FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-Hard to believe there have only been three games played in this series because it feels like there have been enough highs and lows to fill an entire playoff run. Like the first two games back in Ottawa, Game 3 was full of momentum swings with both teams taking turns controlling the play for stretches. What has been most impressive about Ottawa’s play through the first three games is their ability to avoid getting too high or too low. This does not appear to be a characteristic shared by the fan base, however.
-Not sure if it’s possible to constantly praise a player and still under-appreciate him but that’s sort of where things are at with Erik Karlsson right now. His play this year has solidified his standing as the best defenceman in the league and now we’re seeing him find another gear in the playoffs. Really didn’t think that was possible but here we are. The pass he made on that first goal by Mike Hoffman is damn near impossible. Karlsson might be the only player in the game that can make that pass.
-Speaking of players elevating their game, that was by far Mike Hoffman’s best game of the series. Still shaking my head in disbelief that he had the courage to pull the Peter Forsberg on a playoff breakaway but it was clearly the right move. Tuukka Rask had no chance on that play. His second goal was vintage Mike Hoffman. Hoffman finished the game with eight shots on goal and he hit the post a couple times too.
-Goes without saying but this was not Craig Anderson’s best game. And after that miscue in Game 2 and a less than stellar outing last night, it seems like there’s a segment of the fan base ready to turn on this team’s starting goalie. Pretty disappointing considering the season he’s had under extremely difficult circumstances but that’s pro sports, I suppose. While Anderson wasn’t at his best through the first forty minutes, he made a couple of game-saving stops including a remarkable stop on David Krejci late in the third. The Senators are going to need Anderson to steal a game at some point and I’m confident he’ll be there when they need him.
-The Bobby Ryan redemption tour rolls on. First he draws the penalty in overtime and then makes a heck of a play on the game winner. Ryan now has four points through the first three games of this series and he currently sits in the top 10 in playoff scoring. While he wasn’t getting rewarded with points down the stretch, there were definitely signs that his game was starting to come around. It’s amazing how much more dangerous Ottawa’s line up looks with a productive Bobby Ryan.
Boucher’s Post-Game Comments
Boxscore
Advanced Stats
Playoff Bracket
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