FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-For just the third time in the history of the franchise, the Ottawa Senators are going to the Eastern Conference Final. It hasn’t happened in a decade. Ten years! In the midst of a run like this it can be difficult to recognize just how rare an accomplishment like this is truly is but all Sens fans should try to take a step back today and +appreciate how special this season has been to this point. I’ll give you all a moment to replay those eight wins in your mind, including five in overtime, and last night’s clincher at MSG. If the last ten years has taught us anything, it’s that every playoff series win is a significant achievement. Enjoy the hell out of this Sens fans.
-In a word, proud. It’s just amazing what this team has been able to accomplish under consistent adversity and in the face of seemingly constant doubt. Nobody thought they could make the playoffs, there was no way they were getting past the Boston Bruins and this magical run was surely coming to an end against the New York Rangers. All the while, the Senators had a sort of quiet confidence that they could make a little noise this season. Just get in and anything can happen, they’d say. Well, just get in with a perfectly executed system, a resilient roster, and the best damn player on the planet, and anything really can happen. They’ll be underdogs again in the next round but the experts and odds-makers will once again forget to account for this team’s soul.
-Craig Anderson has not been at his best in these playoffs but he’s still found a way to make big saves when his team needed it most. And with a chance to close out this series, Anderson turned in his best performance of the series and maybe his best game of the playoffs. And if you watched last night’s game, it probably took about five minutes to realize that this was a night where Anderson was going to be pretty tough to beat. He looked locked in early and was a huge reason the Senators were able to close out this series tonight. Incredibly gutsy effort by Anderson in a tough building.
-When the Ottawa Senators hired Guy Boucher a year and two days ago, it was hard to picture a moment quite like this. Early in the year, you could tell things were going to be different under this Head Coach but it took some time before we knew just how good this hockey team could be. Erik Karlsson bought into what Boucher was selling and the rest of the group followed along. They learned to defend and they learned to win close games both of which are crucial come playoff time. And while the trades were criticized, Pierre Dorion sensed the opportunity and went out and added some quality depth. Full credit to Management and the Coaching Staff for giving this team a chance to do something special this season.
-Erik Karlsson should win the Norris Trophy this season. He should have been a nominee for the Hart Trophy. But with the effort he’s putting in during these playoffs, it’s safe to say Karlsson has his sights set on some more significant hardware. There are no words left to describe what Karlsson is doing in these playoffs. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen in the history of this franchise and it’s a performance that is leaving the experts struggling to find appropriate praise for what Karlsson has been able to do through the first two rounds of these playoffs. Another goal and assist in Game 6, +4 and incredibly, he played 6:27 of the final 8:14 of this game. He’s been on the ice for every single Ottawa game-winner in these playoffs. We can talk about this guy every minute of every day and still doesn’t feel like appropriate recognition.
Boucher’s Post-Game Comments
Boxscore
Advanced Stats
Playoff Bracket
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