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OTTAWA 5 PITTSBURGH 1 (Senators lead 2-1)
Whether it was a response to an extremely poor outing in Game 2, or to hockey media that have been calling out the Sens for playing 'boring hockey', the message was received loud and clear last night in a 5-1 ass-kicking of the Pittsburgh Penguins. It started just :48 into the game when Mike Hoffman scored on a set up from Kyle Turris and Alexandre Burrows. By the time the smoke cleared it was 4-0 after 1 period, the other 3 goals scored in 2:18, a franchise record. Though Sidney Crosby was able to break the shutout, the Penguins were never a threat in this game, and boring or not, the Sens have held the highest scoring team in the NHL to a goal a game. That's the kind of defense that wins championships...
The Ducks could find themselves in trouble if they can't figure out Pekka Rinne tonight. They're being outplayed in pretty much every aspect of the game by Nashville, and are going to have to match their intensity if they want to send this series back to California tied up and not looking at elimination on Saturday night. One thing they need to do is score first and do it early to take the raucous Nashville crowd out of it a bit. Then they need to learn to hold onto a lead, and avoid taking costly penalties as they did in Game 3. It might be a lot to ask of a team like the Ducks, but if they want to stay in this series, they will have no choice.
Canada's quest for repeat gold starts in earnest today as they have taken the train from Paris to Cologne, Germany to take on the host Germans in what should be an entertaining match. Canada has been getting better as the tournament progresses, but are far from having played their best hockey of the tournament. With some heavy hitters in Group A standing in their way, they need to make sure they're firing on all cylinders moving forward, while also not looking past this German squad.
GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN
Tragic news today as it was announced that Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell died early this morning at the age of 52. Cornell, best known for his work with the Seattle band but also a member of Audioslave and Temple Of The Dog was one of the true iconic rock vocalists of the 90's. RIP. Do yourself a favour and listen to 'Ultramega OK', one of the best albums of the 90's in any genre.