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Dale Weise's Dagger Puts Senators On Brink Of Quick Elimination |
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Dale Weise.
Dale freaking Weise.
If there were any Montreal Canadiens player least likely to score 2 goals to not only tie the game but go on to win it in OT, Dale Weise might be at or near the bottom of the list. But there he was, being interviewed in the third intermission after his goal forced overtime, and then again all over CBC after his OT winner stuck a knife into the heart of the Senators.
For almost 50 minutes, Dave Cameron looked like an absolute genius for making the goalie swap, as Craig Anderson was the story. But that was ruined by Weise, as the middle of the third frame approached. Anderson misplayed a puck, making the save on a shot but thinking he had it covered meanwhile it had bounced out front for Weise to knock in for the tying goal. Then after making a couple of 10 bell saves in the overtime period Anderson let Weise sneak a snap shot past him short side from outside the faceoff dot. While it is tough to blame Anderson, because just like Andrew Hammond in game 2 it wouldn’t have gotten to extra time without his heroics, you need your goalie to make that save.
I said yesterday, almost prophetically, that a major reason that I would have made the change in goal is that it doesn’t matter if your goalie makes 50 saves if that 51st shot is the difference and it is a weak one. Anderson played lights out, and when you consider the layoff he has had, it was almost a miraculous return to the crease. It didn’t take long for the “Andy, Andy, Andy” chants to erupt, just hours after the outpouring of outrage, or at least surprise, over the decision to go with the veteran. The Habs didn’t get to 50, but the 49th shot was the decider.
It is tough for me to sit here and blame the goaltending solely for the fact that the Senators are down 3-0 in the series and face the dubious prospect of getting swept on home ice on Wednesday night. The fact is that Ottawa’s goaltending has a SP of .931 and Carey Price has a SP of .939. In three games that isn’t much to choose from, but the difference has been the types of goals Hammond and Anderson have allowed, and also the almost 11 more shots on goal per game the Habs have fired on the net.
Ottawa’s biggest downfall so far in this series has been the inability to get the elusive 2 goal lead (something that the Habs have never had either, by the way). In the last 2 games Ottawa has played with the lead for just under 50 minutes, while Montreal has had the advantage for just uner 17. Not being able to get that 2-goal margin to give their netminders that have been under siege a bit of breathing room has been a huge factor. I sat there watching this one knowing, that one wasn’t going to be enough and if the Senators wanted to get back into the series that they needed another before Montreal scored. And after Weise tied it up, I knew it was a foregone conclusion that after hanging on for so long that they weren’t going to be able to flip the switch and go on the offensive.
If the Senators could find a way to play the second period like they have the first and most of the thirds, it would be a very different series. They have had the lead after 20 minutes in all three games, only to get dominated in zone time when they have the long change. Eight of Montreal’s 9 goals have come either in the second period or overtime in this series, and Montreal has outshot Ottawa 52-23 in the second frame (33-9 in the last 2 games).
You have to credit Carey Price for not allowing the Senators to get that next goal, but also the Canadiens as a team for pretty much giving him the second period off in each of the last two games, allowing him to stay fresh and focused. The Canadiens have simply been more consistent than the Senators from start to finish. A difference of 3 goals in 3 games means there hasn’t been much to choose between the teams, yet the Senators find themselves on the brink of elimination.
While the officiating hasn’t been the big story of the last two games, and a vast majority of the penalties have been earned despite the Canadiens advantage in power plays, I certainly question the timing of the call in overtime on Curtis Lazar. There were at least one almost identical hit by each team earlier in the game that went uncalled, one by Devante Smith-Pelly for Montreal and I think it was Clarke MacArthur for Ottawa where I looked for the arm in the air and when there were not thought both players got away with one. Especially after Montreal had a power play in the last four minutes of regulation on an unfortunate but deserved, puck over glass call, I am not sure Lazar should have been whistled He made every effort to get to the side of Emelin, and the Canadiens defenseman turned his numbers into the play. In regulation, or in a regular season game it is probably a call, but with the precedent set earlier in the game and the fact that it was overtime in a playoff game that had seen close to 100 hits, many of them borderline, I don’t think either side would have liked that call made on them. The Habs didn’t score on the power play but did so just over 30 seconds after the penalty expired and the Senators were still sorting their lines out following the kill.
But, considering the Senators’ goal came after they were the beneficiary of a missed high-sticking call where Patrick Wiercioch caught P.K. Subban across the side of the head and Ottawa scored on the ensuing rush, perhaps it was a little bit of Karma.
Power plays over the last 2 games have been 12-5 in favor of the Canadiens, (after being 5-1 in Ottawa’s favor, including a 3 minute major in game 1), and I didn’t really have an issue with the way the last two games had been called until that last call, which was a tough one for Lazar and the Senators to take.
From the Senators standpoint, they got what they needed from Erik Karlsson, who was on a mission for most of the game, and the insertion of Chris Neil turned out to be a solid addition despite the many doubters, myself included. He led all players with 9 hits in less than 8 and a half minutes of ice time, and was more of a presence Alex Chiasson ever was in this series.
I hate to sound like a broken record, but what is up with the $7M man Bobby Ryan? He has gone more than 322 shifts since his last goal, and over 245 minutes of ice time. And has he gone more than 2 shifts in a row without falling down or at least losing his balance this series? Something is obviously wrong with him physically, but it is at the point where you almost have to take him out of the lineup to get fresh, healthy legs in. To his credit he did get involved physically, but he is there to score and right now he isn’t a threat to do that. He gets his ice time, but is spending so much time down on the ice you would think the Senators had traded him for Scott Hartnell.
The Senators now have 2 days to come up with a game plan to solve Carey Price for one game, and then implement and execute that game plan 4 times. Nobody said it would be easy, and regardless of what happens on Wednesday night it has been quite a ride, but I think most Senators fans would much prefer to not have the team get swept and have the Habs celebrate on CTC ice.
The Senators have succeeded with their backs against the wall this season, but the 14 point hole they dug themselves out of to make the playoffs might pale in comparison to the challenge of beating Price 4 straight times. But it is the playoffs, and anything can happen.
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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