#1 Rangers vs. #8 Senators Series Preview
Posted 12:09 PM ET | Comments 0
Offense: Advantage Senators
The Rangers all year have depended on their great team defense and great goaltending to get them to number 1 in the East. They have scored at very opportune times, but they don’t have as much firepower as the Senators. The Rangers are 11th in goals scored with 2.71 goals for per game and the Senators are 4th in goals scored with 2.96 goals for per game. The Rangers got a great year from Marian Gaborik after a down year last year as he got 41 goals and 76 points. Brad Richards brought some much needed leadership into the locker room as well as on the ice and added some very big goals at very important times. He had 25 goals and 66 points since he is more of a playmaker. Ryan Callahan was the only other 20+ goal scorer on the team and the captain had a great year with 29 goals and 54 points. Ottawa is loaded with their top players between Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Michalek, and Erik Karlsson. Erik Karlsson was always a promising young defenseman coming up, but this year he really emerged into one of the best offensive defenseman in the NHL as he scored 19 goals and added 78 points. Spezza and Michalek both got 34 and 35 goals respectively and Alfredsson potted 27 more.
Defense: Advantage Rangers
The Rangers have battled injuries all year at defense with Staal being out till the Winter Classic with post concussion symptoms and Sauer out most of the year with a concussion. Del Zotto and Stralman have also been banged up during the year. Many people look at the Rangers every year and think they are near the top of the league in goals against because of their star goalie, Henrik Lundqvist, but much of the credit has to go to the top 6 on defense as well as the team defense that John Tortorella implements. The defensemen are not flashy like Erik Karlsson, Shea Weber, or even Zdeno Chara, but they get the job done. The Rangers are 3rd in the league in goals against with 2.22 goals against per game. The Senators have a few offensive defensemen which include Karlsson as I stated above, Filip Kuba, and Sergei Gonchar. The only true “defensive defenseman” on the team is Chris Phillips. Ottawa does not depend on its team defense as much because of their offensive guns and they do not have the players on defense that can play great team defense. The Senators therefore are 24th in the league in goals against with 2.88 goals against per game.
Goaltending: Advantage Rangers
Do I even need to begin with the spectacular play of Henrik Lundqvist this year and every year he’s been in the league? This year was his best year and he is very deserving of the Vezina trophy award because he had 39 wins, 1.97 GAA, .930 sv%, and 8 shutouts in 62 games. Those are ridiculous numbers for a goaltender now with the offense being higher than the years before the lockout because of the no two line pass anymore. The problem with Lundqvist has been his postseason play. He’s been good in the postseason, but not great like he’s been in the regular season. He has never got past the second round and he has only got past the first round twice out of the five years he’s been in the playoffs. He is the backbone of the team and he has to play at his best and the way he played all year if the Rangers want to have a Stanley Cup Champions Parade in mid June. The Senators have an interesting goalie situation. They have Craig Anderson who is very capable of playing outstanding, but he can also show up and play horrible. The problem with him is inconsistency. In the 2010 playoffs against the #1 seeded San Jose Sharks he stood on his head and almost stole the series for his Colorado Avalanche before eventually losing in 6 in the Quarterfinals. He had them up 2-1 in that series, so he did put a scare into the Sharks. This year he had 33 wins, 2.84 GAA, .914 sv%, and 3 shutouts in 60 games.
Special Teams: Even
The Rangers PP has been a problem all year with the exception of the last few weeks of the season, so maybe this is a sign of things to come in the playoffs. They were ranked 23rd in the league in this category. The Rangers have a PP QB in Michael Del Zotto, but the problem with them has always been that they do not shoot the puck enough. They are always looking for the perfect play and I expect them in the playoffs to shoot more and go for rebounds and deflections. The playoffs are all about dirty goals, so the Rangers have to adjust their PP to meet this. Their PK has always been a strength since the lockout. They were ranked 5th in the league this year. They block a ton of shots beginning with the “heart and soul” of the team, Ryan Callahan. Brandon Prust, Brian Boyle, and Dan Girardi have probably been the other three players on the penalty kill who make the biggest difference whether it’s a shot block or a good clear. The Senators PP has been pretty good this year as it is 11th in the league. The PP is quarterbacked by Erik Karlsson and it is loaded up front with Alfredsson, Michalek, and Spezza. The Sentors PK has been a struggle all year as it is ranked 20th in the league. The matchups to watch are the Rangers good PK vs. the Senators good PP and the Rangers disappoint PP vs. the Senators struggling PK.
Coaching: Advantage Rangers
John Tortorella has really changed the culture of the Rangers. It has always been a hard-working team with a great team defense, but he makes the players more accountable for their actions. If you do not play well, you will sit. If you play better, you will get rewarded for more ice time. He has the experience in the playoffs winning a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. Paul MacLean took over the Senators coaching job right before this year in June 2011. This is his first time coaching as a head coach and coaching as a head coach in the playoffs. The home-ice in this series will also make it is easier on Tortorella to get the right matchups for potentially 4 out of 7 games because he gets the last change at home. This might make it even tougher on MacLean and his staff.
Three Keys For The Rangers
1. Stay out of the box. The Senators PP can be very explosive, I understand the Rangers PK is very good, but the Senators move the puck very quickly and have snipers in Michalek and Alfredsson.
2. Stick to the team defense. It may be tough for the Rangers to stick to their team concepts especially at home in game 1 when they are going to be pumped at an electric MSG. It’s very possible they may want to get out of their game and score an early goal. The goals will come, stay with the process. If this series gets into a track meet, the Senators can pull off the upset with their firepower.
3. Get the puck deep and forecheck. The Senators have a very fast transition game, so you have to make them come the whole length of the ice. Do not turn the puck over in the neutral zone. Getting the puck deep is not a bad thing because the Rangers have one of the best forechecks in the league and it may wear down the Senators in a series.
Three Keys For The Senators
1. Craig Anderson. You thought I was going to say Henrik Lundqvist for the Rangers, didn’t you? Craig Anderson has to be outstanding and unhuman for the Senators to have a chance in this series. That is the way low playoff seeds win now, they need their goaltender to steal a series.
2. Their top players have to come through big time. The four big guns: Alfredsson, Michalek, Spezza, and Karlsson need to have a huge series during even strength and on the PP for the Senators to stay in this series.
3. Take one of the first two in New York. This will really change the series and get the Rangers on their heels a little bit going back to a raucous Scotiabank Place in Ottawa for games 3 and 4.
Predictions: Rangers in 6
I believe the Senators will send everything they have at the Rangers, but the Rangers have been a great team all year when facing adversity. I expect this continue in the playoffs. The Senators might even put in a scare into the Rangers by winning one of the first two games, but I think if the Rangers needed a game, Henrik Lundqvist would steal one if he had to. I can see Lundqvist winning four games, but I can’t see Anderson winning four games. Also, expect the tough and hard-hitting forecheck of the Rangers to take a toll on the Senators after the first few games. I’ll say the Senators take game 3 at home down 2-0 and game 5 at MSG down 3-1 to keep the series alive, but I think game 6 the Rangers will close the door on them.
The Rangers all year have depended on their great team defense and great goaltending to get them to number 1 in the East. They have scored at very opportune times, but they don’t have as much firepower as the Senators. The Rangers are 11th in goals scored with 2.71 goals for per game and the Senators are 4th in goals scored with 2.96 goals for per game. The Rangers got a great year from Marian Gaborik after a down year last year as he got 41 goals and 76 points. Brad Richards brought some much needed leadership into the locker room as well as on the ice and added some very big goals at very important times. He had 25 goals and 66 points since he is more of a playmaker. Ryan Callahan was the only other 20+ goal scorer on the team and the captain had a great year with 29 goals and 54 points. Ottawa is loaded with their top players between Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Michalek, and Erik Karlsson. Erik Karlsson was always a promising young defenseman coming up, but this year he really emerged into one of the best offensive defenseman in the NHL as he scored 19 goals and added 78 points. Spezza and Michalek both got 34 and 35 goals respectively and Alfredsson potted 27 more.
Defense: Advantage Rangers
The Rangers have battled injuries all year at defense with Staal being out till the Winter Classic with post concussion symptoms and Sauer out most of the year with a concussion. Del Zotto and Stralman have also been banged up during the year. Many people look at the Rangers every year and think they are near the top of the league in goals against because of their star goalie, Henrik Lundqvist, but much of the credit has to go to the top 6 on defense as well as the team defense that John Tortorella implements. The defensemen are not flashy like Erik Karlsson, Shea Weber, or even Zdeno Chara, but they get the job done. The Rangers are 3rd in the league in goals against with 2.22 goals against per game. The Senators have a few offensive defensemen which include Karlsson as I stated above, Filip Kuba, and Sergei Gonchar. The only true “defensive defenseman” on the team is Chris Phillips. Ottawa does not depend on its team defense as much because of their offensive guns and they do not have the players on defense that can play great team defense. The Senators therefore are 24th in the league in goals against with 2.88 goals against per game.
Goaltending: Advantage Rangers
Do I even need to begin with the spectacular play of Henrik Lundqvist this year and every year he’s been in the league? This year was his best year and he is very deserving of the Vezina trophy award because he had 39 wins, 1.97 GAA, .930 sv%, and 8 shutouts in 62 games. Those are ridiculous numbers for a goaltender now with the offense being higher than the years before the lockout because of the no two line pass anymore. The problem with Lundqvist has been his postseason play. He’s been good in the postseason, but not great like he’s been in the regular season. He has never got past the second round and he has only got past the first round twice out of the five years he’s been in the playoffs. He is the backbone of the team and he has to play at his best and the way he played all year if the Rangers want to have a Stanley Cup Champions Parade in mid June. The Senators have an interesting goalie situation. They have Craig Anderson who is very capable of playing outstanding, but he can also show up and play horrible. The problem with him is inconsistency. In the 2010 playoffs against the #1 seeded San Jose Sharks he stood on his head and almost stole the series for his Colorado Avalanche before eventually losing in 6 in the Quarterfinals. He had them up 2-1 in that series, so he did put a scare into the Sharks. This year he had 33 wins, 2.84 GAA, .914 sv%, and 3 shutouts in 60 games.
Special Teams: Even
The Rangers PP has been a problem all year with the exception of the last few weeks of the season, so maybe this is a sign of things to come in the playoffs. They were ranked 23rd in the league in this category. The Rangers have a PP QB in Michael Del Zotto, but the problem with them has always been that they do not shoot the puck enough. They are always looking for the perfect play and I expect them in the playoffs to shoot more and go for rebounds and deflections. The playoffs are all about dirty goals, so the Rangers have to adjust their PP to meet this. Their PK has always been a strength since the lockout. They were ranked 5th in the league this year. They block a ton of shots beginning with the “heart and soul” of the team, Ryan Callahan. Brandon Prust, Brian Boyle, and Dan Girardi have probably been the other three players on the penalty kill who make the biggest difference whether it’s a shot block or a good clear. The Senators PP has been pretty good this year as it is 11th in the league. The PP is quarterbacked by Erik Karlsson and it is loaded up front with Alfredsson, Michalek, and Spezza. The Sentors PK has been a struggle all year as it is ranked 20th in the league. The matchups to watch are the Rangers good PK vs. the Senators good PP and the Rangers disappoint PP vs. the Senators struggling PK.
Coaching: Advantage Rangers
John Tortorella has really changed the culture of the Rangers. It has always been a hard-working team with a great team defense, but he makes the players more accountable for their actions. If you do not play well, you will sit. If you play better, you will get rewarded for more ice time. He has the experience in the playoffs winning a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. Paul MacLean took over the Senators coaching job right before this year in June 2011. This is his first time coaching as a head coach and coaching as a head coach in the playoffs. The home-ice in this series will also make it is easier on Tortorella to get the right matchups for potentially 4 out of 7 games because he gets the last change at home. This might make it even tougher on MacLean and his staff.
Three Keys For The Rangers
1. Stay out of the box. The Senators PP can be very explosive, I understand the Rangers PK is very good, but the Senators move the puck very quickly and have snipers in Michalek and Alfredsson.
2. Stick to the team defense. It may be tough for the Rangers to stick to their team concepts especially at home in game 1 when they are going to be pumped at an electric MSG. It’s very possible they may want to get out of their game and score an early goal. The goals will come, stay with the process. If this series gets into a track meet, the Senators can pull off the upset with their firepower.
3. Get the puck deep and forecheck. The Senators have a very fast transition game, so you have to make them come the whole length of the ice. Do not turn the puck over in the neutral zone. Getting the puck deep is not a bad thing because the Rangers have one of the best forechecks in the league and it may wear down the Senators in a series.
Three Keys For The Senators
1. Craig Anderson. You thought I was going to say Henrik Lundqvist for the Rangers, didn’t you? Craig Anderson has to be outstanding and unhuman for the Senators to have a chance in this series. That is the way low playoff seeds win now, they need their goaltender to steal a series.
2. Their top players have to come through big time. The four big guns: Alfredsson, Michalek, Spezza, and Karlsson need to have a huge series during even strength and on the PP for the Senators to stay in this series.
3. Take one of the first two in New York. This will really change the series and get the Rangers on their heels a little bit going back to a raucous Scotiabank Place in Ottawa for games 3 and 4.
Predictions: Rangers in 6
I believe the Senators will send everything they have at the Rangers, but the Rangers have been a great team all year when facing adversity. I expect this continue in the playoffs. The Senators might even put in a scare into the Rangers by winning one of the first two games, but I think if the Rangers needed a game, Henrik Lundqvist would steal one if he had to. I can see Lundqvist winning four games, but I can’t see Anderson winning four games. Also, expect the tough and hard-hitting forecheck of the Rangers to take a toll on the Senators after the first few games. I’ll say the Senators take game 3 at home down 2-0 and game 5 at MSG down 3-1 to keep the series alive, but I think game 6 the Rangers will close the door on them.