Alfredsson ejected as Senators lose to Flyers
Daniel Alfredsson lost his cool and the Ottawa Senators lost their second straight game Saturday afternoon.
PHILADELPHIA – Daniel Alfredsson lost his cool and the Ottawa Senators lost their second straight game Saturday afternoon.
The Philadelphia Flyers held on to a 2-1 victory, but Alfredsson made it much easier on them.
With the Senators pushing to tie the game late, the Senators captain cross-checked Flyers pest Zac Rinaldo in the face. That resulted in a five-minute major and game miscondut to Alfredsson, leaving the Senators shorthanded as the clock ticked down. When Erik Condra received a high sticking major, the Flyers received an extended 5-on-3 edge, eliminating any realistic hope of a Senators comeback.
Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds scored for the Flyers (11-11-1) and Marc Methot scored his first goal with the Senators (12-7-3).
Once again, the Senators received outstanding goaltending. Ben Bishop stopped 39 shots.
The Alfredsson stick work was just one of many nasty plays in a heated game between two clubs who clearly don’t like each other much.
Not only did the Senators lose their second straight on the current road trip – the Boston Bruins defeated them 2-1 in overtime Thursday – but they were dealt yet another injury.
Defenceman Mike Lundin suffered a concussion following a crushing hit by the Flyers’ Harry Zolnierczyk at the 9:13 mark of the first period.
Zolnierczyk’s elbow caught Lundin’s head as he crossed the blueline.The Flyers winger received a charging major and a game misconduct will be hearing from NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan and is likely facing a lengthy suspension. The Senators played the remainder of the game with only five defencemen.
Andre Benoit will likely take Lundin’s spot as the Senators visit the New York Islanders Sunday.
The Flyers dominated most of the second period, outshooting the Senators 22-9.
They were also in compete control, leading 2-0 on pretty goals from Voracek and Simmonds.
The Senators were guilty of giving the Flyers’ speedy and skilled forwards too much room and the Flyers made them pay.
Voracek’s goal came after Marc Methot was caught pinching at centre. Voracek outfought a back-checking Erik Condra and then made a sweet move on Eric Gryba in the slot before beating Bishop.
Simmonds was left alone for a breakaway and he slipped the puck between Bishop’s legs on a deke.
To their credit, though, the Senators didn’t go away.
Methot made up for his earlier error by beating Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov with a shot from just inside the blueline. It was Methot’s first goal as a Senator, but it was one that the Flyers goaltender should have stopped.
The first period was scoreless, but was full of action.
That included Zolnierczyk’s hit on Lundin. As Lundin crossed the blueline, carrying the puck with his head down, the Flyers winger left his feet as he launched himself. Zolnierczyk’s elbow caught Lundin flush in the head and Lundin immediately dropped to the ice. As a result of the hit, Kaspars Daugavins fought the Flyers’ Zac Rinaldo.
The Senators failed to take advantage of the five minute penalty, taking a too many men penalty in the middle of the Flyers’ major.
The Senators outshot the Flyers 14-10 in the first period and had the better chances in the opening minutes of the game, but Bryzgalov was sharp. In the final minutes of the period, The Senators were sloppy in their own end and the game remained scoreless only because of the play of Bishop and a few lucky bounces around the net.
*Note: Zolnierczyk was in the middle of a similar hit during the Flyers’ 4-1 win over Washington on Wednesday. The Flyers winger hit Washington’s Mathieu Perreault with his head down just outside the blueline. Zolnierczyk originally received a game misconduct on the play, but it was later rescinded by the NHL. That won’t happen this time.
GAME FILE
CHEERS: Jakub Voracek, Flyers. The Flyers’ winger was, well, flying, all game long. He scored the first goal and was a threat throughout, illustrating the skills which led the Columbus Blue Jackets to make him such an early first round draft pick.
JEERS: The Ottawa Senators’ power play. It’s old news, but it’s ice cold. The Senators went 0-for-5 Saturday and they’re now on a 3-for-43 stretch. During a second period advantage, Senators coach Paul MacLean started with a unit featuring checkers Dave Dziurzynski, Zack Smith and Chris Neil.
WHY THEY LOST: Again, it’s an old story. One goal just isn’t enough to win consistently in the NHL. The Senators also showed poor discipline with the game winding down.
Chris phillips should be e$barrassed that his captain had to fight his battles. He should have sttod up and gone after rinaldo. We don’t have toughness anymore, or scoring or a powerplay. Thank goodness for alfir.
Looking at this and that deliberate attack by Cooke on Karlsson, the league isn’t going to take action, particularly when it happens to a team from a small Canadian city. The Sens need a couple of serious goons.
The consensus is that Cooke was not intending any harm to Karlsson apart from pinning him to the boards. I know it’s tough to lose a Norris Trophy winner who contributes heavily to the scoring of a snake-bitten team, but objectively speaking, I think the consensus is right. The pin is a common technique among all players, and Cooke has never been capable of being discrete about his attacks from years ago. I don’t think goons are necessarily the answer, but I think the Senators could use a puck-mover and another Neil-like guy who is willing to bang all game.
That Flyers goon (I know–redundant–let me specify then) Harry Zolnierlyczykurhedoff got four games; Alfredsson got nothing for what he did. I think that’s unfair, even if the victim was Zac Rinaldo. So you cannot possibly say the punishment doled from this game was anything other than in the Senators’ favor.
Is there a single journalist in Ottawa that actually -likes- the Senators?
if you think Alfredsson isn’t facing a lengthy suspension then you are truly brainwashed. Especially to that he is a repeat offender.
surely you must be a Toronto Leafs Fan
The Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team in the NHL that plays all their games at 7 pm, 7:30 or 8 pm. That’s right – no afternoon games. Ottawa has the most afternoon games (11). Playing at the same time every game gives a team an advantage in its pre-game routine. I realize that TV networks want the Leaf market in prime time but this schedule gives the Leafs a competitive advantage.
Maybe it’s time to get PP Dynamo Shane Prince into the lineup. The kid dominated the OHL last year for the 67′s and is now Binghamton’s leader in Goals and PP Goals among active players. Why isn’t he in Ottawa?
The Senators are in big trouble. They can’t score and they can’t stop the other team from taking shots. Imagine if the goal-tending was not outstanding!!
Senators must recall Da Costa. He is the most skilful to creating games during power play
We must be patient with our beloved Sens – think about it – our Sens are actually our Bingo Boys playing NHL men
We are not doing bad at all
Go Sens Go