Game 4 was a victory for the Senators, but as of today it doesn't mean a thing. Tonight is game 5, and the Ottawa Senators find themselves in the exact same position as they did heading into Wednesday night's game - win or go home.
This time it will be the Montreal Canadiens who will have to find the line between using the home crowd to its advantage, or getting too wrapped up in the emotion that is sure to be flowing n the Bell Centre. If they can harness that energy and emotion properly, it will be a tough game for the Senators to win.
That being said, there is barely anything to choose between the teams in this series. Four games, all decided by one goal, and neither team has enjoyed the breathing room of a 2 goal lead at any point, not even a late game empty netter. I don't know if that has ever happened before through 4 playoff games. In a quick search the closest series I could find was the 2011 series between the Red Wings and Sharks, where the first 5, and 6 of the 7 games were decided by one goal (the other game was a 2 goal game with an empty netter). However, the Sharks had a 2-0 lead in game 2 before winning 2-1 and Detroit had a 3-0 lead in game 4 before the Sharks came back to force OT, which Detroit managed to win.
The focus is going to be on goaltending once again, and the pressure is on because 1 mistake by either netminder could be all the difference. It was a couple of mistakes that got Ottawa into the 3-0 hole, and it might be their ability to force Carey Price into an error that keeps them alive. Either way, the way Craig Anderson and Price are playing, if you allow them to see the puck they are going to stop it 99% of the time.
While the goalies are in the spotlight, defensive zone play goes hand in hand with that. As we saw in Wednesday's game, any turnover in your own end can be the difference, as Tom Gilbert's turnover in the third period led to the only goal of the game That came on the heels of Eric Gryba's game 2 turnover that led to the OT winner from Alex Galchenyuk and forced Dave Cameron into making a tough goalie decision that has paid off so far.
You almost get the feeling that this series is due for a breakout game of some sort. Montreal's top forwards haven't been great, at least on the scoreboard, while Ottawa's second line had been largely invisible up until Mike Hoffman's goal that stood up as the winner in game 4. Montreal's grinders (Weise, Flynn, Mitchell) were largely responsible for getting them their 3-0 series lead, but you can't expect them to produce offense every night. Mark Stone with his 3 assists is the only regular top 6 forward in the series with more than 2 points.
Whichever team has their 1st or 2nd line (or preferably both) have a consistent night from start to finish will likely come out the winner, because none have really had a "take control" game in the series. If that is Kyle Turris or Mika Zibanejad's line, see you Sunday night. If it is Tomas Plekanec or David Desharnais' line that steps up, good luck in round 2 to the Habs.
Teams facing elimination are 3-1 so far in this post-season, with only the Winnipeg Jets unable to win with their backs against the wall. The Senators were the first team to stave off elimination, and they watched Nashville and Vancouver accomplish that feat last night. The difference is that Ottawa will have to do it on the road, while every other team that has managed to avoid the final defeat has done so at home.
The Senators need to win just one game tonight, just like they needed to win one game on Wednesday and did. They key will be to weather the storm during the first 10 minutes and come out of that tied, or even better, with a lead.
Let the chips fall where they may, but I have thoroughly enjoyed some great hockey in the past 3 games, where both teams have competed between the whistles and kept the post-whistle junk to a minimum. Whichever team wins, you can bet they earned it, because really nothing has been given to either side so far, and there has been no breathing room at all.