OTTAWA – They were “just alive,” according to Guy Boucher.
Mike Hoffman cited the “energy and emotion going around this dressing room” prior to their first game on home ice in the Eastern Conference Final.
Dion Phaneuf mentioned that he realized early on this was going to be different.
“You could see right off the opening draw,” said Phaneuf. “For the first probably five or six minutes, we really pushed with zone time, got down there and we were able to generate offence through that.”
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It added up to a huge response following a gun-shy effort in Game 2. There was nothing boring about the stunning four-goal, first-period outburst that propelled Ottawa to a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.
“It’s a nice feeling to come out like that,” said Zack Smith. “I thought we were skating well and we were doing what we wanted to do and we were rewarded with some early goals. And some lucky bounces, obviously.”
It moved Ottawa, incredibly, within two wins of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final. The Senators will do what they can to stay in the moment and keep those thoughts distant, but the rest of the hockey world doesn’t have to show the same restraint.
No one saw this playoff run coming.
No one could have predicted this Game 3 explosion was on the horizon.
This, after the Senators spent two days defending the controlled 1-3-1 defensive system that has carried them deep into the spring and resulted in 2-1 and 1-0 games to open this series.
“It’s just another thing you just shake off,” said Hoffman. “If we played a run-and-gun game that maybe some people would rather watch, we probably wouldn’t be here. So we use our assets and that’s what works.”
They did anything but sit back against a battered Pittsburgh blue line. They brought pressure and knocked their opponent off-balance.
Hoffman needed just 48 seconds to get the first puck behind Marc-Andre Fleury courtesy of a carom off the end boards. The Penguins starter then knocked one into his own net after Marc Methot’s shot hit him in the mask and was left completely out to dry when a wide-open Derick Brassard took a lovely pass from Clarke MacArthur.
It was 4-0 after just 12:52 when Smith followed up his own shot and stuffed a wraparound behind the diving goaltender. That brought Matt Murray on in relief, which will surely lead to a debate about who should start Game 4 for Pittsburgh.
“We’re still trying to digest this game that we just played,” said head coach Mike Sullivan. “And we’ll sleep on it, and we’ll make decisions moving forward.”
It is worth pondering how much gas remains in the Penguins tank. This was their 203rd game over the last two seasons – that doesn’t include exhibitions or the World Cup – and they’re having their depth seriously tested by injuries to Kris Letang, Justin Schultz, Bryan Rust and Patric Hornqvist.
Crosby conceded that he’s gained a new respect for how difficult it is to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
“I think I had that appreciation coming in, but I think just going through it and understanding how tough it is to win, you need some bounces, you need some luck along the way,” he said.
The Senators are getting some luck and creating some luck. They had an easier path to this point by going through the Atlantic Division half of the bracket and are now facing a Penguins team that is a shell of itself.
They are starting to feel like a team of destiny with a sense of occasion to match.
After generating a meagre 29 even-strength shot attempts on Monday night, they had 21 over the opening 20 minutes alone in front of an enthusiastic, towel-waving crowd at Canadian Tire Centre.
“I love the way we rebound,” said Boucher. “That’s our team all year. Whenever there’s something we don’t like, I’m pretty sure it’s either the period after or the game after that guys have really showed up.”
The Senators have our undivided attention now. Even after building the big lead, they managed to weather the storm as Pittsburgh brought pressure in the second period.
Craig Anderson looked extremely sharp – he’s given up only three goals in the series – and the home fans even chanted “1-3-1!” in ode to the system behind this crazy run.
What a time. What a team.
“I think everyone around is excited, obviously,” said MacArthur. “Maybe you’re not overly excited about the way games go down, but it’s the way we feel we have the best chance to play in win games. So far it’s tough to argue that.
“A team like us, at the start of the year you’d never really expect us to be where we are.”
And now?
“You’re so close you want to do whatever you can to get the job done,” said MacArthur. “That’s what I think about.”
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