FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-Craig Anderson was outstanding in this game. I’m sure he would like another chance at that overtime winner but like he said in the post-game interview, it was just a hell of a shot. Some will suggest otherwise but you have to go back to him in Game 4. No doubt about it. Also loved Erik Karlsson’s game last night. Elite players are capable of finding another gear and he found it last night. Pretty clear he’s not going to let his team go down without a fight.
-Hockey is a cruel game sometimes. While the Senators were again not quite at their best on Sunday night, they could have and probably should have won that hockey game. And now they find themselves in a 3-0 hole that could have just as easily been a 2-1 series lead. A couple bounces in overtime and this is a completely different series.
-Now that’s not to say the Canadiens don’t deserve the lead in this series because they do. They’ve been the better team over the course of three games and have shown why they’re one of top teams in the conference. This Montreal team has come a long way in the last couple seasons and it’s safe to say, I and many other fans took them a little bit too lightly heading into this series. Their bottom six, which was often talked about as a weakness heading into this series has come through for them in a big way.
-The good news is we got ’em right where we want ’em now. Or maybe, we’ve got the Senators right where we want them at least. This team has played their best hockey with their backs against the wall this season and that’s exactly the situation they find themselves in now. Just win on Wednesday and go from there. It’s tough to dig out of a hole like this so you really do have to take it one game at a time. Let’s win the next one.
-And you know what’s crazy? I really believe Ottawa is going to come back in this series. And not just in my usual “rah rah I’m the optimistic blogger” way either. I really believe they are going to do it. Perhaps that two month stretch did some permanent damage to my expectations but I’ve seen so much magic from this team the last couple months that I now look at them and see a group capable of the impossible. Montreal is a good team but they are beatable. This ain’t over yet.
