Hitting Back :: A New York Sports Blog

Tonight, the Anaheim Ducks look to win their first ever Stanley Cup when they play host to the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 from The Pond.

The question is how will the Sens respond down 3-1? Will they fight a la Edmonton last year, who eventually forced a deciding Game 7 before falling to Carolina? We’ll see.

History certainly isn’t on Ottawa’s side. Only the 1942 Maple Leafs rallied from this deficit to win the Cup. So are the Sens capable? Certainly. But they’ll need a much better effort from Jason Spezza and Wade Redden to have a chance to force a Game Six back in Ottawa.

Aside from the big game, there was some not so surprising news coming from Long Island about the Islanders finally coming to their collective senses and buying out failure Alexei Yashin. It will cost club owner Charles Wang more than $17 million. Though the captain helped get the Isles to four postseasons in the last five years, he never showed the leadership necessary to lift his team past the first round:

TONIGHT’S SCHEDULE (all times ET)
Game 5: Senators at Ducks, 8 p.m. on NBC, CBC, RDS, NHL RADIO (ANA leads series 3-1)

THE TOP STORIES

DUCKS LOOKING TO CAPTAIN FOR CUP-RAISING VICTORY
Rich Hammond writes in the LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS, “One victory away from their hockey dream, 19 players will follow one teammate tonight, the gray-beard Duck who has lifted the Stanley Cup three times and doesn’t flinch in the face of pressure. Scott Niedermayer approaches a playoff game the way a gardener approaches a weed-pulling job. He grimaces a bit, shrugs a lot and just wants to finish the task. Maybe when it’s done, he will allow himself a small smile of satisfaction, and that moment could come tonight after Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals. One more victory and the Ducks will eliminate the Ottawa Senators and bring the Cup to California for the first time. If it happens at Honda Center tonight, Niedermayer, the captain, will lift the Cup first.”

SENATORS NEED TO SHAKE OFF TIGHT GAME JINX
David Naylor writes in the GLOBE AND MAIL, “The Ottawa Senators devoted an awful lot of time and attention this season to being prepared for the tight, low-scoring games that are so common during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Yet it is exactly those kinds of games that have them down 3-1 heading into tonight’s fifth and potentially deciding game in Anaheim. ‘That was the thing that was really good for us in the second half of the year, in early rounds, if we were even or down a goal going into the third period, we felt we were in pretty good shape,’ Ottawa coach Bryan Murray said. Ottawa’s 0-3 record in one-goal games during the Stanley Cup final brings back ghosts of problems the Senators faced last season and much of the early part of this one.”

SENATORS LOOKING FOR THEIR OWN DON METZ
Roy MacGregor writes in the GLOBE AND MAIL, “There are a number of names on the nightly ‘scratches’ – players eligible to play but not dressed – the Ottawa Senators hand to the official scorer. But nowhere is Don Metz to be found. Metz, of course, would be 91 now if he were still playing, but if some modern equivalent of the sleek and slim winger from Wilcox, Sask., could lace them up for tonight’s fifth game of the Stanley Cup final, there might be a chance. Metz, history will show, did not dress for the first three games of the 1942 Stanley Cup final. His Toronto Maple Leafs were down three games to none against the powerful Detroit Red Wings and seemed almost certain to be swept in four.”

SECOND CONN SMYTHE IN GIGUERE’S FUTURE?
Elliott Teaford writes in the LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS, “Last time, he took them within a game of the Stanley Cup championship. This time, they have taken him within a game of Lord Stanley’s mug. Last time, tears rolled down his cheeks after the New Jersey Devils defeated the Ducks in Game 7 of the Finals at East Rutherford, N.J. This time, what could be the decisive Game 5 is at the Honda Center. Last time, goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere skated away with the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2003 playoffs. This time, Giguere could skate off with the Stanley Cup and perhaps the Conn Smythe Trophy, too. But…”

DUCKS’ BEAUCHEMIN DELIVERS WHEN NEEDED
Larry Wigge writes on NHL.COM, “Francois Beauchemin has proved that he is more than just an afterthought from the 2005 blockbuster deal that involved (Sergei) Fedorov. Now, when the 6-foot, 210-pound Beauchemin looks to his right he usually sees Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Scott Niedermayer. Not bad for a guy who was cut by Montreal, trimmed by Columbus and scratched from the lineup when he first arrived in Anaheim. ‘I’ve surprised myself, actually,’ said Beauchemin. ‘So I must have surprised somebody else, too.’ Despite the prevailing out-of-nowhere implications, Beauchemin was on the Ducks’ radar before the deal was consummated.”

QUICK HITS
– Terry Frei profiles Ducks GM Brian Burke.
– Scotty Bowman on the challenges the Ducks face in Game 5.
– Jeremy Rutherford catches up with Blues prospect Erik Johnson.
– Shelly Anderson on the film “Mind-Body-Mask“, which profiles Bruins prospect Jordan Sigalet’s battle with MS.

MULTIMEDIA
View SI.Com’s photo gallery from the first four Stanley Cup games.

COVER UP FOR THE DRAFT
To assist your coverage of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the NHL PR department has prepared profiles and video features for the top-ranked prospects. These profiles are located under the “Latest News” section of the NHL’s media site.
– View the profile and video feature for London Knights forward Sam Gagner.
– 2007 NHL Entry Draft Celebration to offer a wide range entertainment to the Columbus community.
– John Meagher profiles draft prospect Angelo Esposito.

FROM THE BUSINESS DESK
In a first for all major professional sports leagues, the National Hockey League is partnering with Sling Media, Inc. around the company’s upcoming Clip+Sling technology. The NHL and Sling Media have signed an agreement whereby Sling Media’s Clip+Sling technology will enable all current and future Slingbox customers to clip and share live or recorded segments of NHL programming online with friends, family and others.

NHL AFTERNOON VIDEO THEATRE
Watch the top five plays from Game 4, featuring a goal by the Ducks’ Andy McDonald.

Final score: 3 2

Anaheim leads series 3-1. 

No Chris Pronger. No problem for the Ducks who are now just one win away from their first ever Stanley Cup.

For the second consecutive round in a crucial game, it didn’t seem to matter that one of the team’s top defensemen wasn’t in the lineup due to a one-game suspension for a cheap unpenalized hit- this time an undetected elbow which concussed Dean McAmmond forcing him to also miss tonight’s game.

That’s because Pronger’s teammates picked him up to silence a boisterous Scotiabank Place who was anticipating a tie series heading back to Anaheim. Instead, Randy Carlyle’s determined club improved to 2-0 without the former Hart/Norris winner by rebounding from a dreadful opening period in which they were outshot 13-2 to pull out the huge victory.

They can thank their goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere for keeping them alive after the first 20 minutes. Aside from giving up a last second power play goal to Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson on what was a brutal goalie interference call against Ryan Getzlaf, the 2003 Conn Smythe winner stood tall as his team struggled from the outset to stay out of the box by taking consecutive penalties. He made big save after big save to keep Ottawa off the scoreboard, allowing his teammates to gain confidence and find their game.

Giggy’s best stop was a flat out robbery of Dany Heatley point blank on a Jason Spezza feed. He supplied that kind of clutch goaltending when his team needed it.

Make no mistake about it. Bryan Murray’s club was ready to play and came out like a house on fire ready to pounce but the play of Giguere (12 first period saves) kept them off the scoreboard for the first 19:59 of the stanza. That’s when Getzlaf went to the box for a dubious penalty drawn by Ray Emery, who not only was outside the crease much like the Devils’ Martin Brodeur two rounds earlier on a deciding goal but embellished it by falling to the ice. It was the second dive by a Senator that period. On the game’s first shift, enforcer Chris Neil flopped to the ice on a Francois Beauchemin tap to draw a slashing call. Neil was public enemy No.1 due to an unpenalized high hit on Andy McDonald which Ducks’ GM Brian Burke claimed was every bit as dangerous as Pronger’s blow. He had a point.

In any event, getting back to the Getzlaf penalty which should really have been the Sens’ second unsportsmanlike conduct minor of the period as NBC’s Ray Ferraro and Brett Hull later confirmed, wound up costing Anaheim. Mike Fisher worked the puck down low to Peter Schaefer with seconds to go. Behind the net, Schaefer quickly centered for a cutting Alfredsson, who one-timed one past Giguere into the top portion of the net with one tick left sending the capacity crowd into a frenzy.

Afterwards, an aggravated Getzlaf expressed his disgust to Pierre McGuire about the call before promising that his team would play well. Did they ever. They outscored the Sens 3-1 and outshot them 19-10 the rest of the way including 13-4 in the turning middle period. One which baffled us.

Where did Ottawa’s game go? Who knows? But they weren’t the same team and paid the price. The Ducks began to get their aggressive forecheck going and drew two power plays. But that was the one aspect of their game which wasn’t working. They went 0-for-3 with no shots for the night.

They might not have come close to scoring on one but right after their second was killed, top center Andy McDonald took a Todd Marchant feed in front and calmly beat Emery with a deke to tie it at 10:06. It was the start of a big game for McDonald, who finished with two goals and an assist factoring in on all three of his team’s goals.

The very next shift, he struck again on a beautiful end-to-end rush finishing it off by deking both Anton Volchenkov and Emery before tucking a backhand in to suddenly put his team up just a minute later. This was just a great goal by a very skilled player. He took a pass from Rob Niedermayer and then flew down the ice before notching his second of the night and ninth (third in last two games). How often do you see Volchenkov out of position? He’s been the best defensemen this postseason. He went down to try to block the shot but McDonald was patient enough to outwait him before beating Emery for a crushing goal to silence the Ottawa fans.

Most of the period, the Sens had nothing going for them. Unable to generate much, they struggled. In particular Anaheim captain Scott Niedermayer distinguished himself by playing extremely well defensively to anchor the blueline without Pronger. There’s a reason he’s won three Cups and a Norris and it was on display tonight.

If not for a gigantic glove save by Emery on Beauchemin off a three-on-two rush, it would’ve been 3-1 with under four minutes left. Rob Niedermayer made a perfect cross ice pass to Beauchemin, who had a lot of net to work with but the athletic Ottawa netminder somehow got his glove across to rob him leading to a well deserved loud ovation. If there was a player who deserved a better fate, it was Emery. None of the three goals were his fault and he made some huge stops to give his team a chance.
Receiving a lift from the big save as Doc Emrick accurately pointed out, the Sens finally showed some life to tie the game with two minutes remaining. That it came off the stick of Heatley was a great sign. With Murray switching his lines putting Alfredsson on Fisher’s line and subbing Patrick Eaves on Spezza’s, the strategy paid dividends on the tying goal. After getting a quick pass from Spezza at the side of the net, Eaves quickly found a wide open Heatley for a slam dunk for his first of the series. It was a terrific play by a player who replaced McAmmond.

The big play allowed them to escape tied after two but not before controversy involving Alfredsson. With the period coming to a close, he began to wind up for a final shot but as he turned his head, delayed and then fired the puck directly at Scott Niedermayer. Why he did it was uncertain. However, it was a gutless move by the Ottawa leader which only served to fire up their opponents who immediately came to their captain’s aid leading to a scrum with matching roughing minors being handed out to Fisher and Sami Pahlsson.

The officials couldn’t determine if it was intentional or not. So no penalty was given to Alfredsson. However, it sure looked like it on replays. Even HNIC’s Don Cherry who was an entertaining special guest during the second intermission with Hull and Bill Clement termed it “idiotic.”

There’s really not more that could be said. Could Alfredsson be suspended for Game 5? We’ll see.

The Sens had an early PP opportunity when Beauchemin went to the box giving them a 4-on-3. But they couldn’t capitalize. It would turn out to be their last really big opportunity to go ahead again.

Shortly after, another play started by McDonald resulted in the deciding goal by rookie Dustin Penner. He got the puck to Teemu Selanne, who then was somehow allowed to skate right through before finding Penner in front for his third. Why was he left uncovered? Because of an absolutely awful read by Wade Redden. He didn’t even bother to pickup Penner which led directly to the winner with 15:53 left.
All series, the Ottawa defenseman has struggled getting victimized on quite a few goals against. He’s yet to shed that soft label. Unless his team has a miraculous comeback from 3-1 down, Redden might be looked at as one of the goats in why a Canadian team once again might fall short in delivering the first Cup to the hockey starved country in 14 years.

The Sens and Ducks each managed six shots but only Anaheim got a primary scoring chance. If not for another brilliant glove save by Emery on Penner, the game would’ve been out of reach. He at least allowed his team one last chance to pull him for an extra attacker in the final 80-plus seconds to try to get it tied.

Ottawa though was only able to get one quality opportunity. With exactly a minute to go, Andrej Meszaros one-timed a slapper through traffic but Giguere still got it and didn’t allow a rebound.

As it turned out, that was it because Scott Niedermayer and his defensive teammates like his younger brother, Pahlsson and Travis Moen wouldn’t allow the Sens to recover the puck and get the shot they needed. Instead, the Ducks got a couple of clears and made life easier to finish off a well earned victory.

They’re now one game away. Game Five is back at The Pond Wednesday night.

Some quick hits:

1.Aside from no Pronger, the Ducks were without Chris Kunitz who sat out with an injury. Brad May was an unsung hero in this game drawing a penalty and also creating space for one of McDonald’s goals. The ex-Sabre logged 16 shifts (8:53 TOI), threw two hits and finished plus-one.

2.With Pronger out, Scott Niedermayer took 34 shifts (29:23) finishing minus-one with two blocked shots and two takeaways. Though he was on for a goal against, it wasn’t his fault as Getzlaf didn’t pickup Heatley late in the second. Aside from Niedermayer, Beauchemin saw extensive time getting a game high 31:40 and finishing plus-two. Though he struggled in the first, he picked up his game and was a factor, getting three shots, registering two hits, two takeaways and two blocked shots. He was a workhorse.

3.Heatley was much better in this game for Ottawa. Aside from scoring his first goal of the series, he registered a game high six shots along with three hits. He was dangerous most of the contest and easily could’ve had a hat trick if not for Giguere.

4.While Heatley showed up, Spezza again fizzled getting only one shot through. While he did have a secondary assist, the top pivot just didn’t do enough to make a difference. Especially considering the 22:07 he logged. When lesser skilled teammates such as Fisher and Schaefer do more on their shifts, that’s not a ringing endorsement.

5.Sean O’Donnell was solid in this game for Anaheim as well getting 31 shifts (23:54) while not making any glaring mistakes. The vet definitely did his part to give Anaheim a boost.

6.Both teams had plenty of hits in this one as they combined for 61 with the Ducks holding a 31-30 edge. They were paced by who else but the reliable two-way shutdown center Pahlsson, who registered five. At least four Ducks had three hits. Meanwhile, the Sens were led by the gritty Fisher, who had a game high nine. Teammates Volchenkov and Christoph Schubert chipped in with four apiece.

7.If Neil had a great Game 3, he didn’t distinguish himself tonight. Though the frequent Anaheim target drew two penalties, he only was credited with one hit in 20 shifts (10:02) and was on the ice for two goals against along with linemates Antoine Vermette and Chris Kelly. They finished a combined minus-six.

8.The reliable tandem of Volchenkov and Chris Phillips also had a rough night finishing minus-four. When he was beaten on McDonald’s second, Volchenkov slammed his stick in frustration. The sad aspect was that he was one of the few who competed.

9.Each team finished with 13 blocked shots. Beauchemin led the Ducks with three while Volchenkov and Meszaros also had three each.

10.For the first time in the series, Ottawa won the faceoff battle 33-32. Their best was who else but Fisher, who won 11-of-19 draws. Why he wasn’t out there for a couple of critical faceoffs in the final minute is beyond us. It didn’t make much sense. Meanwhile, Getzlaf paced the Ducks by going 10-for-17. Pahlsson was .500 (12-12).

11.The Ducks are aiming to become the first NHL team from California to hoist the Stanley Cup. They’ll have three chances with two on home ice.

12.The Sens are in a hole but know it can happen. A year ago, another Canadian team was in the same exact deficit but Edmonton rallied to win the next two games before falling in Game Seven to Carolina. We’ll see what they’re made of Wednesday night.

Our three stars:

3rd star- Mike Fisher (assist, 2 SOG, nine hits, 11-8 on draws in 28 shifts)
2nd star- Dustin Penner (GW goal, 3 SOG, two hits, +1 rating in 13:52)
1st star- Andy McDonald (2 goals, assist, 3 SOG, +3 in 16:55)

Final score: 3 5

Anaheim leads series 2-1.

If you tuned into this game on NBC, then you know how exciting it was to watch. Badly needing a compelling game which could help give this Cup Final a boost, that’s exactly what the league got last night up in Kanata, Ontario in a topsy turvy seesaw affair which a desperate Sens’ team cameback to pull out by scoring the last three in their two-goal Game 3 victory to get within a game of squaring the series.

It didn’t come easy for Bryan Murray’s club, who battled back three different times from one-goal deficits before taking control the final 24-plus minutes after Daniel Alfredsson’s mysterious deflection off his skate which was ruled “no goal” on the ice was overturned for a key power play goal which tied it 3-3 at 16:14 of the second.

Trailing by one after Ryan Getzlaf’s rebound of a Dustin Penner rebound less than nine minutes prior, the Sens drew consecutive power plays against Anaheim and caught a huge break on their team captain’s first goal of the series. The play from the outset was odd as Wade Redden’s left point shot went off Scott Niedermayer’s stick right to Alfredsson who had the puck go off his left skate with it in motion towards the net. Referee Dan O’Halloran was animate that it wasn’t a goal which meant any video review would have to conclusively prove otherwise to reverse his call.

It’s really hard to buy it because as the NBC tandem of Ray Ferraro and Brett Hull (who knows about controversies and benefited from one ironically enough) referenced, the Rangers’ Karel Rachunek had a similar goal wiped out against Buffalo in Game 3 of the EC Semis. What’s even more amazing is that that was ruled a goal on ice and looked a lot less like a distinct kicking motion than what we witnessed Saturday night.

Where’s the consistency? That’s the biggest problem with the NHL. As Ferraro accurately pointed out, that’s what makes the rule so confusing. The players just don’t know.

When does it get fixed? Maybe after the officials remember that cheap hits like the one Chris Pronger put on Dean McAmmond aren’t supposed to be part of the game. Especially blatant elbows which knock out players and could have caused a concussion. Fortunately for his team, the ex-Devils property was okay.

That’s also the same Pronger who got suspended a game against Detroit for a hit from behind on Tomas Holmstrom in which he and teammate Rob Niedermayer boarded the winger with Niedermayer getting a major while the defenseman received zilch. So, will the league have the audacity to suspend Pronger for Game 4? I doubt it.

It was all the more fitting that McAmmond wound up getting the winner late in the second. The former Devil property (played for Albany during lockout season in ’04-05) took an Oleg Saprykin feed along the wall and centered for a cutting Christoph Schubert in front. The puck went off Chris Pronger’s stick and in to give Ottawa its first lead with 1:26 remaining.

Ottawa carried the momentum into the final stanza and outshot Anaheim 7-3, outplaying by a wide margin. Continuing to take the play to the Ducks with a more aggressive forecheck down low, they would get a huge insurance tally from blocked shot machine Anton Volchenkov. Chris Kelly (2 assists) worked the puck to Antoine Vermette behind the net, who then centered for a cutting Volchenkov, who in turn buried the big goal at 8:22 sending the Senator sea of red into a frenzy.
They would never look back.

A little earlier, Ray Emery made his biggest stop of the night by diving across to rob Todd Marchant on a shorthanded breakaway. Though the second-year netminder only made 19 saves and gave up two so/so goals, it was a clutch save which allowed his team to have confidence.

They now know they can compete with the Ducks in this series and engage them in the corners. If Game 4 is anything like Saturday’s, it should be a barn burner.

When you have players going at it after whistles (Mike Fisher on Getzlaf and Jason Spezza and Sami Pahlsson plus Chris Neil ready for any challenge) and mixing it up, it makes for an even more intriguing series. The intensity was definitely ratcheted up by the Sens who drew on their capacity crowd’s energy to fight back and show plenty of resiliency in sticking with the gameplan to get the ‘W.’

Now Monday becomes big!

A few quick hits:

1.Spezza did compete better tonight as pointed out by NBC reporter Pierre McGuire but no points and no shots won’t get it done the rest of this series. He and Dany Heatley were both shutout in this game. They can’t rely on the secondary scoring. Tonight, they came through and picked them up.

2.Fisher was great in this game. He won’t get a star but he really was the player who sparked his club with an inspired shift along with linemate Peter Schaefer to change the momentum in the first and lead to Neil’s tying goal. Every one of his 22 shifts (17:40 TOI), something seemed to be happening. Whether it was one of the underrated two-way pivot’s game high five hits or some great cycling and competitiveness along the wall, he really played big tonight. That’s why it’s not a surprise he got rewarded for his hard work by redirecting a Volchenkov point shot for Ottawa’s second goal 27 seconds after Corey Perry scored. He played big tonight.

3.How weird was the night for Spezza? At one point, after he and Pahlsson went to the box for matching roughing minors, the top line center had to wear scratched teammate Patrick Eaves’ No.44 jersey for a shift out of the box due to his No.19 jersey getting torn. The bizarre shift made commentators Doc Emrick and Ed Olczyk ponder if they’ve ever seen that happen before. Our guess is no.

Speaking of odd, how else would you explain Getzlaf forgetting to be out there for a draw which made it 4-on-5 at even strength and led directly to Fisher’s tying goal?
4.Showing an improvement in physicality, the Sens won the hitting battle 32-26 with Fisher and Neil each paving the way with five thumping bone crushers including a beauty by the Ottawa enforcer on Sean O’Donnell. Neil also was a big factor in this one. Aside from tallying his second of the postseason, he was all over the ice earning extra ice-time (10:39). His positive energy rubbed off on teammates.
5.While they might’ve fallen short on the scoreboard, the young trio of Penner, Getzlaf and Perry played a terrific game- combining for both Ducks second period tallies and six points. All three were very active on their shifts and created havoc. In particular, Getzlaf and Perry were dominant at times looking every bit like future stars.
6.In his first game back from a broken bone in his right hand, Chris Kunitz took just 10 shifts (4:13) before leaving the game and not returning. His status won’t be known for Monday probably until either later today or tomorrow.

7.Key stat of the night had Ottawa on the plus/side in the takeaway/giveaway column where they struggled the first two games out West.

Takeaways/Giveaways

Ana- 7/17     -10
Ott- 16/14     +2

8.Another significant change: Ottawa outshot the Ducks 29-22 tonight and registered 22 shots thru the first 40 as compared to only 16 total in their Game 2 shutout loss.

Sens’ Shot comparison:

Games 1-2: 36

Game 3:      29 

Note: The Sens also missed three more shots (11-8) than Anaheim while they blocked one more (9-8) than their opponents.

9.One area the Ducks continued to excel at was faceoffs. They went 38-for-63 (60 percent) in the faceoff circle with first period goalscorer Andy McDonald winning 10-of-11 draws.  Pahlsson meanwhile finished 12-for-26 while no Sen finished over .500 with Vermette going 9-for-19 while Spezza improved to a respectable 9-for-21.

10.Art Ross winner Sidney Crosby appeared during the first intermission. The Pen sensation became the youngest NHL captain last week when the team gave him the ‘C.’ HNIC’s Don Cherry will make his NBC debut Monday night. Don’t miss it!

Our three stars:

3rd star- Ryan Getzlaf (goal, assist in 18:19)
2nd star- Anton Volchenkov (goal, assist, 5 SOG, 3 hits, 2 blocked shots in 26:22)
1st star-  Chris Neil (goal, five hits, +1 rating in 17 shifts)

Things just continue looking skyward for the Anaheim Ducks. Already up 2-0 in their best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final series against the Ottawa Senators, they’ll most likely get back left wing Chris Kunitz for tonight’s Game Three set for 8 ET/5 PT on NBC when the series shifts to Scotiabank Place.

The undrafted 26 year-old out of Saskatchewan was cleared to play by the team doctor just three weeks after breaking a bone in his right hand. A solid skating two-way player who complements the top line of Andy McDonald and Teemu Selanne well, Kunitz would be a huge addition to the Ducks if he returns tonight. That decision will be made by Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle after warm-ups.

Considering the big stage, expect the gritty underrated forward to suit up as his team tries to put a stranglehold on this series and pull within a game of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

In 11 games this postseason before the injury, he had a goal and five assists for six points. After injuring it in Game One of the Western Conference Final against Detroit, it was expected that he’d miss the rest of the postseason. Instead, Kunitz should be back which can’t hurt Anaheim’s chances.

If you’re the Sens, it’s just one more thing you have to overcome aside from the 0-2 deficit they find themselves in. History hasn’t been too kind to teams in this predicament. Only once in 30 tries has a team rallied from that hole after dropping the first two games on the road.

One thing they’ll need is better production from the top line trio of team captain Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley. They’ve been shutdown at even strength by the Anaheim checking line centered by Selke candidate Sami Pahlsson. Aside from being neutralized, they’ve also gotten outplayed by Pahlsson and linemates Rob Niedermayer (can’t help but wonder how Devil fans feel seeing him outplay his brother) and Travis Moen (former Hawk which just goes to show why they’re the Hawks).

They’ve been guilty of turning over the puck and also gotten victimized twice for deciding goals late in the third period which can’t happen tonight. Spezza must be sharper in all facets. He makes that line go. This means crisper passes and smarter decisions with the puck. It wouldn’t hurt to win a few faceoffs either. He took it on the chin the other night losing 11 of 14.

So, can Ottawa bounceback here? The NHL is praying for it. Not only because the game is on NBC in primetime and probably won’t draw well but because they badly need it for what’s been an uneventful postseason. There haven’t been many compelling series. Outside of Vancouver’s seven game first round win over Dallas where sudden death was needed for a few contests with a couple of late conclusions, no other series has gone the distance.

The league could use a seven game series for the fourth consecutive Cup Final. Not only because of how the postseason has evolved but just to generate some interest from other cities. It was reported in an AP article earlier today that a majority of American media outlets aren’t sending reporters to cover the Final which is almost unheard of considering how big a sporting event it is. Looks like that lockout hasn’t exactly worked out the way Gary Bettman envisioned.

Only nine of 21 U.S. markets are covering it live. Translation: Uh oh.

Other markets are taking full advantage of a new telecommunication system the NHL has made available. Instead of coughing up the dough for cross journey flights, they’re using the resources made available for staff stories including press conferences by telephone. The league PR staff has also been emailing out transcribed quotes.

They certainly need all the press they can get. So it can’t hurt. It’s a desperate situation.

One thing which hurts the NHL is their idiotic 2-2-1-1-1 format. Who the heck wants to commit to all that travel if it goes seven? I recall an angry co-worker at my old job a few years ago who hated the fact Calgary lost to Tampa on Martin St. Louis’ Game Six OT winner which forced a deciding Game Seven all the way back on the East coast. One could certainly understand why. That kind of travel can be draining.

I believe it’s high time the league adopts the NBA Final more friendly format of 2-3-2. Why the heck not? Bettman has copies virtually everything else from his former boss David Stern since coming over to run the NHL. Hence the geographic names to the divisions dictated by location and expansion instead of sticking with tradition.

So what’s one more thing anyway? Better this than the league turning its collective back on the hardcore fan by adopting shootouts in future playoff games which exceed one overtime.

Don’t think it can happen? Anything’s possible. That’s where it’s at.

With an extra day off before they host Game 3, the Senators are looking to respond from the 0-2 hole they find themselves in against the Ducks. They can take solace knowing that it can be done. Anaheim won the next two against the Devils four years ago in a seven-game series in which the home team won every game.

In order for Ottawa to bounceback, they’ll need a much better game from the top line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley.

Here were today’s key articles and info as the series shifts to NBC tomorrow night:

TOMORROW’S SCHEDULE (all times ET)
Ducks at Senators, 8 p.m. on NBC, CBC, RDS, NHL RADIO

DON CHERRY TO MAKE U.S. TELEVISION DEBUT FOR GAME 4
NBC Sports travels north of the border to Ottawa to drop the puck on its Stanley Cup Final coverage Saturday at 8 p.m. ET with Game 3 of the series between the Anaheim Ducks and the Ottawa Senators, presented in high definition. NBC is broadcasting Games 3-7 of the Final in primetime. Mike Emrick, Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire call the action.

The NHL on NBC studio show will originate from the game sites and feature analysis from the NHL on NBC studio team of Bill Clement, Ray Ferraro and the outspoken Brett Hull. The crew will be joined on NBC for Game 4 by CBC’s Don Cherry. The pre-game show will be simulcast on NBCSports.com and fans can return to NBCSports.com for a complete post-game report.

2007 STANLEY CUP INFORMATION
– Stanley Cup Final media events.
– Stanley Cup Final schedule.

THE TOP STORIES

PAHLSSON A BIG PIECE OF THE PUZZLE
Terry Frei writes in the DENVER POST, “The way (Sami) Pahlsson is playing against the Ottawa Senators, stepping out of the relative shadows as one of the top defensive forwards in the NHL, to a higher-profile role on a possible Stanley Cup champion, he could be on the way to being the much-chronicled toast of Sweden in the offseason. Yes, ‘Sami’ Pahlsson. Not Peter Forsberg. Not Vancouver’s Markus Naslund and the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik. Not Detroit defenseman Nick Lidstrom. And perhaps not even Daniel Alfredsson, the Senators’ veteran captain seeking to be able to be the first player to hoist the Cup overhead after the final game of this series.”

SENATORS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MATCHUPS
Sherry Ross writes in the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, “It won’t take long for the Ducks to realize they’re not in Disneyland anymore. Not only does every other passenger car seem to have a Senators flag flapping from one or more windows, but seemingly normal Canadian citizens are walking around in face paint and team tattoos – in broad daylight, miles and days away from tomorrow night’s Game 3 at Scotiabank Place. Home ice means more than sleeping in your own bed and having your crazy fans drown out the national anthems. For the Senators, it may mean a last chance to get back into this Stanley Cup Final series, or face an all-but-insurmountable 0-3 series deficit. The home team gets the last line change, which for these Sens could prove to be a lifesaver. Having the last change will mean Ottawa coach Bryan Murray will be able to force his opposite number Randy Carlyle’s hand.”

FAR FROM DOWN AND OUT
Chris Stevenson writes in the OTTAWA SUN, “History and Samuel Pahlsson are against them. It’s only been done once, losing the first two games of the Stanley Cup final on the road and then coming back to win. That was 36 years ago when the Montreal Canadiens lost the first two games in Chicago and came back to beat the Blackhawks in seven games. The Senators can’t do anything about history nor, it seems, about Pahlsson and the way the Ducks’ outstanding defensive forward and his linemates have shut down the Senators’ big line and found time to score both game-winning goals in Anaheim.”

YOUNG MAN AND THE ‘C’
Rob Rossi writes in the PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, “Upon taking over as coach Dec. 15, 2005, Michel Therrien knew where the Penguins were ultimately going—wherever Sidney Crosby would take them. As one of his first official acts, Therrien made Crosby, then an 18-year-old rookie, an alternate captain. ‘The plan was to groom him,’ Therrien said. ‘It was a big plan at the time.’ Therrien’s grand plan to have his club’s best player gradually grow into the role of its unquestioned leader came to fruition Thursday when Crosby accepted the Penguins’ captaincy.”

NHL ENTRENCHED IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Vito Piliece writes in the OTTAWA CITIZEN, “While the Senators battle for the Stanley Cup in Anaheim, California, or here in Ottawa, broadcasts of the games, highlights and analysis are available to viewers at the click of a mouse anywhere in the world. In the past five months, more than 14 million viewers have accessed the NHL’s content on YouTube. Thousands of users of the MySpace social networking site have included the NHL as one of their ‘friends,’ and regularly visit the league’s page to watch video highlights and clips. Replays of games are available on Apple Inc.’s iTunes store and through Amazon.com’s Unbox portable video service, allowing fans to download highlights or entire games for as little as $4.99 U.S. and take their hockey with them. Further, thanks to the digital offerings, traffic to the NHL’s own webpage, www.nhl.com, was up by more than 62 per cent last month.”

QUICK HITS
– Michael Russo profiles Senators defenseman Tom Preissing.
– Larry Wigge looks at the impact the ’03 draft is having on the Stanley Cup Final.
– Bruce Deachman on the Stanley Cup’s tales from the road.
– Michael Traikos on Canadiens goaltending prospect Carey Price.

COVER UP FOR THE DRAFT
To assist your coverage of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the NHL PR department has prepared profiles and video features for the top-ranked prospects. These profiles are located under the “Latest News” section of the NHL’s media site.
– View the profile and video feature for James vanRiemsdyk.
– TSN.CA looks at the prospects arriving for the NHL Draft Combine.
– Kevin Allen on the options the Blackhawks will have at the draft.
– Terry Jones on Keaton Ellerby.

2007 STANLEY CUP FINAL IMAGES NOW AVAILABLE ON IMAGE.NET
Among the many fans at this year’s Stanley Cup Final games between the Anaheim Ducks and the Ottawa Senators are some of the biggest names in television, movies and music, including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Snoop Dogg, Jerry Bruckheimer, Cuba Gooding Jr., James Caan, Ray Liotta, Jerry O’Connell, Josh Lucas and Masi Oka. Visit image.net for photos of celebrities in attendance at each game of the Finals. All photos on Image.net are available for editorial use only and at no cost to media outlets.

Final score: 0 1

Anaheim leads series 2-0.

Through two games, it really is hard to comprehend what exactly the Sens’ strategy is in this series. How can Bryan Murray’s club win when they just aren’t getting enough shots on Jean-Sebastien Giguere? The 2003 Conn Smythe winner turned away all 16 shots he faced en route to the shutout to put his team within two games of its first ever Stanley Cup.

So far, the Senators have gotten a grand total of 36 shots on Giggy in two games. That just won’t get it done. Part of the problem is that they just can’t mount a consistent attack at even strength against the defensive minded Ducks.

For the second consecutive night, the top line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley were blanketed by the impressive Sammi Pahlsson checking line flanked by rookie Travis Moen and Rob Niedermayer. So ineffective were the trio against Anaheim’s checking line that Murray broke them up for a few shifts in the third to try to get a spark.

Just how mortal did they look? The trio combined for only six shots and a dreadful 11 of their team’s 21 giveaways with six coming from their captain Alfredsson and four from Spezza including a costly one which led directly to the only goal of the game by Pahlsson. The top pivot tried to make a play at the blueline but never got the puck deep allowing the Ducks’ shutdown pivot to go the other way and then use defenseman Joe Corvo as a screen and wrist one by Ray Emery with 5:44 remaining.

How ineffective was Spezza? He also got destroyed on draws 13-3 with most coming against Pahlsson who went a sizzling 10-of-12 in the faceoff circle.

Even Spezza’s one good scoring chance a shift after the giveaway was thwarted by Giguere. He took an Alfredsson feed in front but couldn’t beat the Anaheim netminder who did his best work during a crucial 67 second Ottawa five-on-three in the first period.

Many including this space pointed towards a big Anaheim penalty kill in a similar situation with their team trailing 2-1 in Game 1. You could certainly make an argument that this was every bit as huge because the Sens were looking for something to give them more confidence. Instead, Giguere made his best saves of the game including a couple of sprawling ones and a quick glove to shutdown a Spezza opportunity from the side.

While the Sens came out a little better in getting seven shots, they still gave up too many chances and allowed the more physical Ducks to dictate the pace. The Pahlsson line created plenty of chaos in the second and nearly took advantage of a couple of poor Spezza turnovers.

Only the play of Emery allowed Ottawa to have a chance entering the final stanza. The Ducks outshot the Senators 26-11 including 14-4 in a dominant second. The Ottawa netminder was brilliant in this game. For as much as he’s been questioned throughout his team’s run though he’s been solid, there was little doubt tonight that he was his team’s best player and gave them every opportunity to steal Game 2. It’s ashame that his teammates didn’t step to the forefront and provide support because that’s how well he played.

The final 20 was mostly uneventful as both teams were tenative in a scoreless game which would explain the 10 combined shots with each getting five apiece.

Ottawa’s problem is they just never gave you an indication they had what it took to pressure the Anaheim D. The only forwards with jump were supporting players such as Mike Fisher, Dean McAmmond, Peter Schaefer and Oleg Saprykin. Murray did try Alfredsson with Fisher and Schaefer while shifting McAmmond with Spezza and Heatley for a couple of shifts. So, you can’t say the coach didn’t mix it up.

Unfortunately, when the Spezza line was reunited, they were once again victimized for the deciding tally by the Pahlsson line. Now it’s back to the drawing board completely.

Can an extra day off help Ottawa turn the tide as they go home for a must win Game 3 in Kanata, Ontario? We’ll find out soon.

A few quick hits:

1.Goalie comparison through 2 games:

Ott: Emery 4 GA on 63 shots

Ana: Giguere 2 GA on 36 shots 

2.The Ducks owned the faceoff circle going 30-for-51 (59 percent) led by none other than Pahlsson (10-2). Ryan Getzlaf also was 8-for-12 while the Sens were paced by Antoine Vermette (7-3).

3.Another theme from Game 1 which continued was Anaheim not only getting more shots on Emery but also having more attempts which didn’t make the net as well:

Ott: 12 MS + 13 BS = 25 

Ana: 18 MS + 20 BS = 38 

Further breakdown through 2 games:

Total SOG     Total MS        Total shots blocked          Total attempted      Diff
Ott:    36               22                 26                                  84                       -54

Ana:   63               33                 42                                  138                     +54

4.There was plenty of physicality as the two teams combined for 64 hits with Anaheim again prevailing 36-28. Pahlsson, Moen and Getzlaf each paced the Ducks with four while two of Ottawa’s best players in Fisher and Anton Volchenkov each had four as well to lead their club. Volchenkov also blocked four shots to increase his playoff-leading total to 75.

5.This wasn’t the prettiest played game but few 1-0 games are. Hence the sloppiness:

Takeaways/Giveaways

Ott: 7/21 

Ana: 5/22 
6.Both teams were shutout on the special teams with each team’s power play finishing 0-for-4. The Ducks haven’t scored yet on the PP but haven’t needed to due to superior play at even strength. In six periods thus far, they’ve outscored the Sens 4-0 during five-on-five while Ottawa’s only two goals in Game 1 came via the PP. Unless Ottawa figures out a way to score five-on-five, they’re in big trouble.

7.Entering tonight, it was the first time all Spring the Sens trailed in a series this postseason. They now will have the unenviable task of attempting to comeback from 0-2 down. How much is history working against them here? Teams that won the first two games on home ice have gone on to win the Cup 29 of 30 times.

8.The Ducks improved to 5-0 at home in Cup Final games dating back to 2003. The encouraging news for Ottawa is they dropped all four on the road to the Devils that year to lose the series.

9.Thumbs down via AP story: What the game lacked in goals, it didn’t fall short in exciting, tense play. Whether it was enough to bring viewers to TV sets is another issue. Game 1 on Versus got only a 0.72 cable rating and was seen in 523,000 households in the United States.

10.The series shifts to NBC for Games 3-7 starting Saturday night.

Our three stars:

3rd star- Travis Moen (2 SOG, 4 hits, 1 blocked shot in 21 shifts)
2nd star- Ray Emery (30 saves including 26 first two periods)
1st star- Sammi Pahlsson (GW goal with 5:44 left, 4 hits, +1 rating in 16:07)