her well and hope that all our African friends appreciate the current eighth wonder of the world – that being our Ottawa Senators.

Senators vs Sabres: Round 3, Game 2

2007-05-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

Senators 4, Sabres 3 (2 OT)

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: They say that complaints fall on deaf ears. Thank the hockey gods that Jason Spezza’s complaints about the bad ice at HSBC arena apparently were not acted upon, as it was none other than the Spezz Dispenser who dropped the candy in double OT to Joe Corvo with a perfect bounce. Joltin’ Joe then let rip a 40-foot knuckle-puck that bounced halfway off a perfect rut and over Ryan Miller’s right pad. However, don’t forget that Joe skilfully compensated for the bounce by tilting his lumber just-so. It certainly was a game of bounces up to that point, and the Sens certainly deserved one of their own after owning the Sabres for the first 19:54 of the third period, before Daniel Briere found a yawning cage off a bad rebound. All works out in the end, as the Sens deserved to win in regulation and did end up getting the W … Speaking of W’s, Buffalo was again denied one as the Sens unexpectedly stole both road games of the series. Still, the Queen City’s big guns came to play tonight, notably Briere, Jason Pominville, and Thomas Vanek, who had six, seven, and six shots respectively after a subpar effort in the opener. The Briere line wasted no time in the first frame getting the second goal of the period right after Thomas Vanek made up for his glove deflection. On the play, Teppo Numminen took a good shot, Jason Pominville went for the rebound, and Anton Volchenkov neutralized him. Unfortunately, the bounce went right to Jochen Hecht. It was the first period where the Sabres clearly showed what their consistent pressure can do to create deflections and bounces in their favour. Unfortunately for them, the Sens woke up in the middle frame and cut down on those chances. Proof? Zero shots on goal for the home side more than halfway through the second. Numbers don’t lie … While numbers are sometimes subjective in counting scoring chances, there’s no doubt that the Sens handed Buffalo quite a few good ones in the first after opening the game sloppily. Notably, Daniel Briere had all day to tee up a 10-foot wrister on one power play chance. On the other side of the coin, the Sens began weathering the storm in veteran fashion and patiently waited until late in the first for a scoring chance of their own, which came when the Cash Line, er, cashed in with the Alfie goal. That started the tide turning in the other direction and it would not turn back until five seconds left in regulation, of course …

… Speaking of numbers, the Game 2 Curse is officially over, and the Sens now have their first 2-0 series lead ever. It’s unchartered territory for Ottawa, of course, but just remember that the Sabres are 0-11 in series in which they have dropped the two games … On that number, it was the second game in a row that Mike Fisher quieted the raucous 18,690 fans inside the HSBC Arena. Slewfoot deflated the building by scoring less than five minutes into Game 1, and tonight when he tied the game early in the second … Official Presidential Opinion: the Alfie hit on Henrik Tallinder in OT was technically dirty, but not intentional. The captain was running on fumes all night and would not be denied the win, and in this case allowed adrenaline to get the better of him as he left his feet for what turned out to be a head-first check. Alfie was double-shifted on the play and kept going full-tilt, despite being dead tired. Full-tilt certainly described his effort on Redden’s go-ahead goal in the third, as he scurred around the offensive zone around two Sabres to help set up the marker. A similar play happened in the period when he held off three Sabres to the dismay of a subdued, frustrated HSBC crowd. So quiet, in fact, you could almost hear Leaf fans booing 90 miles away in Toronto. Speaking of which, it’s funny how the same Buffalo fans could go from booing their team late in the third, to cheering again when Briere bought them some life again …

… Ray Emery still allowed his fair share of bounces—especially in the first—but came through with his save of the playoffs on Thomas Vanek in the first OT where he stretched his right leg to the limit to deny the biscuit’s side-door entry. Folks, this is proof positive why goalies need to do the splits. Healthy groins are important for playoff runs, eh Dominik? … Random Anthem Thought: Buffalo and Ottawa are one of the few rinks that have organ accompaniment. Just makes the anthems sound better … Speaking of the anthems, Chris Neil was caught chattering to a teammate on the bench during the Star Spangled Banner. He’s also always in constant (and extremely vocal) communication with the officials and with his fellow Sens on the ice during games. He’s a witty and smart character too. Consider this a safe bet (and hope) that he’ll end up in PR or broadcasting when he’s done playing. Unfortunately, his PR skills couldn’t get him out of his holding penalty on Derek Roy when he was caught on top of the Sabres sniper. Still, why didn’t Roy get a red card, er, penalty for head-butting Neil after? … Loved the arena staff’s music choice at one point between whistles in OT: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” Chasing Stanley in OT in the third round? No kidding … In the latest instalment of How to Make an Entire City Soil Its Pants: a first-period Derek Roy post strike followed up by Roy’s shot through traffic, which Emery caught …

… Bob(vious) Cole Line of the Night: “They will look at it from all angles, then look at it again,” he analyzed during the video review of Thomas Vanek’s disallowed goal … It’s not the convention in 2 Cents, but had to single out Harry Neale for this gem in describing Alfie’s soft hands: “He could stickhandle through a rainstorm, and the puck wouldn’t get wet.” Love it! … Don Cherry Suit Rating: 7.5 out of 10. It takes a brave individual to pull off a light violet suit with a dark matching tie, but Grapes did ok … Being as this game was in a border town, maybe amazing saves should now be referred to “QEW robbery” instead of “highway robbery.” Just a suggestion … Stat Line of the Night: Anton Volchenkov. A minus-2, he made up for it with two hits and 11 (yes, 11) blocked shots. He’s now gotten in the way of a league-leading 53 pucks this postseason … On the subject, the much-maligned Wade Redden is now tied for second with a plus-9 rating the postseason … Last but not least: isn’t it ironic that the city that invented the world-famous, red-hot chicken wing now may be denied a chance to face the Red Wings in the finals? And how about further irony? If the series goes six games, the Queen City could be eliminated on Victoria Day in Ottawa.

Senators vs. Sabres: Round 3, Game 1

2007-05-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

Senators 5, Sabres 2

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: And the game-breaker for the curtain-raising of the super-hyped series between the NHL’s highest-scoring squads is—uh, nope, not Drury, not Heatley, nope not Briere—it’s freakin’ Saprykin! Oleg finally pops his first of the playoffs after stepping in admirably since Patrick Eaves went down during the opening round. A heck of a pass by Dean McAmmond found him open for a tip in front of Ryan Miller “Lite,” who didn’t have “Time” to see it (pardon these overused pun pokes at his name, but you know I had to do it just once). Like his efforts this whole postseason, he’s gotten an Oleg (ok one more pun) up on the competition tonight by simply working hard and making the most of his opportunities, including some time in the second spent playing with Heatley and Spezza. He had a slick feed to Heatley which almost resulted in a goal, then followed up the momentum by drawing a cross-check from Jochen Hecht. All in all, good to see Oleg rewarded … Speaking of rewards, up until his nifty goal in which he made three Sens look like pylons, Sabres shut-down D-man Toni Lydman had had a pretty good effort. He was blocking shots all night and making smart defensive plays, including one particular play where he blindly backhanded an attempted airborne pass, and another where he angled Alfie away from a slot pass. Unfortunately, however, he was a little lazy in his attempt to get back and stop Dean McAmmond from potting the empty-netter at the end …

… Another hard worker tonight was Mike Fisher, tonight’s Sens x-factor for the purposes of providing secondary scoring for the Cash Line-buoyed Sens of late. How about a short-hander 4:32 into the game to suck the life out of a rowdy HSBC Arena? Methinks that’ll certainly send a message. Nine faceoffs won, three hits, and two takeaways cemented another solid day at the office for Employee No. 12 … Speaking of the office, I wonder how many Buffalo office workers were among the 5,000-plus revellers outside the arena and will claim to their colleagues they got on TV? And that fog? Maybe caused by 5,000-plus pairs of lungs’ worth of hot air. Passionate hot air, mind you – Buffalo’s a great hockey town …

Tom Preissing had a good laugh as he took a seat in the box for a penalty that wasn’t really his (should’ve been Corvo’s), for a second-period hooking penalty that wasn’t really a penalty … Speaking of which, that Comrie cross-checking call in the first was more like a playoff double-love tap. C’mon zebras, call consistently … Sabres defenceman Paul Gaustad showed heart in coming back to the game after blocking a shot in the first, and still had more shots on goal than most of Buffalo’s big guns …

… Interesting how Bryan Murray had Spezza and Fisher, both centres, on the ice for an offensive-zone draw with 8.4 seconds left in the first. Answer came a moment later when Spezza was tossed from the circle and Fisher came in to take the draw. Just a little scenario where a good, veteran coach is always thinking strategy, and in this case, backup strategy … Two priceless expressions tonight: firstly, Ryan Miller throwing his arms in the air as if to say “what the hell” after the first Ottawa goal, and secondly, a CBC close-up of Alfie on the bench focussing hard, eyes wide open. Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking, all through his steely determination … Buffalo’s first goal was the combined result of finally getting a break after five or six close but unlucky bounces, as well as Ray Emery’s problem getting some rebounds under control. However, he showed tonight he can handle “traffic” in front, right Lindy? Careful about getting nudged on the roads, coach …

… Bob Cole Line of the Night: “That was a bang-bang play,” he said, referring to a few checks. Don’t know why, but it’s just funny coming from Mr. Cole … And of course, the Don Cherry Suit Rating: Seven out of 10. The black stripes-on-dark Grape purple actually looked half-decent, as did the light-purple tie. However Grapes, you gotta wear a different-coloured flower than white to start getting bonus marks … Thomas Vanek had a helper on the Afinogenov goal, but it seemed he didn’t get any more chances until his shot from the right wing in the third. A 42-goal scorer has gotta step it up, as do fellow stars Daniel Briere and Ales Kotalik, who were respectively a minus-2 and minus-3 … Chris Neil, Mike Fisher, and Anton Volchenkov were throwing checks all night, but it was Fisher’s inadvertent check on the A-Train that was among the biggest (and most amusing) … Tonight was the anniversary of Bobby Orr’s famous OT Cup winner in 1970. Thirty-seven years later, Bobby’s still a legend, and that hilarious new home renovation commercial has made him an unassuming comedic legend as well … Last but not least: loved U2’s “Elevation” as the choice for opening jingle accompanying the short display of Sens highlights to start the night off. Only seven wins to go until the Sens are high, higher than the sun …

Senators vs. Devils: Round 2, Game 5

2007-05-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

Senators 3, Devils 2

PRESIDENT'S 2 CENTS: Halfway to Stanley! Nearly four years after the Jeff Friesen nightmare, the Sens have exorcised their internal demons and exacted some long-overdue revenge on the on-ice demons with a decisive 4-1 series romp. And for the second straight game they did it on the anniversary of a series closer, this one being the 2003 Eastern semi in which they embarrassed Philly 5-1 to take it in six. Not only that, this Cinco de Mayo affair will go down in history as the last hockey game (thankfully) ever to be played at the cavernous Continental Airlines Arena … Speaking of the old barn, the Sens surely owe the Toronto Raptors a couple of thanks for extending their NBA playoff series vs. the Nets to a sixth game, which took place the night before. Obviously, the bounces all went the Sens’ way tonight on the less-than-perfect surface, caused of course by the hardwood over top. Also makes you wonder how many of the large number of Sens fans in attendance were also Raptor fans. I’m guessing not many, but count yours truly as a fan of both … So as it turns out, Ray Emery had the last laugh after all, but not before dealing with the overblown media coverage of his traffic mishap on Friday, taking a later flight, then being locked out of the arena this afternoon after wanting to get in early. Not only that, but he gave up the first goal to the EGG line, which was cracking early on. However, the goal wasn’t because the Sens couldn’t get the line change they needed after icing the biscuit. Nope, thank CBC for changing over to the VERSUS audio feed because of truck problems. Of course, right after this “change,” Scott Gomez pounces on his own rebound. One-zip Devils. Moments later, literally as VERSUS colour man (and former goaltender) John Vanbiesbrouck says “Ottawa was not able to change,” the feed “changes” right back to Bob Cole and Greg Millen. This happened about four or five times, much to the delight of many Ottawa fans who aren’t huge fans of Cole …

… Martin Brodeur was much more solid tonight, with the possible exception of Tom Preissing’s goal. At least Mike “Slewfoot” Fisher had nothing to do with a Preissing goal this time. After two big saves on Mike tonight—including that slick pokecheck as Slewfoot moved in on a third-period PK chance—it was obvious Marty didn’t want to get beaten by him again. However, if he had to pick someone to beat him, Alfie and Spezza weren’t bad choices. Wow. Who other than the Spezz Dispenser can laser a perfect pass to an offside-cheating Alfie, who finishes threading the same needle through two (!) sets of legs? Spezza’s game-winner was amazing and had eyes too—but was almost expected, one could argue—after seeing the crazy curve he burned onto the end of his blade before the game. Too bad it didn’t work on his backhand chance on that late third-period PP. Oh and by the way, CBC’s audio came right back on before that goal. Reverse the curse …

… This game certainly wasn’t in the bag for Ottawa until the second period, as it looked like the Devils were on their way to stealing Game 5 by stealing a page out of Ottawa’s book–namely by rolling four lines, getting sticks in front of passes, keeping shooters to the side, keeping up a ferocious forecheck and clearing away rebounds. Ottawa had three shots by the five-minute mark of the second … In fact, Patrik Elias had more shots at that point (five). However, Anton Volchenkov made it a priority to keep a close eye on the Devils’ captain, as A-Train blocked the fifth, and then angled a late-game slapper harmlessly into Razor …

On the subject, Oleg Saprykin is still giving it his best shot. One determined rush had him scoot through a boards-and-Paul Martin sandwich, followed up moments later by a neutral-zone takeaway and odd-man setup. Say what you want, but Oleg is giving a lot out there, and Gary Roberts is golfing … Golfing is also something Devils president/CEO/GM/coach/Be-All-End-All Lou Lamoriello will be doing, as he decides what coach to hire (and fire next April). Interestingly enough, he moved Erik Rasmussen to the top line and moved Sergei Brylin to the fourth. Didn’t work, but then again, if one of the NHL’s top checking lines can’t stop the Cash Line, then Rasmussen certainly won’t …

… How about Antoine Vermette’s deke work, which led to the Preissing goal? He tiptoed that line and pulled a nifty double-axel that could have got him into the Champions on Ice show that caused ice problems for Game 1…. If the Sens end up playing the Rangers, why not cross the Hudson and spend a week in NYC? Oh wait, could take at least a day to get out of the Meadowlands. Think traffic after Sens games is bad? … Don Cherry Suit Rating: six out of 10. Pinstripes: ok, but a little too thick, and they also clashed a bit on the shirt. Baby blue tie and hanky were ok, but negative points for the same corsage as last game, and also for the helmet gimmick … Elliotte Friedman actually asked some good questions today. Good work …

… Last but not least: may as well talk about the last two minutes. No one could have stopped the Gomez goal, as puck-sniffing sniper Zach Parise bowled over the A-Train, who prevented Razor from dealing with the shot properly. However, don’t forget about Razor stoning Patrik Elias with his trapper just before that. Also, don’t forget Alfie roaring back to rob Paul Martin of the puck after the Cash Line had a great chance. Another reason why that line is now the best two-way line in hockey. And want to know the real irony of the dying minutes of the Devils’ season? The Sens weren’t afraid to ice the puck, just as the Devils did countless times en route to holding one-goal leads. They won three Cups doing just that. Makes you wonder what can happen now for Canada’s team (nice ring to that, by the way) if that’s the case.

Senators vs. Devils: Round 2, Game 4

2007-05-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

Senators 3, Devils 2

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: Nine years to the day after the eighth-seeded Senators knocked off the first-place Devils 3-1 at the (then) Corel Centre to eliminate them in a six-game shocker, the home team comes through again. Devils still around from that 1998 team: Martin Brodeur and Sergei Brylin. Both got points tonight in a losing cause. As for the Sens? Alfie, Wade Redden and Chris Phillips were all there too as wide-eyed youngsters. Alfie got a goal tonight and Wade added a helper. Big Rig Phillips was the only 1998er to not get a point tonight, but in that game he did make the pass over to Igor Kravchuk for the empty-netter to seal the deal. Many say the Bank has never been louder, but a franchise-record 20,248 did take this one in … So Marty Brodeur showed tonight he was human after all, letting in that no-angler from Dany Heatley and that dribbler from Mike “Slewfoot” Fisher. That’s two straight games Mike has now figured in on the winning goal, but this time he scored, of course. If that wasn’t insult enough after the Heatley marker, how about Ray Emery re-taking the goalie points lead right back with a helper on the Fish goal, right after Marty tied him with an assist on Brian Gionta’s? … Speaking of the Gionta goal, that was a generous bounce off the boards as the puck found its way back to Tiny Brian. Notably, during a third period clearing attempt by the Sens, the puck struck roughly the same spot and sailed quite high in the air, safely out of harm’s way. Talk about bank shots at the Bank … Razor had no chance on Jay Pandolfo’s perfectly placed tip on the Paul Martin point shot. A well-deserved goal for this year’s hard-working Selke winner. Congrats, Jay … Speaking of hard workers, Chris Neil was on fire in the third. That third-period hit on Colin White which drew a retaliation penalty was a huge energy boost and an example of his fine physical presence. And how about that waltz around Travis Greene and Brian Rafalski before going wide on the backhand? He’s done that before a few times and can certainly do it again. As for Rafalski, another subpar effort tonight, posting a minus–2 and three giveaways. He’s still capable of doing better … On the subject of stats, Anton Volchenkov and Devils D Richard Matvichuk checked in with five and six blocked shots respectively. However, none was bigger than A-Train’s block on Patrik Elias, stoning him with under a minute left as Scott Gomez invaded the crease. All in all, a fantastic last two minutes … Gotta love the Jubliee commercials, if only because they show Spezza’s embarrassment of Jose Theodore against the Habs. That goal, folks, never gets old. What IS getting old is Elliotte Friedman’s post-game questions. Add Alfie to the list of Sens (Redden and Fish) who want to belt him, this time for this gem of a question: “Did you guys make a pool as to when Jason Spezza would block shots in back-to-back games?” Let us know when you log heavy minutes on the Cash Line, Elliotte … It was the first time since 1993 (Patrick Roy and Glenn Healy) that two goalies got points in the same playoff game. In ’93, of course, Roy’s Habs went on to take the Cup. Could the same happen here? … The shot of Mike Comrie going for a stick change before the 5-on-3 PP was amusing, as he was choosing between two equally bright shades of neon yellow … Bob Cole Obvious Line of the Night: “It was a soft goal, I would think, on a difficult-angle shot by Heatley.” I would, uh, think the same … young Devils sniper Zach Parise struggled tonight, but fellow youngster Paul Martin was great on D. He read Spezza’s pass intentions perfectly on one three-on-one and checked the biscuit out of harm’s way … Poor Oleg Saprykin – took a hit to make a play in a great second-period shift, got dumped after keeping the play alive, then got called for that sly trip on Matvichuk. Can’t catch a break, as after his penalty he was right on the doorstep at the end of the period but ran out of time … Unfortunately the stereotypes ring true in Ottawa, as a crowd shot of some caviar-lovin’, fifty-something 100-level patrons politely waved pom-poms in subtle fashion, in contrast to some high-up, jet-ducking, passionate shirtless fans with “SENS” on their chests. Wake up, lower deck, you can do better … Don Cherry Suit Rating: a perfect 10 out of 10! A very sharp. velvet red jacket with a white tie (with a maple leaf on it), white shirt and a rose corsage to boot. Nifty … Good play by Christoph Schubert to deck Jamie Langenbrunner, who had a fantastic short-side chance on Emery. Jamie’s a marked man after that OT winner two games ago … Last but not least: as Greg Millen pointed out tonight, nice to see good sportsmanship by Marty Brodeur to simply give Alfie a love tap, and not a vicious calf hack, to keep him out of the crease. Are you listening, Eddie Belfour?

Senators vs. Devils: Round 2, Game 3

2007-05-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

Senators 2, Devils 0

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: The second doughnut for Razor in this postseason couldn’t have come at a better time, as the Sens take the pivotal Game 3 win. Best part though? The post-game interview with Elliotte Friedman, who did his pushy detective work as to why Martin Brodeur wasn’t Razor’s idol growing up. “No, I gotta admit, sorry,” Ray said with a headshake and smile when Elliotte pushed the question. However, Ottawa fans might want to forget Razor’s next line, about why Brodeur wasn’t a fave: “Growing up, he always beat my Leafs.” Oops … Mike Fisher was Elliotte’s next victim, as CBC’s resident “CSI: New Jersey” investigator tried to conduct a post-mortem with Fish about his slewfoot on Marty, which led to Tom Preissing’s goal. After three questions why, Fish finally admitted to it, emotionless, after seeing a replay. “I guess I did hit him, ya.” Get over it Elliotte. Already Wade Redden wants to belt you for the choking-against-the-Leafs questions … Speaking of Fish, another heck of a game, and that’s one heck of a playoff beard too … On the subject, the Devils no longer enforce that clean-shaven rule. The top three beards thus far go to Brian Gionta, Colin White, and the soul-patch sportin’ Scott Gomez. Gomez’s linemate and dangerous sniper Zach Parise is definitely following the rule against his own wishes. The fuzz will come, youngster … Back to Razor: He had to be happy stopping that first glove-side shot, unlike the last game. Going back to the Gionta goal in Game 2 and counting tonight’s whitewash, he still hasn’t let another in from that side. However, none other than Gionta hit a post on that side with 20 ticks left. To top it off, if Razor had twisted his left arm the other way after Scott Gomez’s first-period shot wobbled out of his glove – whole new ballgame. Think too many Ottawans almost jinxed it by saying “shutout” before the final horn? … After tonight’s solid performance which included a blocked shot, two takeaways, 10 won draws and an empty-netter to boot, not to mention some incredible spinorama moves on a late third-period PP, I think all Sens fans can finally let the Spezz Dispenser make a few dipsy-doodle mistakes per night. Too much good comin out of him now … What else can you say about Marty Brodeur? Although Ottawa outplayed the Devils, he’s like Rasputin. Doesn’t give in despite repeated attacks. Too many solid stops to fit in this humble little column, but the Spezza to Heatley one-timer attempt immediately after the Preissing goal might have further rattled a goalie who was tripped up on a goal. Not Marty, who kept his composure. Give this man a red-carpet entrance to the Hall of Fame … Chris Neil, after one third-period hit on Gionta, immediately changed gears and led an odd-man rush into the zone. Over and over, he keeps showing us how he’s the perfect example of tough guy adapted to the ‘new’ NHL … Maybe it’s just me, but Brian Rafalski can play better. After that brutal giveaway to McAmmond in Game 1, he still seems a half-step behind or so at times. Look for him to step it up … Phillips and A-Train: three and eight blocked shots respectively, as well as four hits each. Welcome back, guys … Game 3 winners advance 69% of the time … Maybe Mike Comrie should get hurt more – after he went into the boards and left the game for awhile, the Sens turned up the tempo and nearly scored once or twice. However, he had a good shot from the left wing immediately after returning. He almost scored just before getting hurt, but Brodeur’s veteran savvy noticed a split-second beforehand that Mike wouldn’t corral the biscuit in time, and pokechecked him … John Muckler’s expression right after Heatley’s disallowed goal was priceless … TSN.ca Pun Headline of the Year: “The Preissing is Right.” Well you know, Tom could have a second career now that Bob Barker will only be handing out Plinko chips until June … Puck luck often doesn’t carry over to the next game, as Game 2 OT hero Jamie Langenbrunner found out on his first-period chance on an open cage when the puck hit the heel of his stick. He was stoned point-blank in the second too … Despite two good first period Sens shifts in a row, notably one by the Comrie-Schaefer-Fisher trio, the Devils still maintained enough resiliency to draw an Andrej Meszaros hook while he was backchecking. Just another example of why they’re so annoying to play against … Wade Redden led all Ottawa skaters in the first with 8:39 pretty solid minutes, and was the third-busiest Senator at 22:16. Speaking of time, the Devils’ lack of depth may just be a factor in future OT or close games, as the fourth line of Dowd-Rasmussen-Rupp averaged around three minutes and change tonight … C’mon Ottawa, 19,636 is good, but fill that standing room … One of these games, Oleg Saprykin is going to bury one. He’s made the most of limited ice time. Nice setup to Vermette in the third … The Don Cherry Suit Rating for Game 3 edges up to seven out of 10 for the catchy black and white plaid number … Last but not least: PM Stephen Harper, who is actually a Leafs fan, took in the game with son Ben and wore a red turtleneck to blend in. And just like 2006, Paul Martin was on the defensive, except this time as an actual defenceman.

Senators vs. Devils: Round 2, Game 2

2007-05-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

Devils 3, Senators 2 (2 OT)

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: So the Sens’ go-up-two-zip jinx continues courtesy of Jamie Langenbrunner, who deserved that break after a fantastic game in which he caused havoc all night. To name a few, his two-way play was instrumental in creating an early 3-on-2 which led to Travis “Pat” Zajac’s chance, followed by a post. Plus he drew that four-minute minor from a Peter Schaefer high stick … As for the OT winner itself, it was just a lightning-quick fatal mistake, as Chris Neil put it towards the middle, and Joltin’ Joe couldn’t handle the dump-off in time. By the time Preissing came back, too late folks … Thanks to the timekeeping and two shaky goals on Razor, this game was really lost in the first period. However, do realize that the NHL shuffles around goal judges and timekeepers during the playoffs to take away the threat of ‘home cooking.’ Still, the clock started a split-second too late … As for the first goal on Razor, Alfie got caught, leaving Tiny Brian Gionta with a free wing to shoot from. However, no bones about it, it was a bad goal from a bad angle. Irony? Gionta shot towards the “Sharp” sign, but Sugar Ray certainly wasn’t on that goal. However, he made sure the rest of the shots all night from that wing didn’t have a chance … You’d think ‘former PM’ Paul Martin, of all Devils, would know everything about Ottawa or Senators, and should give Lou a good scouting report before games. As for John Madden? Well, I won’t add to the ribbing he’s probably taken for his name, though I will add that he probably takes tough-actin’ Tinactin, especially after being dumped into the Sens’ bench in the first … So the ice at the old barn did indeed cause problems all night, starting at six seconds in when Spezza missed a swipe at a puck, and all the way to OT, when the frozen softness thwarted Neil’s potential 3-on-2 setup. That and it caused havoc for pouncing on rebounds … No rebound was needed when Heater popped the tying in the dying ticks. How many times since 2005, in practice and in games, has the Spezz Dispenser hooked up with Heatley? Probably none more exciting and significant than this time, as that pass was simply laser-guided … Despite helping to cause the game-ending turnover, Joe Corvo again had a fantastic game, wheeling and dealing all night and nearly putting the game away himself on a third-period shot which Alfie couldn’t deflect in. Let’s just hope his confidence doesn’t sink to the depths of that Atlanta game. Wasn’t his fault this time, end of story … CBC Line of the Night: “New Jersey’s defence mechanism (tonight) is Martin Brodeur,” remarked Greg Millen in the third about Joisey not sticking to its usual team defence. Bang-on. Sens had their chances, but at the end of the night, what else can you say about the future hall-of-famer and one of the best backstoppers of all time? … Zach Parise had another fantastic game and had about five or six great chances all night. He also drew two penalties from a frustrated Mike Fisher early on … Raymond Foose, the Devils’ anthem singer for the evening, substituted “of” instead of “for all thy sons’ command” for those scoring at home, but nonetheless a good show, and an even greater red bowtie … the Comrie-Fisher-Schaefer line was one of few Sens highlights in the first … Devils’ shotblockers came to play tonight … Marty Brodeur’s spanking new trapper looked a little stiff on a late Alfie shot which he dropped, but you know he won’t take long to break it in … How to make an entire city’s worth of hearts skip a beat: make a huge save through traffic in OT where for a split-second no one knows where the biscuit is, one play after stoning Paul Martin. Razor’s got nerves of steel, unlike the rest of us … Don Cherry Suit Rating: six out of 10. Little heavy on the yellow tissue AND tie, and the pinstripes were a little far apart … Before the last-second Devils goal, let’s not forget Alfie leading a great PK charge in that 5-on-3, causing three successful clears. Emery was good as well, with two great screened saves … Here’s hoping the A-Train will be ok after favouring his wrist, which got slashed. He was OK after the Roberts smack though … Last but not least: finally a sellout of 19,040 takes in a Devils game. Sure, there’s traffic problems and all around the soon-to-be-abandoned Continental Arena, but you’d think at least SOME games up till now would have drawn a full barn? Guess not. After Friday’s Nets-Raptors game, you know Jay-Z isn’t waiting to see what a new barn in Newark could do for attendance. Only 17,147 bothered to show up for a Friday playoff game.

Senators vs. Devils: Round 2, Game 1

2007-05-21T07:06:00.000-07:00

Senators 5, Devils 4

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: Huge W for the Sens, looking to get that Split in the Swamp after the Devils ‘coughed’ one up in honour of Patrik Elias … So far so good as it stands, to maybe escape with two wins even after nearly blowing that 4-0 lead when Scott Gomez’s tying goal went off the post. That entire sequence led to a Sens penalty as they desperately tried to clear the zone. Even Chris Neil seemed a little nervous, standing around wondering what to do … But in the first period it looked like the Devils who were the rusty ones with a week-long layoff, not the Sens. No one was shakier than Mr. Brodeur, who let in one over each shoulder … In the words of the wise new CBC commentator-for-a-day, Pat Quinn, the Devils “didn’t throw a bodycheck” all period. True, and they were uncharacteristically sloppy too, notably the defence, which seemed a step behind the opportunistic Sens. Also liked Pat’s take on riding one’s superstars into the dirt (see: Tampa). In short: the Sens have the depth. However, anyone thinking this is guaranteed to be a short series should realize this Devils team can still bite back and play suffocating D … Mike Fisher was everywhere on both ends all night tonight, as usual. Employee #12 had one great play where he zooms down the wing, gets a shot away, then hits Andy Greene for good measure. The two hits on Parise were key as well. And does anyone else think that if Fish were a step quicker down the wing, he could scoot around any defender any time he wants? No complaining at all though, just a thought … Speaking of scooting around defenders, how about that Allen Iverson-esque crossover Joe Corvo pulled before rifling his first of the postseason? Just another move in the Joltin’ Joe arsenal, which has thus far busted out some serious weaponry as Joe has officially come full circle … One player with quite the arsenal himself is Alfie, of course, who threw the body around nicely. At least 5-6 good hits throughout helped took away the effectiveness of the Madden line all night. How about that hit on Jay Pandolfo, who’s no pushover himself, that led to the Preissing shot which Spezza tipped in? Took the crowd out of it. Oh wait, New Jersey really has no crowd … On the subject, it seems the suburban and cavernous Continental Airlines Arena still employs the same tired noise-encouragement techniques as in past years. The same old ‘da-da da-da’ organ jingle followed by claps, as well as the droning goal horn come to mind. 15,512 (3,500 or so short of full barn) was the announced attendance, but about half that looked to be there during the anthems. No wonder the Nets are bound for Brooklyn, and that a new Devils arena is going up in Newark. Three Stanley Cups? Still might not put butts in seats … Travis “Pat” Zajak’s goal late in the first stopped the bleeding, followed by the second period Devils barrage which included another Zach Parise goal from the doorstep. This kid has a nose for the puck, a la Ryan Smyth or John LeClair. Watch out, he’s the real deal, yet another another Lou Lamoriello draft gem … Oleg Saprykin continues to show he belongs, as he had his third great chance of the playoffs on a point-blank chance, which Brodeur coughed up a bad rebound on … Wade Redden finally popped one tonight and has put in two great games in a row. It’s hard to tell sometimes with him, but in that post-game interview you could tell his confidence in his game was coming back. And you know Wade was ready roll his eyes when Elliotte Friedman brought up the Leaf demons of the past … Don Cherry certainly was flattering when alluding to demons that haunted Sens in the past with this gem on Coach’s Corner: “a couple of years ago they were a sucky team.” Ouch. And to think, I was all ready to compliment his brown suit-pink tie ensemble … Brian Rafalski’s lacksidasical clearing attempt late in the first, which led to Dean McAmmond picking him off and getting a beauty, spoke volumes of the Devils’ surprising lack of effort and detail defensively … Ray Emery now owes Anton Volchenkov a steak dinner for his efforts in helping rob Brian Gionta from a yawning cage … Last but not least, gotta love the shot of John Muckler cussing beside Ron Low as the Devils made it 5-4. Old school.

Senators vs. Penguins: Round 1, Game 5

2007-05-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

Senators 3, Penguins 0

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: And so, the flightless birds are sent back off the ice rink to the ice flows in five games. Hats off to their fight in Game 4, but you have to wonder where it was tonight. All boils down to playoff inexperience and lack of depth, but confidence after firing blanks at the start was the difference, not effort, which was there … Speaking of inexperience, Evgeni Malkin’s really was quite obvious. At least he has a future in this league and his playoff mettle will come around, unlike another certain Russian who used to patrol the Ottawa ice … Speaking of Russians, where was Sergei Gonchar in this series? That Pens PP sure should have been better with him at the helm, or at least had more chances this series. He finished a -3 with four playoff points. Quiet ones, however, like Malkin's four … Dirty hit by Gary Roberts on A-Train Volchenkov spoke volumes of painfully obvious frustration. Being as he got away with that one and other ones, at the very least he would have gotten away with them for the Sens should Muckler have picked him up. On the flip side, there’s toughness spread all over this Senators team, so hindsight in this case is not 20-20. Consider the non-acquisition of Gary Roberts a success … Mike Fisher’s stat line: 0 G, 0 A, 0 PTS, 7 hits. One word: perfect. Another hard-fought game, Fish, including that two-hit sideshow on Jordan Staal and Michel Ouellet. Take a bow … Before the rambling goes too long, hats off to Razor. Kept this thing from falling off the wheels right after the curtain-draw, stopping seven Penguin shots on two five-on-threes. Sid the Kid had four of them en route to five in the frame. Could have been six had he not converted a sweet cross-ice feed, but he missed for the second game in a row … Speaking of the Kid, the only reason Spezza got a penalty for butt-ending him was so the zebras could finally nail him for dressing up a reaction. So much for the season finale of the Crosby Show, Canada … Looks like the Michel Therrien decided against using more toughness after all, as Georges Laraque played a team-low 3:02 ... Two happy-ending subplots to tonight: Heater finally potting one, and Redden with an improved effort. Speaking of Reds, that first penalty of the game had to be crushing for his confidence at the time, whether Ouellet dived or not (he did) … 11:27 left in the first: first booing of Colby Armstrong. 6:27 left: louder boo. Good job, Bank faithful (on the Roberts and Crosby booing too). However, PLEASE next time step it up. Huge save by Emery off a rebound? Mostly cheering while sitting. Big play by the Cash line with three or so glorious scoring chances? Ditto. Stand up, Ottawa! Even Lyndon Slewidge had to encourage the patrons to take over O Canada. Still a ways to go to outdo the Oiler fans … Ryan Whitney showed up strong in the third for the Pens tonight after taking that hard shot off the back of his leg. Malkin, are you taking notes? … Anyone else praying when the A-Train stopped at the station (dressing room) after the Roberts hit? … Most reassuring Dean Brown line when I was driving: “Phillips takes Crosby, Volchenkov takes the puck.” Another great call, Deaner … On the subject of commentators, here’s the Bob Cole Line of the Night: “It’s been a great series, even though it’s 3-1.” Huh? Sounds like someone wanting to see more Pittsburgh in this series … not only did Antoine Vermette score a pretty one, but he did his usual fantastic two-way sideshow tonight, including one fantastic play during the opening few penalty kills where he took a hit, bounced the puck off the boards to himself, and killed a few more seconds. Could have simply cleared it, but those plays show your comrades you’re ready to battle … Couldn’t have had one last Pens game without CBC catching a Michel Therrien f-bomb … Jordan Staal is a horse and will only get better. Watch out, NHL … after Mike Comrie rang that bullet off the crossbar and 20,000+ goal judges (including the real one) signaled a tally, you know Bryan Murray had that St. Louis game in mind when he quickly motioned for the refs to go upstairs … Last but not least, what 70s-era drapes or tablecloth died to make Don Cherry’s suit tonight? Call it Drapes on Grapes. That’s one scenario where you look away from HD.

Senators vs. Penguins: Round 1, Game 4

2007-05-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

Ottawa 2, Pittsburgh 1

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: Despite a shaky second period and being outshot throughout, the Senators passed their latest and biggest test with flying colours. Best part? Colby “the witch” Armstrong, who in the pregame interview showed signs of playoff peach fuzz, was a complete non-factor and couldn’t cook up a spell … Pens overall played solid, but simply couldn’t cook up enough chances against Ottawa’s solid stickwork and rebound control (see below) … Gotta be impressed with Dany Heatley. Better overall effort tonight, with two good scoring chances and some big hits. He’ll light the lamp soon enough … Speaking of impressive, how about that Spezza-Heatley-Saprkyin (yes, Saprykin) tic-tac-toe in the third? Oleg, albeit temporarily, made Muckler look like a genius by finishing solidly after a shaky start. Notably, he played well with McAmmond and Schubert … on the flip side, $6 million rearguard Wade Redden had another lacklustre night with a handful of bad giveaways, including the one to Gary Roberts which led to Staal’s goal. Another play featured a Wade-open giveaway to Ronald Petrovicky, who found Jarko Ruuto open. He’s bounced back before – in fact, the Sens are a losing team without him in the lineup – let’s hope it happens real soon … especially in this low-scoring affair, Rayzor really owes Peter Schaefer a steak dinner for his sweeping deflection to keep the game tied in the second. Schaefer and Comrie also traded nifty through-the-legs boardwork which led to Volchenkov’s goal. Pistol Pete’s underrated stickhandling flew under the Pens’ radar, and it’s flown under many all year … hate to make the comparison, but this year’s Sens bear a striking resemblance to the 2004 Leafs in the playoffs for their blue-collar ability to clear away rebounds and second chances. Notably, Mike Fisher, A-Train, Chris Kelly and Antoine Vermette turned in solid defensive efforts … is it just me or are Chris Phillips and the A-Train being “rewarded” by the refs for their solid play all series by being scrutinized and called for a few questionable penalties, one in particular from the centre-ice ref? … Another solid effort by the captain in all aspects, including one late-game rush where he hustled to retrieve a Pens’ dumpout, only to force the nugget back in and create a quick scoring chance. It’s hustle plays like this that win series … Anyone else miss Greg Millen on Sens regional broadcasts? … On the subject, here’s the Bob Cole line of the night, two short minutes after Marc-André Fleury let in that Spezza pop-fly: “Fleury is showing signs of being sharp again this evening.” Funny timing, but o well, he turned out to be right … Leave it to a front-row Penguins fan to disrespectfully flash a “Cryin Bryan” sign during the Canadian anthem … Last but not least, on that late-game Schaefer-Comrie-Fisher jam in front of the net, I bet Dean Brown had his biggest “SCRAMBLE” in recent months.

Senators vs. Penguins: Round 1, Game 3

2007-05-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

PRESIDENT’S 2 CENTS: Another strong game from the captain, as Alfie popped two sweet goals as well as popping both Gary Roberts and cheap-shot artist Colby Armstrong on their backs. Armstrong, of course, took out Patty Eaves with a questionable hit, and it was good to see Chris Neil and Alfie not let him forget it. Speaking of Armstrong, he bears a striking resemblance to Leafs pest Darcy Tucker in playing style and looks, albeit with an uglier nose and an inability to grow peach fuzz, let alone hair … other physical Sens included Mike Comrie and Jason Spezza, the latter with his little melee near the Pens bench in which he handled both Roberts and Ouellette at once … good CBC camera work all night, catching Michel Therrien and Crosby dropping f-bombs, as well as a flattering shot of Gary Roberts spitting in slow, oozing motion … good to see Dean McAmmond get one in the first period, as he was one of the hardest-working Senators up till that point and throughout … speaking of hard work, Schaefer’s nifty dekes, followed up by Mike Fisher’s screen, led directly to the Comrie goal … Pens PA announcer John Barbaro, perhaps despite his best efforts, still sounds too cheerful when announcing a Sens goal or a Pens penalty … Evgeni Malkin showed signs of teenage inexperience, with an undisciplined open-ice hook and that ambush of Phillips in the last minute, both of which led to penalties … fellow youngster Crosby showed incredible, veteran poise as he perfectly stepped into open ice to convert the give-and-go on the Penguins’ second goal … it was the Penguins’ first home playoff game since 2001. Even the crowd was obviously short on playoff experience, with some booing O Canada and then getting overly excited by throwing objects onto the ice after the Pens struck first … toss-up as to what was uglier: the guy in the front row with the long, bleach blonde mullet, or Mario Lemieux sporting a tieless blue shirt and the beginnings of a playoff beard … Dany Heatley either missed most of his shots or had most of them blocked. That certainly can’t continue … Overall the Sens played an excellent road game, checking hard, playing good defence and keeping the Mellon Arena crowd out of it until the late Crosby goal ... last but not least, can’t help but compare the Pens’ decision to sell tickets only to fans living in Pennsylvania to what the Sens did a few playoffs ago when they didn’t sell any to fans in the 416.