There’s no other way to describe how the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Ottawa Senators in Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals.
They dominated the Senators in almost every aspect of the game, and only the strong play of Sens goalie Ray Emery kept the score as close as it was.
The Ducks won 1-0, but could’ve easily won 6-0. That’s how dominant they were in this game.
By the third period, I had no doubt the Ducks would win. It was never a question of the Senators getting lucky and stealing this one. It just wasn’t gonna happen. I could sense it, and I think most of you watching this game sensed it too.
Samuel Pahlsson’s goal, the result of yet another neutral zone turnover and lousy defensive play by the Senators, wasn’t a surprise. I just knew that sooner or later the Ducks would score, and that they’d only need one goal to win this one.
The Ducks have taken away Ottawa’s speed advantage, outmuscled and outplayed and outhit the hapless Senators at every opportunity.
At this point in the series, it’s a mismatch, with only Emery keeping each game close and giving his teammates a chance to win.
If the Senators had managed to win it, they wouldn’t have deserved it. Well, Emery would’ve, but not his teammates. Emery is the only Senator who can hold his head high thus far.
The Senators can mouth cliches about taking each game as it comes, playing patient hockey, playing harder, getting their legs back, looking forward to playing at home, but their body language says otherwise.
They’re being badly beaten. And they know it. Returning to home ice in Ottawa isn’t gonna do it for them.
The Senators of course can bounce back, but they’re gonna need to put forth a much better team effort to get it done. An effort that’s been sorely lacking thus far in this series.
If the Senators lose Game Three, this series is over.
Spector I totally agree with ya. I was falling asleep between the 2nd and 3rd(because I was tired) and I knew if I didn't wake up in time the Ducks would be up 2-0.
I think the thing that was the turning point in the game was the 5-on-3 that Ottawa had so many chances to score, especially Comrie, and Giguere shut them down. From that point on I knew it was going to be 2-0 Ducks.
I just can't believe this. After everything Ottawa's been through... and really man they made #### out of the first three teams they've met and now the jokes on them. I'm honestly astounded.
Thadd, its not that surprising. The Senators hadn't played anyone that could hit like them and if you go back to the Sabres series, yes the Sens were the better team, but two bounces go the Sabres way instead of the Sens and the Sabres win that series.
The Sens are getting outplayed 5-on-5 and were finding out that the Sens can dish out the hits but they can't take them. As a Sabres fan, its very disconcerting.
i don't disagree ... and after watching how the Ducks are absolutely manhandling the Eastern Conference Champions I don't feel so bad about the performance of my poor Canucks ... at least they were only thoroughly dominated for the one game ...
Watching this series so far I honestly beleive that any of the top six western teams (Dallas, San Jose, Nashville, Vancouver, Anaheim, Detroit) would be giving Ottawa serious trouble.
Comrie isn't logging first line minutes, but he's been getting some quality chances and he's been fairly productive with the Sens. I really wonder where he'll be next season and how much money he'll demand. Maybe he'll replace Karia in Nashville if Karia moves? I really can't see him signing for anything more than 3 mill a season.
I had a feeling that the Pahlsson - Niedermayer - Moen line would give the Sens big line fits just by how well they have shut down other big lines this playoff year. The Ducks big forwards are just pounding the hell out of the Sens. The Sens should have some better luck at home getting the last change and getting their big line away from the Ducks checking line for short stretches, but it looks to me that Spezza has folded and Murray may split them up to try and shake them out of their funk. They looked good for about ten minutes in the first but were just flat after that. Can't blame rust for this loss. The Ducks are relentless in their attack and are looking very much in control of this one. It's starting to look like a very big hill to climb for the Sens.
Cymru-This series is coming down to the fact that the Ducks can hit with the Sens. I don't think the other top six teams can hit like the Sens and definitely can't hit like the Ducks. I think thats the biggest difference.
Cymru: Nashville and Detroit wouldn't stand a chance up against the Senators. I know that for sure. It would be similar to the Buffalo series for the both of them. San Jose though, man that would be a big feat for Ottawa. Next year the west is going to be a scary place is San Jose can hold onto Rivet and pick up another defenseman. There'll be way too many good western teams.
Funny how this series was all about how Emery was the weakess link on the Senators, yet he is the reason why the Sens was still in the game. Personnally, I feel that this series is over because this Ottawa team is playing like the team from playoff past were they are not motivated to play. I still believe they have the talent to win the cup. Hopefully, all the players will be back next year (except Gerber, kind of expensive back-up) because why split up a team that has something going.
So far this series is going in almost the exact opposite direction that I predicted it would. About the only thing I got right was the Ducks giving the Sens a lot of unnecessary PP chances...and even at that it hasn't bitten them as badly as I thought it would. During the 3rd period last night the Ducks were very disciplined.
I thought Emery would be the weak link for Ottawa. Wrong! He's been great between the pipes. Spezza, perhaps their strongest player aside from Alfie in this year's playoffs, looks like he should be back in Binghamton right now. He hasn't even been average.
At this point I will be shocked if Ottawa takes 4 out of the next 5.
Right on the money regarding Ray Emery. His team let him down last night. I don't know if I'm in the minority on this, but I actually love low-scoring goaltender wars most of all. Maybe it was all those years of watching Hasek steal games that made me this way? I don't know.
The only thing I don't like about those types of games is that oftentimes one goalie ends up being cheated by his own team and a great effort is wasted. That's what happened to Emery. They owe him some goals in Game 3.
Win or lose, the only thing I know is that there will be a hell of a party in Ottawa on Saturday and Monday with a pregame concert, food and drink. Crack out the BBQ because the tailgate will be ready.
Nashville and Detroit would skate circles around the Sens.
Its not the Sens fault the East stinks.
Like I said in my finals predection
The Sens have not been up aginst a team as physical as the Ducks, Also they have not faces a elite blueliner now they are up aginst 2 and The Shutdown line of the Ducks was a plus 14 going into the finals now they are a plus 20.
When you have a line scoring 48 percent of your post season goals and they stop scoring. The chances of you winning goes to 0
The Sens still have not scored a 5 on 5 goal yet in the finals
Ducks in 5
Aginst Detroit Nashville or San Jose the Sens are still just a one line team with a medioce blue line and a decent goaltender.
As much as I do not want to say this the Sens are this years Oilers or the Flames. Just a team that got hot at the right time and have no right to be there
Last edited by True_kings_fan on May 31st at 6:50 AM.
TKF-LOL, I love how you say the East stinks when its been proven the West wasn't that much better in the regular season.
In head-to-head games the West gained 15 more points than the East did. Thats an overtime loss per team, that gives the West an advantage. Its not that big.
As for Nashville and Detriot skating circles around the Sens...Well if you truly believe that then you can't possibly follow East coast hockey. The Ducks ARE NOT skating circles around the Sens, they are just the better team and match up better against the Sens.
With all the different analyst and hypothesis, what would happen if the Sens won the next 4 games to clinch the Cup? Would all these people start finding other excuses. Let's be honest here, Ottawa hasn't won because they haven't showed up. Alfie was the hiting maching in the first three round and has yet to make an impact on the ice. If the Ducks were that better, how come they can't score or win by more then 1 goal. If Anaheim wins by 3 or more goals in a game that Ottawa shows up then yes I will give them credit but as it stands, I still believe the best team in the league was the Sabres because they had everything going. Ottawa was just more motivated to beat them because of last year.
Your doing it again you can NOT use west vs east there are only 10 games per team. If you go into your East or west trip in a slump or somthing the numbers will be off.
THe fact is simple.
Again I say the bottom 5 in the Ease miss the playoffs if they are in the west.
Colorado would have been a 5 seed in the East and they missed the playoffs in the West
The Ducks are not skating circles around the Sens they are skating right over them like a speed bump
So please stop using the East vs West Arguement until we get a balanced schedule where teams play aginst the other confrence 2 times one away one at home like the NBA
Besides your Sabres got to play the Crappy central and the ok Northeast. they did not even play the Pacific this season.
Only 2 teams came out of the Central. They were 2 of the best in the Nhl
When the Sabres make a long road trip out west next season you will see what I am talking about
Last edited by True_kings_fan on May 31st at 9:18 AM.
The East sucks ??? You're entitled to your own opinion, but you speak as if the West is the cream of the crop and the East is garbage, and ya know what, thats just NOT true. Stanley Cup Champs have been Eastern teams over the last 3 years.
And you talk as if Nashville was one of the best teams EVER. I believe their winning record is more a reflection of having to play Chicago, St. Louis and Columbus 8 times each (thats 24 games out of 82, close to 1/3rd of their season).
Seriously, its pointless to argue over East vs West.
With regard to this years Finals, maybe you will see Ottawa fare better when they have the last change and they can get the match ups they want.
Ottawa has to dump and chase more. Make Pronger and Nidermayer work for their 30 minutes. Why not throw McGratton in next game. A big boy who can be physical for Ottawa.
If you can't use head to head, then what CAN you use to compare? Just remember,as a King's fan, when was the last time L.A. beat Buffalo? As I remember, the last time they played, Buffalo flat out humiliated us And If I'm not mistaken, this was last season, when the Kings were on top of the pacific.
To be honest, the only real solution for this east vs west would probably be to get rid of them, and bring back the Campbell vs Wales Conferences and just have them spread out across the league. It would mean alot more traveling, but for your sake it would probably be worth it.
Oh yeah, Emery played one hell o####ame last night. I hope the rest of the team decides to show up for game 3. Go Sens.
Oh, by the way, all this "Ottawa just hasn't shown up yet" #### is just that: ####. It's the same thing all of us Buffalo fans tried to tell ourselves as we watched Ottawa jam their sticks up our teams' collective behind.
They haven't shown up because Anaheim isn't allowing it.
There's a big difference between the first three rounds of the playoffs and the Stanley Cup Final, as the Senators are beginning to find out.
BUT before we start writing off the Senators, let's keep in mind that both Game 1 and Game 2 were settled by one goal. But for a bounce, the Sens could be up 2-0, and the blog would be filled with talk of "Eastern Dominance" and "those big Ducks are just too slow".
My old chum TKF wrote that the Senators, like the Flames and Oilers before them, don't belong in the Final. My recollection is the Flames and Oilers took their respective series to seven games, and if the War Room had their televisions on in 2004, they would have seen that Calgary scored the Cup winning goal in Game 6. (Man, that's hard for an Oilers fan to type!)
The Senators made it through three tough rounds of hockey, and faced some tough clubs along the way. So did the Ducks. Both teams earned this trip to the Final.
Now, before we start giving the Cup to Anaheim, recall that the 2003 series started off with New Jersey winning the first two games against Anaheim, but it turned into a seven game match. I would not be surprised to see Ottawa re-group on home ice. We're going to learn a lot about this Ottawa club come Saturday night.
I've got a lot more respect for Emery as a goaltender now than I did at the beginning of the series. He's played some impressive hockey.
Regards to East/West, look at it this way: the Sabres won the President's cup, and the East had the worst team in the league in the Flyers. The East summed up to 1363 points, an average of just under 91 points per team. The West had 1378 points, just 15 more at the end of the season, and an average of just under 92 points per team. Interesting correlation with LGB's numbers (unless I read his post wrong). Either way, we have some scary close numbers, fellas. I don't think the "Conference A is better than Conference 1" argument floats.
I don't have the numbers for hits readily at hand, but I'd put my money on the West being a tougher conference in terms of average hits per team per game.
Anaheim needs to get their power play together in Ottawa. If we go back to Anaheim with the series tied, I'm thinking Ottawa will hoist the cup in game 6.
John Muckler was commenting a few days ago about how this Senators team reminded him of the 1990 Edmonton Oilers (which Mr. Muckler coached to the Stanley Cup against the Boston Bruins).
Actually, before the series began, I thought they compared more to the 1983 Edmonton Oilers. This is a team that has overcome their past trials and have finally arrived at the big dance. But now they're in for a whole different experience, about to discover a different price to be paid to win, and they're a young team looking around in wonder.
While the Ducks are by no means the 1983 NY Islanders, there are enough guys in that dressing room who know the physical price to be paid for a Stanley Cup. That lesson is certainly fresh in Chris Pronger's mind, that small margin of difference between having your name engraved on the mug, and watching it get handed to the other squad.
There's the old story about Gretzky and Messier, walking out of the arena after getting swept by the Islanders in 1983, depressed but feeling pretty good physically. Then they pass the Islanders dressing room and instead of celebration they see bruises, icebags and bloody bandages. The lesson was not lost.
Hi,
Good analysis of the series friends. I love watching hockey as a sports fan bur it is interesting to learn how the games are played as well and in this case Anaheim has a very good and physical team as well as good team speed. Ottawa has a good front line and team speed but needs to pick it up defensively to win. Personally I'm glad a Canadian team is in it for the third year in a row because that's where hockey is most passionate, but like Calgary and Edmonton they are being outplayed at this point in their quest to bring the Stanley Cup back to Ottawa and Canada. So good luck Sens and it's not over yet friends. Talk soon and best wishes. fenfan67
i actually stand by my comment. it is more than just a fortuitous matchup. The Sen's record against the West this year is 4-5-1 ... they did beat the Wings, Wild, Blues and Oilers ... but lost to the AVs, Flames, Blue Jackets, Preds (6-0) Canucks and Hawks. While the records of the top 6 western teams against the east are:
6-3-1
7-2-1
8-1-1
6-2-2
8-2-0
4-4-2
only Dallas is a meager .500.
only three of the top six eastern teams have a positive record against the West (Buffalo, Pittsburgh, NYR).
I know that LBG defends the East by saying there is only a 15 point difference in head to head but if you look at team by team performance it is much more revealing. Overall only 7 eastern teams are above .500 against the West and 12 western teams are above .500 against the East. Dallas is at .500 and only two teams (Columbus and Chicago who are both well under .500 hockey teams) have a lower than .500 record against the East.
The west is just better and this is being borne out in the final and likely would be regardless of who was representing the west.
on a side note ... gotta love a discussion like this because its so theoretical and the discussion points are so entirely moot that everyone can leave figuring they're right ...
oh ... and for the record ... I don't think the East sucks or stinks ... only that for this year based on performance the West is stronger
Finally someone that agrees with me not on the east coat.
As for The Preds playing the Hawks and Blues and Jackets.
The Sabres and Sens got to fatten up on teams like Boston, Philly, The Habs, The Leafs the Panthers, and the Capitals
If you go on sheer point totals the 6 seed in the east (Rangers) on downward misses the playoffs out west.
The Preds Sharks Stars and Wild all win 2 out of the 3 divisions in the East and the best they could do in the west was a 5 seed.
Even the Thrashers barley male the post season in the West as a 7 seed. And they are a division winner.
Cymru is exactly right
Any one of the top 5 seeds in the west would be favorites aginst almost any team in the East in the Finals and it would show.
Buffalo is the only team in the East that could do well in the west. But you could take 20 points off there total if they played a western confrence schedule because of the travel and also they are just to small for the day to day grind out west.
Other then the Kings Hawks Yotes and Jackets. The blues were one of the best teams in the second half last season. The Olers are well the Oilers and they just stink anyway.
When you go on a tough trip in the west.
This was a Kings trip.
Anaheim at home
Next night at Colorado
dayoff
At Minnesota
dayoff
At Columbus
At Dallas
Dayoff
Home to the Rangers
The Travel alone is Brutal. Denver is a 2+hour flight and the backend of a back to back.
Last edited by True_kings_fan on May 31st at 6:24 PM.
Cymru and TKF- Guys we can all make it sound good anyways we want to bring it up. Like if I wanted to, TKF said that the East got to fatten up against teams like the Habs and Philly. Well, Philly and the Habs had winning records against the West.
Sure the Sens lost 6-0 to the Predators in mid-December, but only a week later the Predators lost at home to the Sabres 7-2. In fact the only playoff team from the West to beat Buffalo was Minnesota. Buffalo beat Vancouver, Calgary, Detroit and Nashville.
If you are taking this Stanley Cup Finals as the only barometer of what the conferences are at, it would explain your distorted views. These are between the Ducks and the Sens, not all of the West vs all of the East.
Finally, as for the traveling....#### hum. You can believe what you want, a game is a game and these guys are conditioned athletes. If it were such a big deal then come playoff time it would be a huge advantage to the West because they have to "deal" with it year in and year out. But as the past few Cups have shown, it doesn't mean a thing.
The facts are men, 95% of winning the finals are mental. The team that wins does not think about or let the fact that they travel many miles bother them, they do not feel or think about the various aches and pains they have, during the game. The team that wins is the team that retains FOCUS on the job at hand. The series may well be decided in the first 20 minutes of Saturdays game.
Again You are just looking at a few games. Thke the Entire season in to account please. When Philly went on the West coast trip and I was at the game. THe Kings started Barry Brust in net Kopitar and Lubo were both out hurt. Thats not an Excuse plus they just got Forsberg back from injury.
I could care less if the had a winning record. you are talking about less then 1/8 of the season. What was Phillys record the other 72 games? What was the Habs? Please stop compairing just 10 games to Judge. Thats like using interleague play in baseball wich most teams only play 18 out of 162 and saying the American league is better then the National.
If they played 30 games then you would have an arguement.
as for Travel. If you think elite Athlets are not effected by travel your nuts.
You do not think it takes its toll on the body and mind. Ask Detroit. Ask Hasek and Chelios. you think his 42 or 45 year old bodys could take 3 flights to San Jose and 3 to Anaheim in a span of 4 weeks. then the return flights.
Granted they do not travel like us in coach but still ariving at a airport at 3 am getting home at 5 then getting some sleep and playing the next night to board a plane and do it all over again and factor in the 3 timezones
Trust me there is a reason its called an 82 game grind and not a sprint.
Last edited by True_kings_fan on May 31st at 9:08 PM.
I don't know if flight schedules are the reason the Ducks are ahead 2-0. Never heard that one before.
The most complete teams in the West, to me, are the Ducks, Wings and Sharks. After that, you're talking about teams that could be interchangeable with either conference. Nothing special after those three.
Same story in the East: you have Buffalo and Ottawa right now. Maybe NJ, but it feels like they are searching right now with the coaching changes. The rest are either rebuilding or working to get to elite. Just like Nashville, Colorado, Minny, etc.
Based on the SJ, DET, ANA vs. BUFF & OTT I would say the West is marginally stronger. No cakewalk, though.
Cobra's right, folks. Being a former NHL goalie, he'd know.
As I stated in my post, if the Senators don't win this thing on Saturday (Game Three), the series is over because history will now be against them and that'll make their already considerable mental burden virtually insurmountable.
TKF- Look at what Sabreguy just said, thats how I feel. I'm not trying to champion the Eastern conference, what I am saying its that it is very close between the two BUT the west is marginally better. Hence the fact they took 15 more points in head-to-head competitions.
You and Cymru have stated that you think the West would skate circles around the East's best and its not even close to true. I'm just backing my Eastern Conference
Cobra-Thanks for the insight! What do you think is going on in Emery's mind right now? He played probably his best game of the playoffs in game 2 and came up with an "L".
LGB.
Not knowing the man personally, it would be a guess on my part as to his mental state right now.
What he should be doing is putting the last game behind him and concentrating on the first shot of the new game at hand.
He should be convincing himself that he has to continue to play as he did. He should not let it into his mind that his teammates let him down as the game articles have stated. That is a negative.
During the game he has one job and that job is to stop pucks. That one job should be 100% of his focus. I hope for his sake, he doesn't read the papers. He knows how well he played.
I remember one time when I played Jr for the Oil Kings in Edmonton, we were on a bus going somewhere for a game and our renowned coach Buster Brayshaw called me to the front of the bus. He said,"Do you read the papers"? I answered "sometimes I do". He said " If you read the papers and you are going good, you will get a big head and your play will diminish, If you are playing bad, you will get down on yourself and play worse. Either way you will play horse xxxx. Kid don't read the papers". I never did again, except once, the rest of my career. Best advice I ever got.
Hey LGB ... don't attibute wild rhetoric to me - I never said "The West would skate circles around the East's best." In fact I specifically said I did not think east sucked. What I said was that I thought any of the top 6 teams in the west would give Ottawa serious trouble. And I still believe they would.
Nor do I have a "distorted view" by "taking this Stanley Cup Finals as the only barometer of what the conferences are at."
I am looking at the whole season and cited the head to head records as evidence.
There has been distorted rhetoric on both sides of this discussion but its not mine.
Cobra-Thanks for the input, I think the question that needs to be asked is what was that one time that you did read the papers?
Cymru-I'm sorry that I said you stated that the West would skate circles around the East, you never did say that. All you said is that it really didn't matter who came out of the West, any of them would've beaten Ottawa in these Finals.
Ok LGB here goes.
I was in Cleveland [aka Mistake on the Lake] in 1977. I was sitting at home in Hudson,Ohio about 7:30 PM and my phone rang. I answered and a voice on the other end said" I called to inform you that the GM of the Cleveland Barons has been relieved of his duties". I said " yahoo ,,, who is this?
He was a reporter from the Cleveland Newspaper. He asked my thoughts on the firing. I said " My father once told me ,if I couldn't say anything nice about someone, I shouldn't say anything at all. I said you can quote me as saying"No Comment" and let that tell the story.
Now you have to understand that our team had moved from San Francisco Bay Area to the mistake on the lake and we as players were not real pleased with the change. From golf and motorcycle rides, we went to building snowmen. As we skated around in an aluminum freezing practice rink we would all voice our displeasure at the GM.
The next morning, I broke my rule for the only time in my unillustrious career and picked up a paper to enjoy the slams heaped upon the outgoing GM by my bitter teammates.
To my horror, except for my goaltending partner and buddy Gilles Meloche, all the other players questioned gave rave notices to the job the GM had done. Gilles too gave a "no comment". At practice that day I went up to the guy who had been most voiciferous as to that fxxxxxx GM all those days at practice and asked him why he put in the paper he had nothing against said GM and was sorry to see him go. He said he didn't want to burn bridges. Grrrrr
Oh man, I hate politics in sports! The saddest thing is that it has creeped into high school sports and even younger than that.
I hope you hit that guy who "didn't want to burn bridges" the next time he came by your net in practice!
I hope you don't mind me asking, I know Spector did an article with ya but I can't remember your name. I'm probably too young to have seen you play but I'm sure my dad will though.
He played through college and was very much into the game but he said he got drafted, as in Vietnam drafted, right after he got out of college and when he got back decided not to play anymore.
Hi LGB.
Gary B. Simmons is the handle but everyone calls me Cobra. the 31 is my I.Q. rather high for an NHL goaltender but none the less I incorporated it into my nickname so I could remember it.
To read my two part interview with Cobra, check my February 2007 archives.
I also hope to track down one or two other retired NHL'ers here on PEI this summer to interview for this blog, including an old teammate and friend of Cobra's, Al MacAdam.
I'm Lyle Richardson, also known as Spector, Foxsports.com 's "Prince of Pucks".,which is based on the fact I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada and I couldn't think of a better byline. I've been an NHL hockey commentator since 1998 on my website, Spector's Hockey, and I'm a contributing writer for Foxsports.com , The Hockey News and Eishockey News. I'm also a regular on The Faceoff Hockey Show and a frequent guest on "The Late Crew" on The Team 1200 Ottawa.
