Ottawa Senators Lay An Egg Against Bruins 7-2
It certainly wasn’t the way the Ottawa Senators wanted to head into the two-plus week Olympic Break. On a two game winning streak, the Senators had the opportunity to move into sole possession of the final Wild Card playoff spot, but they had no answer for the division leading Boston Bruins. When the dust settled, six different scorers for Boston chased Craig Anderson from the net led them to a 7-2 win.
Feb 8, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) reacts after scoring a goal during the third period against the Ottawa Senators at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
GAME RECAP
Patrice Bergeron opened the scoring for the Bruins on the power play in the second half of the first, knifing through the Senators and tapping a bouncing puck past Anderson. Again a Bruin forward, this time Chris Kelly, got through the Ottawa zone too easily and he tipped a pass from David Warsofsky past Anderson to send the Bruins to the locker room ahead by 2.
Bergeron tallied again just before the 5 minute mark of the second, taking a pass in the slot from Brad Marchand and showing great patience. He faked a shot to freeze Erik Karlsson and get him standing still, and also got Craig Anderson to bite. Bergeron went around both and tucked it home from behind the goal line to make it 3-0. Bobby Ryan got Ottawa on the board late in the second, simply powering a wrist shot past Chad Johnson in the Boston goal on a 2-on-1. However, any momentum the Sens might have gained by Ryan’s goal was short-lived as poor defensive zone coverage once again allowed Jarome Iginla to stand all alone at the top of the crease, and David Krejci found him for the tap-in just 63 seconds after Ryan’s goal. Boston went to the dressing room with a 3 goal lead after 40 minutes.
Ottawa had little fight in the third period, with Milan Lucic finishing off a nice passing play and ending Anderson’s afternoon in the process just 3 and a half minutes in. Robin Lehner came in to mop up, and didn’t fare much better. Brad Marchand welcomed him to the game with a tip-in, again right at the goalmouth on the rush as Reilly Smith found him on a short pass. Patrick Wiercioch got one back on a power play for the Sens, with a well placed shot over Johnson’s shoulder from in close. Carl Soderberg put the icing on the cake knifing through the Ottawa defense (sensing a pattern here?) and putting it past Lehner blocker side to add insult to injury.
NOTES & OBSERVATIONS
- The duo of Erik Karlsson and Jared Cowen had a brutal night defensively, being victimized on multiple occasions in their own end. One was as bad as the other, and neither will have this game on their highlight reel.
- Clarke MacArthur left the game just before the midway point with an injury and did not return. The two week break should be enough to get him ready to play.
- There was really nobody who stood out for the Senators in a good way. With Detroit losing in regulation later in the day, Ottawa could have landed in 8th spot in the conference with a win, and the opportunity was there with Zdeno Chara in Sochi already and Tuuka Rask on the bench in a backup role. They couldn’t take advantage and that seems to be the story of the Senators this season.
- The staff of the Senators needs to figure out why they Senators cannot play in the afternoons.
UP NEXT
Ottawa is off until Feb 27th when they host Daniel Alfredsson and the Detroit Red Wings before heading to Vancouver for March 2nd’s Heritage Classic in Vancouver.