Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Senators blow lead, but hang on to steal game 3 in OT against Bruins

April 18, 2017, 9:14 AM ET [35 Comments]
Jared Crozier
Ottawa Senators Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Ottawa Senators took a 3 goal lead in the opening minutes of the second period...and held onto it and lived happily ever after.

That is the fairy-tale ending, and the easy way.

The Senators haven't done things the easy way this season, so why would they start now.

After opening the scoring with a highlight of the night goal on a hail mary pass from Erik Karlsson to spring Mike Hoffman for a breakaway, that he finished with the "Forsberg", Derick Brassard notched his second in as many games just 25 seconds later. Hoffman scored his second of the game on a power play early in the third, and it looked like the Senators were home and cooled.

But, on home ice, the Bruins didn't give up, and the Senators couldn't tighten up. A long shot from John-Michael Liles was tipped by Noel Acciari at 6:05, David Backes made Bobby Ryan look silly 42 second later and beat Anderson 5-hole, and David Pastrnak completed the comeback with a short-side power play goal moments after a Boston 2 man advantage had ended but before Kyle Turris could get back into the play. In less than 8 minutes, the Ottawa lead was gone and it was a brand new game once again.

I said yesterday in the preview that it would come down to goaltending, and in a series where both goalies have struggled and have sub-.900 save percentages, it might be Craig Anderson's third period stop on David Backes at the lip of the crease that made the difference.

In overtime, on a night where the whistles were essentially put away late, Ottawa got a gift power play as the officials somehow seemed fit to call Riley Nash with the retaliation after a play where Ryan could have easily been whistled as well with coincidental minors, or even Ryan going off solo. Ottawa took advantage of the referee's generosity, and to add insult to injury, it was Ryan who ended up finishing it off when he redirected home a pass from Turris past Rask to give the Senators the unlikely 4-3 win and 2-1 series lead.

While Anderson's save on Backes might have been the difference, the Senators need more consistent goaltending from their starter, who has faced the fewest shots of any goalie who has played more than 33 minutes in this playoffs, but has the second worst save percentage. He was unready for the first goal, even though it was tipped on the was, it was deflected into him rather than away from him and he simply didn't seem aware that a shot was inbound at all. He didn't have much chance on the second goal, after Ryan looked like a second baseman trying to field a ground ball mid-hop and subsequently fell awkwardly and spectacularly trying to pivot. The Pastrnak goal was another stoppable shot, as a goalie never wants to get beat short-side on that kind of shot, and it beat him clean. Fortunately, Rask hasn't been a whole lot better at the other end which has mitigated some of Anderson's flaws.

Karlsson was the star of the night, passing 30 minutes for the second straight game, and having two remarkable assists and taking care of business in his own end. Hoffman was one of the two players I singled out as needing to step up, and he did so as well. After having just 3 shots in the first two games, Hoffman put 8 shots on Rask Monday night, and that doesn't include the one he rang off the crossbar in the third period that could have ended things without requiring overtime.

I also give a lot of credit to Derick Brassard. He was brought in and subsequetnly much maligned for much of the season for underacheiving, but he has a track record of stepping up in the playoffs and so far, so good. For my money he has been the Senators' most consistent and best, forward (with all due respect to Ryan, who has also stepped his game up, last night's lowlight aside). Brassard has a team high 2 goals (tied with Ryan) and added 2 assists for 4 points (tied with Ryan and Karlsson for the team lead), and he has also won 61% of his faceoffs, including 75% last night going head to head 24 times with Boston's ace pivot, Patrice Bergeron.

It wasn't pretty, or easy, but there are no points for style and the Senators have assured themselves that worst case scenario they come home tied up, and best case scenario they come home with a chance to eliminate their opponents on Friday night.
Join the Discussion: » 35 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Jared Crozier
» Goodbye, and good luck!
» Can Colin White fill the #2C role as early as next year?
» Boucher staying put, at least for now
» Boucher Day
» Sens fall to #4 in draft lottery