I see ESPN posted a piece about how few Americans watched Game 1 of the Finals: 523,000 households. That's down 18% from how many watched Game 1 in last years' Game 1 of the Finals. Was there an Opera Winfrey Special on the tube on Monday night? I kid.It's amazing how many people on both sides of the border stop watching hockey after their team gets eliminated.
It seems that the later the playoffs go into the spring, the more people would rather be outside enjoying the warm weather.
Bryan Murray has split up the top line already. Alfredsson will play with Fisher and Schaeffer. Perhaps Chris Neil will play on the top line.
Drew Miller played so well with McDonald and Selanne, yet he gets replaced by Marchant on the top line. Hmm. Matchups.
Period 1
-Who was that Canadian Anthem singer? Holly Cole? Absolutely terrible!
-Emery has not lost 2 games in a row in these playoffs.
-the game starts at a high pace with massive hits all over the ice.
-I have a real problem with players that turn their back before they get hit along the boards, forcing the refs to call boarding. Perry did that to Volchenkov, and it really shouldn't be called.
-Halfway through the first the Ducks were outshooting the Sens 10-1. Killing off 2 power plays and not getting any shots with their own PP got Ottawa there.
-Ray Emery has been fantastic so far.
-The Sens had a 2-man advantage and did everything but score. Nice passing, just no finish. The Sens must have had 6 shots there.
-Bryan Murray reunited Heatley, Alfredsson and Spezza only minutes into the 1st.
-1st period shots: Ducks 12 Sens 7
Period 2
-Much like Game 1, the 2nd period starts off much slower than the 1st, with both teams playing cautiously and less hitting.
-halfway through the 2nd, it seems that the Sens look flat again (except the 4th line) and the Ducks look to be skating harder. Really, the Sens only looked dangerous on the 5-on-3 in the 1st period.
-the Ducks are a step ahead of the Sens most of the time. I know Heatley was saying he couldn't get his legs going in Game 1, but what is his excuse tonight? Dare I say the Sens are choking??? Poor Emery is doing everything he can to keep Ottawa in this one. What a game he is having. His teammates need to reward him with a goal...soon before it's too late. It looks like only a matter of time before the Ducks score.-I just saw Earl Sleek standing and yelling at the refs for another call with about 1:00 left in the 2nd. Nice try, Sleek. Instead, McDonald took a penalty.
-The Sens are frustrated. Dany Heatley called it 'Old-Time Hockey" in the 2nd intermission with all of the clutching and grabbing out there. Fight through the checks then, asshole!
Shots in the 2nd: Ducks 14 Sens 4
Overall: Ducks 26 Sens 11. Pathetic. Sens are choking, folks. Or they are biding their time waiting for chances. Nah fuck it, they are choking.
Period 3
-The Sens must feel like they are playing inside a phone booth. As soon as they touch the puck in their own zone there is a Duck on them. The Sens cannot penetrate the Ducks 'trap'. Anaheim is playing a disciplined Randy Carlyle system.
It's just a matter of time.
-Wow. Pahlsson just used Corvo as a screen and makes it 1-0 Ducks with a wrister. Sleek must be spilling his beer all over himself......I see Brian Burke gave it 2 thumbs up...as usual. Time of the goal: 14:16.
Domination. Complete domination.
-The Sens will come on now, and finally test Giguere a little. Let's see what happens.-Absolutely nothing. The Sens pressed somewhat but couldn't establish much. Shaeffer had a wide open net and his shot was blocked by Huskins. With Emery pulled, they couldn't get the puck in deep at all. All I saw was weak dump ins that were intercepted and cleared out. Any time the Sens rushed the puck up the ice they were flushed to the outside and then smoked to the ice.
Shots in the 3rd period: Ducks 5 Senators 5
Overall: Ducks 31 Senators 16
Conclusion
The Ducks are inside Ottawa's heads now. The Sens are frustrated. I was bagging on the Ducks before the series that they had not put a full 60 minutes together, and had not done so since Game 4 of the Wings series. Well now they are playing their hearts out throughout and look like they won't falter.
Bryan Murray said post game: "We're trying to find our offensth, but we aren't getting any chantheth."
-6 giveaways by Alfie and 4 by Spezza. The top line is dead.
In Ottawa's favor, they have been outshot 63-26 in this series and have lost both games by only 1 goal each. Heading home, they will need to find some energy playing in front of their crowd to climb back into this series.
Be sure to drop by Battle of California on Thursday as I'm sure Sleek will have a great post up with a bird's eye view.
T Tags: Senators Ducks Game+2 Updates Finals