The intrigue about who might be injured and not ready to play in Game 7 continues to grow.
Daniel Alfredsson once again on Tuesday apologized for his uncharacteristic water bottle-stomping, stick-slamming temper tantrum early in the third period of Monday’s 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers. But Ottawa Senators coach Paul MacLean was not apologizing for causing Alfredsson’s meltdown by benching him and the rest of the first powerplay unit to begin the third.
Here’s the good news if you’re a booster of the Ottawa Senators, the last Canadian team standing. Game 6 against the New York Rangers on Monday night was like the playoff hockey equivalent of a Premiere Showcase gone wrong, horribly wrong, but there is a chance for redemption.
Good thing there’s an extra day between games before Thursday’s series-clinching Game 7 in New York, allowing us to sort through all the assorted side issues.
Henrik Lundqvist is a spectacular goalie, but even he has to know anyone with a modicum of common sense doesn’t think the NHL would prefer Ottawa in the second round over New York. Here he is calling Ottawa’s late goal, which looked like it might have been kicked in, “an absolute joke.”
And so it goes to a seventh game, with the “Believe It” slogan a little bit shaken.
An early lead, a raucous crowd behind them and a tired-looking Rangers squad on the other side. Then they stopped skating, keeping the Rangers alive, only one shot from tying the game. After the dormant Rangers power play scored to tie the game, New York added two late second period goals to take control.