Wow...now that was a finish. If you don't appreciate this sport after watching the last three minutes of the game (the Bettmanesque penalty -- wrong call, wrong player, cheesy anyway, notwithstanding), you won't ever do so.
-- The goalies played well, but indicated some weaknesses that might be exploited...Ray Emery seemed to have a bit of trouble peeking around screens, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere just doesn't move from side-to-side particularly well.
-- Rob Niedermayer had a superb game...primary assist on the game-winner, six shots on goal, five hits
-- Ryan Getzlaf was missing in action for the first two periods, but sure did make up for it in the third
-- Think Randy Carlyle has a short bench? Ric Jackman and Kent Huskins -- rumored to be defensemen on the Anaheim roster -- skated a combined three shifts in the third period. Drew Miller (whose one hit led to the first Duck goal), Brad May, and Shawn Thornton skated a total of five shifts in the third.
-- The big hitter?...Samuel Pahlsson (eight). Whodathunkit? Well, you would if you'd been paying attention; he has more than twice as many as the next Duck in the playoffs.
-- The Heatley-Spezza-Alfredson line...0-2-2, five shots (only one of those in the third period), -3. Jason Spezza in particular had an uninspired night.
-- Anton Volchenkov...10 blocked shots. Ten. Anaheim as a team had 13.
-- Ominous point concerning Ottawa...they scored two power play goals, but they didn't really come close to scoring at even strength.
-- Arnold might make a decent linesman . . .
AP PHOTO/CP, Paul Chiasson-- This was a close game only on the scoreboard. Anaheim finished the game having taken 69 shots (32 shots on goal, 15 missed shots, 22 shots blocked by Ottawa). Ottawa took 43 (20 shots on goal, 10 missed shots, 13 shots blocked by Anaheim). And, Ottawa had seven power plays to Anaheim's four, which should have produced more shots for Ottawa. Ottawa had seven shots on goal in the third, and only two of those came after the Ducks scored what would be the game winner with 2:51 left...those shots (from Spezza and Chris Phillips) came from 58 and 37 feet away -- hardly prime scoring territory. The Senators had only one shot in the final 54 seconds (after the Chris Pronger penalty) when they had a six-on-four advantage with Ray Emery pulled.
The Peerless thinks this is going to be a long series, but Ottawa has to take another step up to ensure that happens. All in all, it was a good night for Anaheim.
Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
1 comment:
Volchenkov really is like a 2nd goalie out there. His shot blocking ability is amazing. Alfredsson, Spezza or Heatley would probably get the Conn Smythe if Ottawa wins, but my vote would go to Volchenkov.
I think that game was really the first time that a team put Ottawa on their heels for an extended period of time. Whether that's due to their long layoff (thanks NBC) or Anaheim just better, time will tell.
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