Don’t Count Out Daniel Alfredsson and the Senators Yet

Al Dannity says that despite Alfredsson saying it’s unlikely the Senators will beat the Penguins, it’s still too early to rule out this Ottawa team.

Trailing 3-1 with a captain old as they come and about to hit the road, there’s not a lot to like about the Senators’ chances. Throw in a deep, really deep, Penguins team and you can all but pencil in Pittsburgh for the Eastern Conference Finals. I’ve got just one problem with that. Despite Daniel Alfredsson saying it was unlikely Ottawa would come back in the series, there’s a fire in this old warrior’s eyes that keeps me believing.

On Sunday I was seated at a bar looking up at the screens. Pittsburgh held a 2-0 lead in the series and were about to make it 3-0 against a group of Sens that were finishing the game short-handed. Then Alfredsson stuck out his stick, the puck went in the net and everything changed. The camera panned to the Swede being swarmed by his team-mates. His face looked beaten. The expression was not that of a champion but of a fighter who had given his last ounce of strength. The thing was he would give plenty more as the game became the first of the post-season to go to double-overtime.

So when people point to Alfredsson’s post-game comments, I say fine. You take that; I’ll look at what the man does every time he steps on the ice. That speaks louder to me. If you really want to look for words to describe the mentality in the Ottawa locker room, pay attention to what Paul MacLean said last night. In 13 seconds he delivered more than any of the standard canned quote normally reserved for such occasions. As he held the game-sheet, MacLean told it like it was. “I think everything’s right here. It’s 7-3. See you in Pittsburgh. We coming to Pittsburgh and we’re going to play. Have a good night,” the Ottawa coach told the assembled press. The only thing he didn’t do was drop the mic on his way out.

In terms of talent this shouldn’t be a contest. The Penguins have a much better roster in every department. Talent however isn’t always enough. You need heart to win in the playoffs. The Senators have no shortage of that and a heavy dose of grit. Will it be enough? Probably not but never say never with that ginger beard still on the ice.