FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-Given the situation and the general desperation of the moment, that game has to be considered one of the best in Sens playoff history. It’s difficult to remember an emotional roller coaster quite like the one we all experienced yesterday afternoon. From the raw emotion of that Clarke MacArthur goal to the Anderson/Brassard/Karlsson gaff, that second period had a little bit of everything. At times, it felt like the team and the entire season was unraveling before our eyes. And then, the Senators woke up. And then, the Senators pushed back. That third period and overtime is a pretty great example of why we all watch sports. There are highlights from yesterday’s game that I’ll be watching for years to come.
-Special players make special plays. And it’s the few elite stars that can make those special plays with their season hanging in the balance. Erik Karlsson’s set up on Derick Brassard’s game-tying goal should immediately be placed among the greatest goals in the history of the franchise. One of those put a team and put a city on your shoulders kind of moments that define a player’s career. Breathtaking speed, jaw-dropping vision and a leave you in awe determination…and all at a time when his team needed it most. That play is what being a Captain is all about.
-“That’s the biggest one I’ve ever scored.” No kidding, Dion. Like so much of what Phaneuf does for this team on a nightly basis, it wasn’t flashy. Head up, good hard shot. Maybe not trying to end the game necessarily but just trying to get the puck on net. But thanks to a perfect feed by Mark Stone and a timely screen by Alex Burrows, that seemingly run of the mill slap shot is now a career highlight for Phaneuf and a series-changing moment for the Ottawa Senators. It capped off a hell of a night for Phaneuf too, as he picked up assists on both third period goals. Wonder if he imagined a game like that when he was waiving that NTC to leave Toronto.
-Playoffs bring out the best and worst in hockey fans. And that was certainly on display in here yesterday afternoon. The swing in emotion between the second intermission and the seconds after the overtime winner was unlike anything we’ve seen with this fan base. It happened in the comment section, it happened on Twitter and I’m sure it was happening in the rink too. There were some meltdowns for the ages during that second intermission with coach firings, full rebuilds and team relocation all on the table. Playoffs are an emotional time of year but some of the stuff I saw on here yesterday was a little bit embarrassing.
-Just like that, we got a series one our hands. The post-mortem on the Senators season was well-underway and instead, Ottawa packs their things for Boston with the series all tied up. The Bruins will certainly be kicking themselves this morning because they had a chance to gain a stranglehold on this series and it slipped through their fingers. With the injuries piling up on that Bruins blueline and all the momentum in Ottawa’s corner, things suddenly look a whole lot brighter for the Senators. Game on.
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