Ottawa Senators

Scotiabank Place Arena was rocking Monday night as Senator nation hoped that Ottawa would be able to close out the top-seeded New York Rangers in Game 6; however, untimely penalties and Henrik Lundqvist standing on his head will send this series to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night for a seventh and final game.

The Senators manhandled the Rangers in the third period, trying to come back from a two-goal deficit, but a failure to kill penalties in the second frame and an inefficient power play was the ultimate demise for Ottawa.

Chris Neal got his second goal of the playoffs off of his shin pad while screening Lundqvist on a power play mid-way through the first, and the opening stanza ended with the Sens up 1-0.

Six minutes into the second, Brandon Prust was guilty of a cross-check and sent the Senator power play, which had already converted once, back on the ice. Then it started to go down hill.

Milan Michalek negated the last 30 seconds of the power play after a lazy holding call, and it would prove to be costly. Derek Stepan would score on a tip-in on the man advantage and finally the Rangers had put the puck passed Craig Anderson for the first time in six periods. Then things got interesting.

With just over four minutes left in the middle frame, defenseman Filip Kuba would negate yet another Senators power play after a holding call earned him two minutes in the sin bin. Just 16 seconds later, Nick Foligno would drive the net and appear to be pushed into Lundqvist. Referee Steve Kozari's arm shot up immediately and called goaltender interference.

The call was questionable at best, and would eventually be the difference in the game. Brad Richards buried a slap shot under the arm of Anderson on the ensuing 5-on-3 and just like that, the Rangers had the lead.

Ottawa had to find a way to get out of the second period down just one after the momentum had shifted to the Rangers late in the frame. Unfortunately for Sens fans, rookie Chris Kreider would bury his first career NHL goal on a completely lapse of coverage in the defensive zone with only 41 seconds left in the period.

The Senators would dominate the third period, outshooting New York 14-7; but countless big saves by Lundqvist, including a huge save on Kyle Turris during a power play, would keep the Rangers on top as time expired.

Jason Spezza brought it within one with 39 seconds left, but it was too little, too late. All Ottawa can do now is regroup, and prepare for a battle during Game 7. If the Senators prevail, it will mark the first time in NHL history that the top seed in both conferences failed to advance to the second round.

The Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers have all advanced to the second round. There are still five spots left and each series and I have bold predictions for each series.

The New York Rangers will lose to the less talented Ottawa Senators.

The New York Rangers were the best team in the NHL during the regular season, but they have stumbled in their first-round matchup with the Ottawa Senators.

After their Game 1 win, the Rangers failed to score more than two goals against the Senators after averaging 2.71 during the regular season. The Senators have succeeded behind a mediocre goalie in Craig Anderson who, in his first year as a full-time starter for the Senators, has taken his game to another level in the playoffs.

The Senators have held Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards and Ryan Callahan in check, limiting them to only four goals during the first five games.

Craig Anderson and the Senators now have an opportunity to defeat the top-seeded Rangers at home in Game 6.

The Florida Panthers will win their first playoff series since 1996.

A lot of people—myself included—thought the Panthers were a false contender coming into the playoffs. They did win their division, but it was arguably the worst division in the NHL.

However, the Panthers have silenced their critics early on and are poised to advance to the second round. Martin Brodeur has outplayed Jose Theodore, but the Panthers as a team have outplayed the Devils.

Theodore may not have developed into the top-5 goalie that many thought he would. However, he is dependable and the Panthers play great defense in front of him, containing the talented Devils' forwards.

The Devils may have the two or three most talented players in this series, but the Panthers have stuck to the defensive philosophy and let opportunities in the offensive end come to them.

And it has paid off.

The Panthers will win this series because Kris Versteeg and Ed Jovanovski are going to take over the series and will them to the second round.

The L.A. Kings will upset the top-seeded Canucks.

The reigning Western Conference champs are on the verge of losing to the Kings. The Kings have played great team hockey and have committed to their defensive strategy. The Kings—behind the great play of Jonathan Quick—have been able to stifle the offense-talented Canucks.

Despite winning in Daniel Sedin’s return, the Canucks don’t have the mental toughness and physical ability to overcome the Kings outstanding defense.

Jonathan Quick was bound to have a hiccup, as the Canucks got a boost when Daniel Sedin returned. However, the emotional boost won’t be there in Game 5 and the Canucks will go home early.

The Chicago Blackhawks will win two straight games and defeat the Phoenix Coyotes.

The Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup two years ago because they were the third-best offensive team in the NHL and Antti Niemi was good enough between the pipes.

This year’s Blackhawks are just as talented and have more experience than the team that won it all two years ago. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have grown as players and know what it takes to come back when trailing a series. Last year the Blackhawks suffered through the dreaded Stanley Cup hangover and almost defeated the Canucks in what was one of the best series in the entire playoffs.

After Raffi Torres’ dirty hit took out Marian Hossa, the Blackhawks were given the bulletin board material needed to fire them up and drive them to win the series.

Hossa is one of the Blackhawks' best offensive players and he will be missed, but they have enough scoring ability to advance to the second round. Toews and Kane will take over this series and build the momentum needed to go on a deep run.

The Boston Bruins will win a defensive battle and defeat the Washington Capitals.

The Boston Bruins have struggled against the underachieving Washington Capitals, but they will win their first round matchup. The Capitals may be their equal defensively, but they lack the mental toughness on the ice and behind the bench to dethrone the Bruins.

The Capitals have been a great regular season team the past few years. Come playoff time, they have been one of the biggest disappointments in the entire league. The Capitals have implemented a new scheme under Coach Dale Hunter, with their tight defense-first mentality putting them in a position to defeat the defending champs.

The Bruins are the better team, and it will show in Game 7. After shaking up the lines in Games 5 and 6 the Bruins forwards responded and scored more. Tyler Seguin and David Krejci both scored in Game 6, sparking the entire offense. This will make the Bruins have a breakout game in the series finale that will lead to them winning the series.

Okay, so I am completely confused here.  According to a Fox Sports.com article from April 16th,

"Daniel Alfredsson has confirmed he sustained a concussion in Game 2 of Ottawa's playoff series with New York when Rangers forward Carl Hagelin elbowed him in the head. However, the Senators captain participated in Monday's morning skate and said he's a game-time decision for Game 3 at night."

 

Then, on April 17th Pat Leonard of the Daily News reported that,

"Ottawa’s captain did not play in Game 3 after suffering a setback between Monday morning’s skate and the game that night, coach Paul MacLean confirmed."

 

Alfredsson did not skate with the team at Scotiabank Place this morning, but MacLean has yet to reveal his lineup for the night and was stated in a New York Times article earlier today by Jeff Z. Klein that, 

“There’s no update” (in reference to Alfredsson's status).

 

So if there is no update, then why isn't MacLean revealing his lineup?

I just don't understand why the Senators are being so evasive.  It doesn't make much sense.  

And if he is concussed then why on earth would he be made a game-time decision?  I think we have all seen what happens to players when they rush back from a concussion—especially given Alfredsson's history with this issue.

Lastly, according to the NHL.com official website on Monday, Alfredsson told the press in regards to Game 3,

"We'll see -- we'll decide at game time if I'm playing or not.  I have felt better. [Sunday] was better than Saturday. Bike ride yesterday -- I felt pretty good throughout the day … was active at home with the kids … felt pretty good this morning. Next step obviously is to skate today, which I did this morning, and we'll see what happens."

My only question is, who goes for bike rides if they really suffered from a concussion the day prior?

Could it be that perhaps the setback he suffered was because (if he did in fact have a concussion), he shouldn't have been going for bike rides and being active with his kids so soon after?  He really should know better if that is the case.

Something just doesn't add up.  I just hope that if he is still suffering that both himself and the Senators coaching staff allow him to rest and heal accordingly.  

Playoffs or not, health should always come first.

Despite suffering a concussion on Saturday night, Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators was a game-time decision for Game 3 against the New York Rangers on Monday evening. His return for the Senators remains in question.

UPDATE: Monday, April 23 at 12:25 p.m. ET

After participating in skate-around this morning, Daniel Alfredsson is now expected to return to the lineup tonight against the New York Rangers, according to Senators Extra's Allen Panzeri. 

"Daniel Alfredsson will be in the lineup when the Ottawa Senators face the New York Rangers at Scotiabank Place Monday night.

Daniel Alfredsson will make his return to the Ottawa lineup after missing three games with a concussion."

UPDATE: Monday, April 23 at 11:10 a.m. ET

Alfredsson looks like a good possibility for Game 6 in Ottawa tonight. From Andrew Gross of The Record:

Daniel Alfredsson skating at Senators morning optional. Have to believe he'll be in the Game 6 lineup tonight. Should find out soon.

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossRecord) April 23, 2012

It would certainly provide a big boost to an Ottawa team looking to eliminate the Rangers this evening. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Friday, April 20 at 12:47 p.m. ET 

Darren Dreger covers the hockey world for TSN, and he tweeted the latest news on Alfredsson's health status.

Daniel Alfredsson will not be making the trip to NYC. Obviously, lingering concussion issues. #TSN

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) April 20, 2012

Ottawa picked up a much-needed victory over the Rangers on Wednesday, and playing in New York without Alfredsson is a crushing blow. 

Depth is extremely important in hockey, especially during the playoffs. Not having Alfredsson's experience and leadership as the Senators hit the road is very unfortunate. 

UPDATE: Tuesday, April 17 at 1:48 p.m. ET

According to ESPN's Katie Strang, Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson has suffered a setback in his concussion recovery.

#NYR #OTT MacLean confirms that Alfredsson had a setback yesterday. Sure doesn't sound like he will play tmrw

— Katie Strang (@KatieStrangESPN) April 17, 2012

Alfredsson's Game 4 status doesn't look good, and it would be foolish to rush him back just so he can play in front of the hometown fans one final time.

Ottawa lost to the Rangers on Monday night and now trail the series 2-1, and have to win on Wednesday night or they will travel to New York facing elimination. 

Update: Monday, April 16th at 6:00 p.m. ET

Daniel Alfredsson is unlikely to play on Monday night, according to TSN.com:

Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson confirmed to reporters on Monday morning that he suffered a concussion after being hit by New York's Carl Hagelin on Saturday and is not expected to play Game 3 this evening.

Alfredsson, who also passed the baseline test, was on the ice for the pre-game skate on a line with Kyle Turris and Nick Foligno. 

If you ask Dr. Charles Tator, a neurosurgeon at Toronto Western Hospital, his possible return this soon is far too hasty. From Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post:

“It’s not what we recommend,” he said. “We recommend that there should be a six-step process that you go through after a concussion to determine whether you’re ready to return to play.”

That process requires one day in between levels to assess whether the player is healthy enough to return to play. The first level is complete physical and mental rest, and the final step is return to play.

“So if you have 24 hours between steps, it really means a week off,” Tator said. “So, in our view, to try to give the brain enough opportunity to recover, we recommend a week.”

Alongside being a highly respected neurosurgeon in Canada, Tator also volunteers for ThinkFirst, a non-profit that focuses on brain and spinal cord injury prevention.

Alfredsson would be wise to heed Tator's advice, especially given that the Senators' star player suffered a concussion earlier this season. But with the player apparently passing the baseline test and a crucial Game 3 to be played, don't be surprised to see him on the ice.

From Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News:

Ottawa coach Paul MacLean would not reveal his lineup but said Alfredsson has passed the required baseline test. Alfredsson skated with his Senators teammates on Monday morning at Scotiabank Place and said he is a game-time decision for Game 3 (7:30 p.m., MSG) with the series knotted at 1-1.

"Yesterday was better than Saturday night," Alfredsson said here at his locker Monday morning. "I did a bike ride yesterday and felt pretty good throughout the day, was active at home with the kids, felt pretty good this morning, so the next step obviously was to skate today, this morning, and see how I feel after."

If you haven't seen the hit by Carl Hagelin that caused the concussion (and earned Hagelin a three-game suspension), here you go.

Concussions are not to be taken lightly, and if Alfredsson has any doubt in the least about playing tonight, he should sit. I know it's unrealistic that he would sit out a week as Tator suggested, but returning tonight is pushing it.

Some things are more important than one playoff game. Erring on the side of caution when it regards your brain is the wise move.

Keep it here for future Alfredsson updates as they become available.

Hit me up on Twitter—my tweets light the lamp like Danny Briere.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a time when teams need to come together, and the Ottawa Senators are doing just that.

At 15:31 of the first period in Game 1 of their series against the New York Rangers, opponent Brian Boyle threw several punches at Erik Karlsson with his gloves still on after the two were shoving.

Early in the second game, Matt Carkner went after Boyle, dropping his gloves and punching him as Boyle did nothing in response.

Later, Chris Neil challenged Boyle as well, making him pay further for going after the Senators' young superstar defenseman.

Earlier this week, a similar response was made by Todd Bertuzzi of the Detroit Red Wings. 

In Game 1 against the Nashville Predators, Shea Weber not only punched Henrik Zetterberg in the back of the head, but pushed his face into the glass as well.

The NHL barely slapped Weber on the hand for the incident, giving a $2,500 fine and no suspension.

Bertuzzi made him answer for his actions and challenged him to a fight in the next game. Weber dropped his gloves.

Before the playoffs started, an incident occurred including two other playoff teams that are involved in a series.

With one week left in the regular season, the Pittsburgh Penguins' Joe Vitale took a run at Danny Briere of the Philadelphia Flyers late in a blowout game.

In the next game, Philadelphia's Harry Zolnierczyk fought Vitale. Though Zolnierczyk might be the Flyers' worst fight and he did terrible, it was good for him to stand up for his teammate.

Often times the NHL rules do nothing to protect players, leaving it to the players to take care of business.

Fans should be happy with the players who tried.

Jason Sapunka covers the NHL and Philadelphia Flyers. He is available on Twitter for updates, analysis and commentary.

Follow @moreSapunka

It's commonplace in sports—you'll most often hear about this in football—to not give your opposition any reason to despise you any more than they already do prior to a big game.

It's called "bulletin board material."

Whether it be Opening Day in baseball or the week leading up to the Super Bowl, it's best to keep any comments to the media about an upcoming opponent as textbook, and as respectful, as possible.

Apparently, Ottawa Senators stud defenseman Erik Karlsson never read that book.

In talking to the media today, the Swedish-native Karlsson had some comments regarding Vezina-candidate goalie—and fellow Frolunda Indians alumni—Henrik Lundqvist.

Karlsson on Lundqvist: "He's had a good year and everyone's happy for him, but hopefully it's time for him to go home." #Sens #NYR

—Erin Nicks (@erinnicks), April 10, 2012

The 2012 NHL playoffs begin on Wednesday, and the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers will host Karlsson and the Senators at Madison Square Garden.

Before the puck has even dropped on the NHL's second season, Karlsson may have put his team behind the proverbial eight ball simply by opening his mouth. Joking or not, Karlsson's comments show his age and lack of playoff experience.

The rest of the Senators team can't be happy with their young defenseman.

Although Kyle Turris makes no guarantee he’ll be able to produce another outstanding four-point performance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Ottawa forward is certainly showing he can deliver for the Senators.

With a playoff berth on the line and two of the team’s top players not in the lineup, Turris and his teammates were hardly fazed when they traveled to New York to take on the Islanders for a critical contest.

The end result was an a authoritative 5-1 Ottawa victory, a win that secured a spot in the Eastern Conference post-season, highlighted by a four-point (two goals and two assists) game by Turris.

Turris and the Senators will now square-off against the New York Rangers, the No. 1 seed in the East.

“Well, I can’t say for sure that I’ll be able to do that again in the playoffs, but I wouldn’t mind if that helped us win,” laughed Turris, in an interview with NHLPA.com. “But I know what I really want to do and that’s just to try and help my team win. If I can get four points, that would be great. But if not, I want to be 75 percent in the faceoff circle and work with my teammates to shut down the other team.”

It seems as though Turris, who was traded from the Phoenix Coyotes to the Ottawa Senators for David Rundblad and a second-round pick in the 2012 NHL draft on December 11, is a happy man these days.

“It’s just great, really,” said the third overall selection of the Coyotes in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who scored his first NHL goal on October 12, 2008, a rebound tally in a 4-2 win versus the Anaheim Ducks.

“Everyone, including myself, is in a really good mood. To wake up the next day after our win in New York and know you made the playoffs, that just gets everyone more and more excited about things.”

Turris, who notched an assist in his first game with Ottawa, a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on December 20, is equally effusive about how the Senators, a preseason long shot to make the playoffs, have banded together to net a shot at winning the Stanley Cup.

“What an amazing group of guys we have here,” said the former British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) standout, who scored 72 points in 57 games for the Burnaby Express in 2005–06 and was honoured with the Bruce Allison Memorial Trophy for the Coastal Conference as rookie of the year. “The chemistry is great, we have a lot of fun and everyone gives each other confidence. There’s a lot of enthusiasm and excitement.”

Turris, who played one season of U.S. collegiate hockey with the Wisconsin Badgers in 2007-08, praises several teammates for their leadership and on-ice skills.

“You look at people like Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Milan Michalek and Eric Karlsson and how professional they are on and off the ice,” said Turris, of the team’s high-profile players. “They respect everyone on the team and recognize that everyone plays a part in our success. They are all extremely talented, but they make you feel like a big part of the team. You couldn’t ask for better teammates.”

With just four games of NHL playoff experience to date, Turris, who hails from New Westminster, British Columbia, is eagerly anticipating his first postseason as a member of the Senators.

“My confidence, it just keeps growing since I got here,” offered the 22-year-old, who led Team Canada in scoring at the World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic en route to a gold medal in the 2008 tournament. “I have to admit I was nervous coming here, but everyone, the players and the coaches, made me feel so good. I was put in a good position from the day I came here. I wanted to contribute and I wanted to do what I could to help us earn a playoff spot. Now that it’s happened, you can see just how enthusiastic the guys are. It’s a great feeling.”

He’s hoping the good times don’t end any time soon.

“I’m over the moon,” said the 6’1”, 190-pounder, who lists Hall of Fame standout Steve Yzerman as his favourite hockey player growing up “I felt that way the day I got to Ottawa and I still am over the moon to this day.”

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The Ottawa Senators don't have an easy battle ahead of them in this year's NHL playoffs, but if we learned anything this past season, it's that they can take down the New York Rangers.

This past season, the two teams met on the ice four times. Three of those times the Senators came out on top, outscoring the Eastern Conference's top team, 13-8.

Despite the results for when these two teams clashed, the Rangers played much better all season long as they outright earned the No. 1 seed. In the meantime, the Senators are the No. 8 seed.

While major upsets like these are extremely rare in the first round of a playoff battle, there is no doubt that the Senators have at least proven this season that they can potentially upset the top team in the conference.

The X-factor in this entire series has been the play of Senators goalie Craig Anderson, who was in goal for three of the four games. His strongest performance came in the team's 3-0 victory back on January 12, but he wasn't in when the two teams met up last on March 8.

Ben Bishop was in that game, but the team won't likely see much of him in the series. At least for the Senators' sake, they know they have a goalie who has shutdown their opponent in the past.

The Senators can score, as they have proven so this season averaging three goals per game. They will need continued strong performances from left winger Milan Michalek, who has 35 goals on the year. 

Jason Spezza is going to need to continue to come up big as well. The center has tallied a total of 84 points this season, which is one of the main reasons why they are here in the first place.

In the team's four matchups, Spezza put up a total of six points. In the meantime, Michalek has put up five of his own, but the team will definitely need the two to play with the mentality to go above and beyond that to sneak past the Rangers.

It won't be an easy battle, that is for sure. But if the team can rely on their past against the Rangers, as well as get solid contributions from everyone involved, there is no reason to think this upset isn't possible.

As is the case in just about any sport, it's the hockey players who score goals and create offense that stand out. 

While there are several reasons why people love this game, it's the speedsters, snipers and danglers that bring us out of our seats, not the skaters who "simply" make smart decisions with and without the puck or block shots.  

It therefore comes as no shock that Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators has received so much attention these days. After all, the 21-year-old Swedish sensation is having one heck of a season, at least in the offensive zone. 

Karlsson's amassed 66 points (15 goals, 51 assists) in 64 games with the Sens in 2011-12, a performance that has captured the attention of hockey fans everywhere.

That appreciation for offensive flair is both understandable and justified, but it's important to keep it all in perspective, and in doing so, to realize that there's more to hockey than goals and assists.

This is especially true when it comes to certain awards, including the Norris Trophy.

As defined by the NHL, the Norris is "given to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position." It is not given to "the defense player who records the most points," contrary to popular belief. 

Karlsson's a very talented kid with a promising future in this league. He's an absolute magician with the puck, has a cannon of a shot and is a gifted passer. But for all of his offensive skills and instinct, Karlsson's two-way game is, at best, mediocre. 

Is that something he'll improve upon over time? No question about it. But make no mistake, Karlsson's defensive miscues have added up, and he's got plenty of work to do. His plus-15 rating can be more closely attributed to his offensive prowess. 

Karlsson has been caught out of position by oncoming forwards too many times to count this season, and his giveaway numbers aren't pretty, either. 

I'm not going to say he doesn't deserve any recognition. There's certainly a valid argument to be made that Karlsson should win the Hart Trophy because he's as valuable and vital to his team's success as one could possibly be. 

However, the Norris Trophy needs to be handed out to a defenseman who's impressed at both ends of the ice—someone like Shea Weber (my pick) or Nicklas Lidstrom. That isn't to undermine Karlsson's accomplishments, but he is not the best all-around blueliner in the NHL. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that Mike Green and Lubomir Visnovsky both had tremendously productive seasons and, even so, failed to capture the Norris. There's more to it than offensive statistics, and as was the case with Green and Visnovsky, the same logic can and should be applied to Karlsson. 

Down the road, Erik Karlsson will likely straighten out his defensive issues and becomes a complete player. When that happens, you better believe there's a Norris waiting for him. As far as this season is concerned, he's not there yet. 

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Comments are welcome.