Scanlan: Senators believe this Game 7 will be different
Fans of the Ottawa Senators have already been smacked upside the head by Game 7.
NEW YORK — Fans of the Ottawa Senators have already been smacked upside the head by Game 7.
Over the years, they have awoken in a cold sweat reliving the Derek Plante overtime shot that trickled off Ron Tugnutt’s trapper (1997), they’ve known the agony of being shut out by the rival Maple Leafs (2002). They don’t need to be reminded about the Jeff Friesen last-minute goal in the conference final of 2003 or Joe Nieuwendyk bamboozling Patrick Lalime in 2004 (oh, those Leafs).
All this in previous Game 7s: Four times tried, four times failed.
In the hours leading up to Game 7 at Madison Square Garden between the Senators and Rangers in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal, is it fair to damn this 2011-12 roster with the sins of their forebears?
Yes and no, actually.
Yes, because fans live and die with the history, lore and tradition of their favorite sporting team. Not one member of the 2004 Boston Red Sox was responsible for trading Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1920, but nearly a century of Sox teams carried that burden until the Sox won the World Series in ‘04.
No, because, as Senators centre Jason Spezza reminds us, Erik Condra and Zack Smith wouldn’t know Ricard Persson from Derek Plante.
“We’re almost 22 different guys,” Spezza says. It’s a whole different makeup, a whole different group.”
This is true. On the Senators current roster, only Daniel Alfredsson played in all those series that went to seven games. Chris Phillips and Chris Neil were in three of the four series and Spezza, still a kid at the time, played a cameo role in 2003 and 2004.
Unlike those editions of the Senators, which tended to fold under pressure, this year’s team actually built a reputation for resilience, for dramatic, third-period comebacks and clutch performances.
As one Ottawa fan said this week at a local grocery store, the Senators were counted out of the playoff picture nearly all season long. Nothing was expected of a re-tooled roster. Now, they’re underdogs heading into Game 7? Same scenario. Hell, Las Vegas oddsmakers had the Senators as ‘dogs at home in Game 6 versus New York (inside information?).
While the pendulum appears to have swung mightily in New York’s direction, with the Rangers coming off their best game of the series, the Senators feel they just might have the Rangers where they want them, and not because the Blueshirts themselves have won only three of eight Game 7s.
Whether it’s their inner sports shrink talking, or the players themselves, they would have us believe it is so.
“We’re generally excited to be in a Game 7, we find ourselves in a good position,” Spezza says. “There’s a lot of pressure on them. We have a chance to spoil their season. They finished in first place. We have a chance to make ours a real successful one.”
That they do, and a chance to make amends for a Game 6 collapse that left the team feeling sheepish about unraveling the way it did. For a bunch of reasons, the Senators play a more natural game on the road, a simpler game. Many teams do, which only partially explains these playoffs, where road teams are essentially kicking butt (28-17 heading into last night’s game in Boston).
Most coaches agree they’d rather be on home ice for a Game 7, although Senators head coach Paul MacLean, noting the seeming disadvantage at home this spring says, “there is no home ice, it’s a different game every night.”
If fans and media are going to dredge up the Senators Game 7 history, they ought to consider the history of the 1 vs. 8 matchup in NHL Game 7 playoffs, as Sportsnet’s Ian Mendes did on his Sportsnet blog Wednesday morning.
Six times the top seed has been extended to seven games by the lowest playoff seed and in four of those meetings, the No. 8 seed has won. Four of the six winners were also road teams, somewhat defying the historic trend toward home ice winners (65 per cent, 89-51 win-loss record).
With their affinity for MSG, the Senators should carry some confidence. Twice, they beat the Rangers here during the season, and then twice more in the three previous New York home games of this series.
Senators goaltender Craig Anderson has no clue why that may be. Someone asked if the arena “lighting” — and I used that word loosely — was especially to his liking. (Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas implied earlier this season that he was no fan of MSG, but used to say he liked the lighting at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa).
“We’ve had success in that building, there’s no rhyme nor reason for it,” said Anderson, paraphrasing Shakespeare. “Maybe we match up well.”
The organization believes it does.
Spezza vows there will mojo in Manhattan, from a group “determined to erase the memory of a sloppy Game 6 at home.
“It’s one game, it’s 1 versus 8, anyone can win and have an opportunity to move on,” Spezza said.
“We’re excited to get playing this game and see what we’ve got.”
They’re not the only ones.
Is that a shot of the airport or did the Senators take the bus down from Binghamton where most of these guys live?
Hagelin means so much more to the Rangers than Alfie means to your Senators. Sens are 0-2 this series with Alfie lasting the entire game. Rangers are 2-0 with Hags in the lineup.
You guys better hope that Richards was able to get his invisibility suit back from Canadian customs for game 7!
I don’t know about that (meaningful), but if Hagelin can help his team win tonight he’ll have done it much sooner than it took Alfredsson (What, a good 3-5 years before we won a playoff round?)…but I dare to hope as a Senators fan that we won’t completely implode tonight…
One year actually. The Senators lost to Buffalo in round one the first time they made the playoffs (’96-’97). They then beat New Jersey their second year in the playoffs (’97-’98). Intersting to note that at that time, the Senators were the number 8 seed and New Jersey was number 1. Also interestingly in the second round that year, Ottawa was eliminated in 5 games by Washington, who had a capable young defenceman that really ripped us to pieces – Gonchar.
On a side note, I’ve seen Carton post that line – that Hagelin means more to NYR than Alfredsson means to OTT. I love underhanded and ridiculous jabs like those. I like Hagelin and he’ll be important to NYR’s future but I’m not buying what Carton is selling.
So you are saying a kid in his first season is more valuable to his team than Alfredsson who has been in Ottawa for 17+ seasons and lead them to the Cup final? Do you also think 1 player out of 18 skaters on the ice is the reason they won or lost? How long have you been watching hockey?
Are you a Leaf fan — or a Ranger fan? – The delusional post seems to tell me you are a Leaf fan.. but then Rangers’ jerseys are blue as well.
Oh Please, ” It Isn’t Over Until It’s Over”. Gee your post seems a tad on the “M” spirited type….hummmmmmm!!!!
I hope the refs are a lot better tonight than they were in game 6. Two scenarios: The Rangers are given 5 (scratch your head) power plays early in the game and that’s the difference or; the Sens dominate but win in a squeeker (2-1) because of King L.
It’s jakob silfverberg playing the game 7?
@Fabbe:
Did he play at all this series? All I saw was an overhyped young kid running around confused in game 6. Was shocked MacLean even played him with his philosophy of earning your spots, so the Murrays must have pressured him to look like geniuses.
“Unlike those editions of the Senators, which tended to fold under pressure, this year’s team actually built a reputation for resilience, for dramatic, third-period comebacks and clutch performances.”
Except in game 6 of course….and except in the last few games of the season where they played abominably.
Go Sens Go, but cautiously and not with a little trepidation and it wil be that way until they win a Cup under Murray.
Refs are irrelevant. Either the Senators are the scrappy, resilient players they are made out to be or they collapse. Up to the players to get it done, bad calls or no.
Refs are completely relevant. They’ve had a hand in EVERY game in the playoffs this year with their inconsistency. Please find better arguments to support your senator hate.
This is off-topic, but a fun look back at pre-Alfie hockey meltdowns (video):
http://www.hockeybias.com/hockey-news-past/2012/April/Top-10-Hockey-Meltdowns-HD–video.html