Here’s what we know: We are headed back to Pittsburgh.
Don Brennan, Errol McGihon and Le Droit sports editor Marc Brassard will jump into a rented SUV Thursday morning to head back to Steeltown.
If you think we’re the only ones behind the wheel we’re not. The guys across the street and Roy MacGregor of the Globe will be in another vehicle. Driving to Pittsburgh can provide better connections than flying.
What position will the Senators be in?
Tied 2-2 or down 3-1?
Hard to say. The Penguins are a champion calibre team. They can handle adversity. They’ve proved it in the past. They did it to get here. I’m not sure they’re exactly facing any here. They lost a game. It took five periods.
In my eyes, the Senators have to play better in this series.
They’ve never led. They are playing with fire here and they don’t have the firepower the Penguins have. There has been no respect shown to Tomas Vokoun, but he’s a heck of a goalie with a strong track record.
You cannot expect _ or want _ Craig Anderson to make 50 saves every night. He needs some support. The Senators were only 30 seconds away from disaster, 30 seconds away from everybody holding off on making any plans from going back to Pittsburgh.
The Senators have booked the trip with the win Sunday. If they can win Wednesday they can make it worth their while. Otherwise they’ll be back on the brink and fighting for another chance to come home Sunday.
Big test. We’ll check in with you from Pittsburgh.
It’s a long road ahead getting there but we’ll find out if there’s a long road ahead for the Senators.
Back to Pittsburgh
Lot of room for improvement for Tortorella’s Rangers
NEW YORK – It’s gotten late early for the New York Rangers in their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Boston Bruins.
The Rangers are down 2-0 going into tonight’s game at Madison Square Garden. If they are going to win to make this a series – they faced the same situation against the Washington Capitals in the opening round – they are going to have to tidy up a few areas that let caused them trouble in Boston.
Their play away from the puck wasn’t good in the latter half of Game 2 and the Bruins were able to generate a lot off the rush.
But Rangers coach John Tortorella, while giving the Bruins their due, said his team helped make the Bruins look good.
“I’ve been surprised when we made some glaring mistakes,” said Tortorella. “I’ll just go to Game 2 where we’re usually very good away from the puck. That’s surprising. Hopefully they’ll rectify that tonight.”
Rangers shutdown D Dan Girardi had a rough game in Game 2, going -4, but Tortorella said he didn’t feel the need to speak to the veteran.
“I didn’t even talk to him. He’s going to play his best game,” said Tortorella. “With Danny, he’s one of the better defencemen in the National Hockey League that had a tough night. He knows it. He doesn’t need to hear it from any coach at all as far as what needs to be done.”
Based on the morning skates, it looks like both teams will stick with the same lineups. Veteran Bruins defenceeman Wade Redden and Dennis Seidenberg, coming off injuries, both skated, but are not expected to play tonight.
John Tortorella: Ryan Callahan scored ‘a huge goddamned goal’ for the Rangers
Here’s one from the ‘Torts being Torts’ file.
After New York Rangers captain Ryan Callahan tied Game 2 Sunday with a nifty goal against the Boston Bruins in the first period, NBC hockey analyst Pierre McGuire asked Rangers coach John Tortorella midway through the second period what it’s like coaching Callahan.
“Well, that’s a huge goddamned goal he scored for us in the first period. That’s how I’d describe it,” Tortorella said before walking away.
With Tortorella’s history of being curt with reporters, you can imagine his thoughts on mid-game interviews such as the one he gave Sunday.
It turns out Tortorella had plenty more to be upset about as the Bruins ended up crushing the Rangers 5-2.
Here’s a look at the Callahan deke:
The Providence Bruins and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had a couple of line brawls during their AHL playoff game
The AHL’s Providence Bruins and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are fighting for a spot in the Eastern Conference final.
Literally.
Things got nasty in the third period of Game 5 Saturday, a 4-0 win for the Penguins who now trail the best-of-seven series 3-1.
The teams combined for 117 penalty minutes on the night.
The first brawl started after Bruins forward Graham Mink fell on top of Penguins goalie Brad Theissen minutes after doing so before. Mink received a match penalty for deliberate attempt to injure.
The second one was sparked by a slash from Bruins goalie Niklas Svedberg on Paul Thompson shortly after Thompson scored to make it 4-0. Svedberg received slashing and roughing penalties.
Here’s the penalty summary from the game:
- 1st – PRO, Garnet Exelby, 1:01 – Hooking, 2 min (PP)
- 1st – PRO, Ryan Button, 9:50 – Roughing, 2 min (PP)
- 1st – PRO, Jamie Tardif, 11:26 – Slashing, 2 min
- 1st – WBS, Riley Holzapfel, 11:26 – Roughing, 2 min
- 1st – PRO, Bobby Robins, 14:29 – Fighting, 5 min
- 1st – WBS, Adam Payerl, 14:29 – Fighting, 5 min
- 1st – PRO, Kevan Miller, 15:27 – Holding, 2 min (PP)
- 1st – PRO, Christian Hanson, 16:20 – Roughing, 2 min
- 1st – PRO, Christian Hanson, 16:20 – Roughing, 2 min (PP)
- 1st – WBS, Joey Mormina, 16:20 – Roughing, 2 min
- 1st – WBS, Peter Merth, 19:29 – Cross-checking, 2 min (PP)
- 1st – PRO, Tommy Cross, 20:00 – Roughing, 2 min (PP)
- 2nd – PRO, Bobby Robins, 4:09 – Major – Boarding, (41.3) 5 min (2 PP)
- 2nd – WBS, Brian Gibbons, 5:21 – Interference, 2 min
- 2nd – WBS, Joey Mormina, 11:45 – Slashing, 2 min (PP)
- 2nd – WBS, Joey Mormina, 17:22 – Elbowing, 2 min (PP)
- 3rd – WBS, Peter Merth, 9:02 – Delay of game, 2 min (PP)
- 3rd – PRO, Chris Bourque, 11:14 – Slashing, 2 min (PP)
- 3rd – PRO, David MacDonald, 14:37 – Fighting, 5 min
- 3rd – PRO, Graham Mink, 14:37 – Match – Attempt/Deliberate injury, (21.1) 10 min (PP)
- 3rd – PRO, Trent Whitfield, 14:37 – Misconduct – Continuing altercation, (46.5) 10 min
- 3rd – WBS, Alex Grant, 14:37 – Interference, 2 min
- 3rd – WBS, Alex Grant, 14:37 – Misconduct – Continuing altercation, (46.5) 10 min
- 3rd – WBS, Chad Kolarik, 14:37 – Fighting, 5 min
- 3rd – WBS, Reid McNeill, 14:37 – Misconduct – Continuing altercation, (46.5) 10 min
- 3rd – PRO, Craig Cunningham, 15:49 – Cross-checking, 2 min (PP)
- 3rd – PRO, Garnet Exelby, 16:44 – Fighting, 5 min
- 3rd – PRO, Niklas Svedberg, 16:44 – Slashing, 2 min (PP)
- 3rd – PRO, Niklas Svedberg, 16:44 – Roughing, 2 min
- 3rd – WBS, Trevor Smith, 16:44 – Fighting, 5 min
- 3rd – WBS, Paul Thompson, 16:44 – Roughing, 2 min
- 3rd – WBS, Riley Holzapfel, 18:22 – Cross-checking, 2 min (PP)
s/t Puck Daddy
Face-off tactics in Bruins-Rangers series
BOSTON – Bruins coach Claude Julien might have found a way to buy his team a few more seconds to rest after an icing call without having to burn a timeout.
A couple of times in Game 1, Bruins winger Milan Lucic stepped in to take the draw in the Boston zone on the left side and then just blatantly moved prematurely, stepping into the the Ranger taking the faceoff.
He got waved out, everybody stood around for a few more seconds and Boston’s David Krejci stepped in to take the draw.
If Krejci was to get kicked out of the face-off circle for whatever reason at that point, the Bruins would receive a minor penalty.
It will be interesting to watch in Game 2 to see if Julien uses the tactic again.
Lucic took 35 face-offs during the regular season and was 17-18.