Senators fear is a good thing
Posted 4:25 PM ET | Comments 0
It was apparent in Game 2 of the Sens-Pens series, but it was flagrant in Game 3: the Senators are a little afraid.
Before you skewer me to the nearest board, let me make my point. In Game One, the Sens had to prove once and for all that they could find that "extra gear" that is required in the playoffs, that extra amount of grit, determination, speed and physicality that makes a champion. They brought this to a Penguins team that was basically playing the same game they had played at the end of the season. The result was therefore not surprising.
Game Two saw a little bit of that "Sens swagger" and overconfidence that usually costs the team dearly, and they found themselves overwhelmed by a team that wanted it more.
The first five minutes of Game Three saw a Senators team that was again quickly overwhelmed, but something had changed. Those first 5 minutes saw some awful passes, some fumbled pucks, missed checks, all on the Senators side. Heck, I even saw Joe Corvo tripping on his own skates when nobody was even close to him. Meanwhile, the Penguins were making no mistakes, moving the puck well, denying the blue line and bringing the game to the Sens zone and scoring early.
The Senators reaction was predictable. They seemed a little tentative and desperate, and a little fearful. But here's where that fear helped. It seemed all of a sudden that the Sens had to prove to themselves that they could make blade to blade passes, and after a few of those, they settled in. It seemed that they needed to prove that they could work with the imperfect pass, that they could gain a toe-hold on the Penguins' blue line, that they could chase that dumped puck, that they could get a shot on goal, even a weak one, that they could force turnovers. As each of these hurdles was surmounted, you could literally see the confidence gain and the renewed energy and improved game of the Sens, who then totally turned the tables on the Penguins: it was the Pens' turn to play catch up and to adapt to Ottawa's different play.
And a different Ottawa play it certainly was. Both Alfredsson's goals were scored from places where Alfie does not normally shoot. McAmmond and Comrie's goals showed that the Sens have finally learned the lesson that a dirty goal is a good goal, and that you need to be close to the crease to get results. I saw a team that was able to face the beast, get a few tentative blows in to get its bearing, change tactics and come out charging. If the Senators can keep this up for the foreseeable future, they may just surprise quite a few analysts.
Before you skewer me to the nearest board, let me make my point. In Game One, the Sens had to prove once and for all that they could find that "extra gear" that is required in the playoffs, that extra amount of grit, determination, speed and physicality that makes a champion. They brought this to a Penguins team that was basically playing the same game they had played at the end of the season. The result was therefore not surprising.
Game Two saw a little bit of that "Sens swagger" and overconfidence that usually costs the team dearly, and they found themselves overwhelmed by a team that wanted it more.
The first five minutes of Game Three saw a Senators team that was again quickly overwhelmed, but something had changed. Those first 5 minutes saw some awful passes, some fumbled pucks, missed checks, all on the Senators side. Heck, I even saw Joe Corvo tripping on his own skates when nobody was even close to him. Meanwhile, the Penguins were making no mistakes, moving the puck well, denying the blue line and bringing the game to the Sens zone and scoring early.
The Senators reaction was predictable. They seemed a little tentative and desperate, and a little fearful. But here's where that fear helped. It seemed all of a sudden that the Sens had to prove to themselves that they could make blade to blade passes, and after a few of those, they settled in. It seemed that they needed to prove that they could work with the imperfect pass, that they could gain a toe-hold on the Penguins' blue line, that they could chase that dumped puck, that they could get a shot on goal, even a weak one, that they could force turnovers. As each of these hurdles was surmounted, you could literally see the confidence gain and the renewed energy and improved game of the Sens, who then totally turned the tables on the Penguins: it was the Pens' turn to play catch up and to adapt to Ottawa's different play.
And a different Ottawa play it certainly was. Both Alfredsson's goals were scored from places where Alfie does not normally shoot. McAmmond and Comrie's goals showed that the Sens have finally learned the lesson that a dirty goal is a good goal, and that you need to be close to the crease to get results. I saw a team that was able to face the beast, get a few tentative blows in to get its bearing, change tactics and come out charging. If the Senators can keep this up for the foreseeable future, they may just surprise quite a few analysts.