2007-08 Regular Season, Game 31

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.