Daniel Alfredsson’s Big (Honest, True) Blunder

Daniel Alfredsson has been nothing but class throughout his 17 year career in Ottawa.  My personal twitter handle is @alfieisgod for crying out loud.  Which is why this is so hard for me to write as a fan.

May 22, 2013; Ottawa, ON, CAN; Ottawa Senators right wing Daniel Alfredsson (11) and Pittsburgh Penguins centre Sidney Crosby (87) fight for control of the puck in the first period in game four of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at Scotiabank Place. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

Alfredsson’s initial post-game comments, that will undoubtedly be heard ad nauseum over the next couple of days, are words you never, ever want to hear come out of a player’s mouth, whether it is the truth or not.  A subdued Alfredsson was asked if Ottawa could beat Pittsburgh 3 straight times, which is now what the Senators face if they want to advance to the third round.  His answer was “probably not.  Their depth and power play right now, it doesn’t look good”.

True, yes.  Honest, to a fault.  However, I am sure if he could hit rewind the Captain would take those comments back and just stick with the later comments he made like on TSN

"“I know what we are going to do. We are going to go out and we are going to play one hell of a game.  That doesn’t worry me at all.  We never quit and that is not going to stop now. We know the odds are against us in every way, but we never quit and that is going to continue.”"

The latter is the right thing to say, while the former, even in the waning afterglow of a 7-3 beatdown, will be the one that critics focus on.  Alfredsson has been a consummate leader on and off the ice, and I hope that 10 second braincramp, even if it was speaking the truth, doesn’t become more than a minor blip on the Captain’s great legacy in this city.