Ducks handling Ottawa's top line
Thursday, May 31, 2007 | 07:38 PM ET
First, credit to Gary Green.
I was a guest on his XM Radio show before the Stanley Cup final, and he asked how I thought the Spezza-Alfredsson-Heatley line would fare against Pahlsson-Niedermayer-Moen.
After dominating the best checking line in the East – Madden-Pandolfo-Brylin – in the second round, I felt Ottawa’s terrific trio should feel confident about its chances, even though the three Ducks were on such an impressive run.
But Green had a warning. He felt the Pahlsson line was better than the Madden line. I asked Bryan Murray to compare the two. He said the Madden line was faster, but the Pahlsson line was stronger.
Clearly, strength is more important than speed.
I am as shocked as anyone by what’s happened in the first two games. Certainly, there was the possibility Ottawa could lose two in a row to start the series. But this is stunning.
The Spezza line controlled the Madden line because the latter three didn’t really control the puck. The Pahlsson line does, especially on the dump-ins to the Ottawa zone. Plus, Spezza isn’t winning faceoffs like he was against Madden. So, the Senators are chasing the puck from the start.
Quite simply, the three Ducks are dangerous offensively. The three Devils weren’t, at least in that series.
And – this is probably the biggest reason – once you get by the forwards, you have Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer waiting for you. It’s like fighting an army to save a princess and realizing said princess is really a prince.
The first three rounds, Alfredsson et al moved opposing goalies side-to-side with terrific cross-ice passes and cycles in the offensive zone.
Not against those two you don’t.
Both are so good with their sticks that they can 1) break up those passes; 2) get beat to the puck and still flick it away from you; or 3) knock down any weak dump-ins – and we’ve seen plenty of that in the first two games.
The big three need help. They were so dominant against Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Buffalo that the other lines didn’t need to score. Now they’d better.
The Senators are also having trouble with Anaheim’s size, speed and aggressiveness. None of Ottawa’s previous opponents had the same combination. Pittsburgh was aggressive, but not as big and not as fast. New Jersey was not aggressive. Buffalo was fast and aggressive, but small. The Ducks have all three and it’s a huge adjustment. Two days off are exactly what the Senators need to find some way to save this.
That said, Ottawa’s emergency wards must be full of bandwagon- jumping injuries today. Let’s be serious for a second. You don’t go 12-3 in the playoffs by being soft or pathetic. It is concerning that the Senators wilted in Games 1 and 2. Five-on-five chances were almost nil and some of their important players looked overwhelmed. (And give Spezza a break. The way people talk about him, it’s like he’s afraid to leave the team hotel. He’s having a ton of trouble, but he is competing.)
But to compare this group with teams of the past or call them a bunch of wusses is just a joke. They’re getting beaten, yes, but they deserve to be here.
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About the Author
Elliotte Friedman is the host of the CFL ON CBC. Prior to being named host in 2006, Friedman worked on the CFL on CBC broadcasts for the three seasons as a sideline reporter. A Toronto native, Friedman is well known for his additional work on Hockey Night in Canada, as well as his presence on the Torino 2006 Winter Games telecasts as a hockey reporter. Prior to joining the CBC, Friedman worked at The Score network and was widely regarded as one of the best reporters in the country. Friedman used his reporting skills to break stories and file feature reports for high profile events including six Stanley Cup Finals, four Grey Cup Championships, two World Series and one Olympic Games. He is also a regular on the nationally syndicated Prime Time Sports radio telecast, hosted by Bob McCown.
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Comments
Deb
Gatineau
I proudly greeted the Senators home at the airport. They are good. Thank you for pointing that fact out Elliot. Yes, they DO deserve to be here. I hope they will do better on home ice, and just show that yes, they can win a game or two, against the Ducks. Get some momentum going, and feeling good about themselves. They should! Mike Fisher's birthday is coming on June 5th, (same day as mine!) so, I dearly hope his team-mates can give him the ultimate 27th birthday gift of a tied series. Now, that would be something to talk about! GO OTTAWA GO!
Posted June 2, 2007 12:40 PM
James Mcbeath
The other key factor is simply the competition differential between the teams. Look at the extremely hard fought road the Ducks had faced throughout their playoffs so far... ending with a 'leave it on the ice' final series with Detroit. Ottawa... yawned through most series with at least puck dominance. the only competition they faced was goaltending. Sound familiar... right now the only competition the Ducks are facing is Emery and Fisher.
We can see this pattern as a failing for Ottawa the last two playoffs. They coasted into the playoffs in first place while others needed to battle and fight for their spots. Once in the playoffs, Ottawa faced battle hardened forces and lost. The were simply not peaking at the right time. Here too. The Ducks are hardened, fast and battle ready, the Sens aren't.
Blame the competition in the east maybe.
Posted June 2, 2007 01:45 AM
Bill
Fredericton
I think you've nailed it. Like it or not, Anaheim has the size, skill and defensive combo that Ottawa hasn't seen until this series. I think the Sens are clearly the best team in the east and have earned their appearance in the final. And I think they still can pull it off, but the odds are dwindling quickly.
They've got to start doing the dump and chase and getting on Anaheim with a killer forecheck - and as you point out, even then it may not be enough.
However, they also can take advantage of the Ducks lack of discipline and try to create some penalties. One of the worrying aspects from Game 2, from an Ottawa perspective, was that the Ducks seemed more disciplined. But that may have simply been because they weren't really challenged. Hopefully, for Ottawa, that will change.
On the other hand, I picked the Ducks in 6. :-)
Posted June 1, 2007 12:35 PM
Phil
Ottawa
Elliotte,
Good observation of the overall situation.
Ottawa is a good team and rightly deserve to play for the Cup, however, as in the past, they are beginning to wilt terribly under constant pressure. This has always plagued them. It's OK during the regular season to play fancy, stylish hockey and gain good playoff positioning, but it means absolutely zero once they come up against rough and tumble, gritty-as-sandpaper teams that litter the Western Conference.
To be fair, this year the team has shaken off many of their old bugaboos (beating New Jersey and Buffalo after being bested more than once by these teams in previous playoffs) but they still lack key ingredidents that ultimately wins Cups - total grit, desire, bloody-minded determination, a mean streak and sacrifice from all four lines.
I will credit Anaheim for having these ingredients at this particular time. They may not play pretty-boy hockey but they do get the job done, one way or another.
Although I am a long-standing Senators supporter and an admirer of Alfredsson's work ethic and dedication, this year is still not Ottawa's year. Ottawa needs a solid second and third line (at the very least) to step up and take the hits, shoot the puck and legally block everything in sight that is wearing an opposing team's jersey. The reason why Anaheim is having a field day with Ottawa is because the Senators are over-relying on their top line. Since the Ducks have shut this line down so far, the results are, naturally, predictable. Anaheim will take the series in either four or six games and, hopefully, this will serve as a much-needed reminder to Ottawa that flashy play alone does not go the distance.
Ottawa will compete for the Cup again in future years but let's consider this year their baptism by fire. It's a desperately need learning experience...
Posted June 1, 2007 11:09 AM
Jim
Another situation where the two best teams are not in the final series for the championship. The Stanley Cup final was played last week, Anaheim beat Detroit for the Cup, Anaheim vs Ottawa is some sort of consolation series for what? We are not sure. JH
Posted June 1, 2007 10:23 AM
Darryl McLoughlin
Hi Elliote,
I agree with your assessment, but I truly believe that the layoff is a huge factor for the Sens. Something is lost in a 9-day layoff, which isn't right. The NHL needs to a better job when it comes to scheduling. The Sens miss thier jump. Had they had a two or three day layoff, things maybe a little different.
Posted June 1, 2007 08:21 AM