FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-The Senators probably got what they deserved last night. Despite keeping the game close through two periods and surviving what was expected to be a huge push from a desperate Penguins team, the Senators ended up on the wrong end of a one goal game. Their third period was their undoing in this one as Pittsburgh was able to find another gear, as you’d expect them to do considering they were a lucky bounce from losing both games on home ice. Ottawa just wasn’t able to match the Penguins energy level in that third period and it cost them.
-Watching some of the reaction to the game last night I noticed a lot of fingers being pointed at certain forwards and when you go nearly a full period without a shot on goal, that’s to be expected. But one of Ottawa’s biggest issues last night was some really ugly breakouts. That’s partly on the defence for not making good passes, that’s on the forwards for not supporting the puck coming out of their own end and obviously, credit to the Penguins for creating turnovers with a strong forecheck. Defensively Ottawa held the fort pretty well but they just couldn’t break out cleanly. If they can do a better job of supporting the puck in Game 3 and they should be fine.
-Make no mistake, this game was nothing like the series opener. While it was another tight-checking game where you could tell one goal might be enough, the Penguins were definitely generating the better chances, unlike Game 1 where it was the Senators carrying the bulk of the play at 5 on 5. While the Senators still did a good job of slowing the pace through the neutral zone but they spent a lot more time defending. And as a result, they really didn’t generate much in the way of shot attempts or scoring chances.
-On a positive note, it was nice to see a little bit of old school Dion Phaneuf last night. You could tell he had a little edge to his game right from the start. The hit he landed on Bryan Rust was clean as a whistle and one of the biggest of his Ottawa career. He landed a couple more before the night was out too catching Scott Wilson and Jake Guentzel with open ice hits. This was certainly one of his best games of the playoffs and maybe his best as a Senator.
-Last night was disappointing mostly because the game was right there. They were one bounce, one deflection, one flash of skill from coming back to Ottawa with a 2-0 series lead. Unlike Game 3 and 4 against the Rangers, the “big push” from the Penguins was entirely manageable and thanks to another strong effort from Craig Anderson, they were within striking distance. In both games, the Senators dictated the pace of the game. They’ve turned this into a tight-checking series and until that late goal by Phil Kessel, the Penguins seemed to be unraveling a little bit. Pittsburgh may also be facing a couple more key injuries in Justin Schultz and Bryan Rust. If Ottawa can dial up the pressure on home ice, and we’ve seen it many times in this post-season, they’ll be in good shape. The Senators are coming home with a split. It’s now a best of five and our team has home ice advantage. Let’s make the most of it starting tomorrow night.
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