Senators show life in third game
OTTAWA – Daniel Alfredsson and the Ottawa Senators jumped back into the Stanley Cup finals with a little luck and a lot of anger.
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger supplied both.
Alfredsson broke out of a scoring slump with the help of the replay booth, and Pronger deflected the go-ahead goal into his own net during Ottawa’s three-goal second period, giving the Senators a 5-3 victory Saturday night.
That was enough to cut Anaheim’s series lead to 2-1 and ensure the Senators another trip to Southern California. They can get even with the Ducks in Game 4 on Monday.
Whether Pronger will play is also under review. He leveled Dean McAmmond with a forearm shot to the head early in the third period, that left McAmmond flat on his back, and could face his second suspension of the playoffs.
“Hopefully, they call something on it,” forward Chris Neil said. “We had to go out and play hard for Dino. We did that and showed them we’re a competitive team.”
The Senators got scoring from all lines and looked more like the team that lost only three times in three playoff rounds instead of the club that appeared overmatched in dropping two straight one-goal decisions in Anaheim.
Alfredsson had been searching for a break during a frustrating two-plus games against the Ducks’ checking line of Samuel Pahlsson, Travis Moen and Rob Niedermayer. He got it when Wade Redden’s shot from the left point hit the Senators captain in the left skate as he charged the net, and slid past goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere to tie it 3-3 with 3:46 left in the second.
Referee Dan O’Halloran immediately waved off the power-play goal before going to the phone at the scorer’s table. The news that Alfredsson didn’t use a distinct kicking motion on the puck got to the Senators bench before the ruling was announced, and coach Bryan Murray happily shook his fist.
Anaheim slipped back into its undisciplined mode and gave Ottawa seven power-play chances, including four in the third period when the Ducks were trying to catch up.
Ottawa, which managed only two power-play goals in the first two games, took its first lead since the opener on Pronger’s gaffe. That was enough to give this Senators franchise its first win in the finals.
The boisterous crowd of red-clad fans was still buzzing about Alfredsson’s goal when McAmmond blindly slung the puck behind his back toward the crease. Pronger hit it and couldn’t sweep it away before it found the open right side at 18:34.
“I’m in the right spot and it just bounced off me,” Pronger said. “It’s not the first time it’s happened. It certainly won’t be the last. But it certainly wasn’t a good situation.”
Giguere angrily kicked the puck away in his worst performance of the playoffs. He hadn’t allowed more than three goals in 15 previous appearances and finished with 24 saves.
Neil and Mike Fisher also scored for the Senators, who erased three one-goal deficits in the first Stanley Cup finals contest in Canada’s capital in 80 years.
Ottawa’s Ray Emery wasn’t as sharp as in Anaheim, but protected the one-goal lead just more than 4 minutes into the third when he stopped Todd Marchant’s shot, then smacked the rebound away with his stick before it could bound into the net.
He finished with 19 saves.
Although these teams didn’t meet during the regular season, they’ve found animosity. Tempers really rose in the third period when Pronger dropped McAmmond.
McAmmond fell backward and struck his head. He was attended to by the Senators medical staff before being helped to the dressing room. He was diagnosed with a head injury and didn’t return, leaving him questionable for Game 5.
“I was just stepping up and finishing my check and I don’t really know what happened after that,” Pronger said.
The 6-foot-6 defenseman, who wasn’t penalized, received a one-game ban for a hit on Detroit’s Tomas Holmstrom in Game 3 – Anaheim’s previous loss. He could get another.