My favourite subject, the Ottawa Senators, were floundering yet again. I couldn't bring myself to report on their misfortunes any longer. With each loss came a more intense fear and panic that maybe this would be my first year as a Sens fan on the outside looking in when it came playoff time.
The thought was almost unbearable.
And for a little while last night, I was starting to think it was me. Really, truly all me. I was ready to anoint myself the Senators Jinx.
I know I do that a couple of times every year, when they start to slump. It always seems that their failures coincide with my presence. For instance, Monday night's game against the Habs. I sat down to watch and Wade Redden got hurt. Then the Habs jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Not long after, Montreal's lead grew to 7-1. Completely pissed off, I stomped down to the basement in a huff to watch a Family Guy re-run. (Surely, Peter & Stewie would cheer me up). Within moments, I heard my mom whooping upstairs. Then again. And again. Finally, I flicked back to the game, but the comeback was too-little, too-late. And somehow, I ended up blaming myself, because I tuned in just in time for a Sens 5-on-3 powerplay, which they squandered. Had they scored, perhaps that would have set the stage for the greatest comeback in franchise history.
That brings us to last night's game. I missed the first period and most of the second, but when I settled in to watch with 7 minutes left in the second frame, it was 1-0 Ottawa thanks to a Christoph Schubert goal. Woo-Hoo!
Oh - but wait...The Curse of Jillian hit just seconds after my arrival on the couch. Five minutes into the third period, the score was 3-1 Buffalo. Ouch!!
I was about ready to do my stomp off to the basement again when Dean McAmmond scored off a short-
handed rush with Antoine Vermette. Then our blessed captain tied it up at 3. Images of the 7-5 horror show from the night before began to fade, and I started to think that maybe, just maybe, this comeback would actually work.Anton Volchenkov broke the dead-lock with his first goal of the year, and then Alfie added another to give them some breathing room in the final minutes of the game. Antoine Vermette hit the empty net at the buzzer to seal the victory - 6-3 Sens!!
It was a much-needed win as the season is winding up and the standings are as tight as can be. It seems next-to-impossible to catch Montreal now, as they're up 5 points on us, but with a 7-point lead over the 9th-place Washington Capitals, missing the playoffs is also unlikely.
That being said, it's hardly time to start breathing easy. With only a handful of games left in the regular season, the Sens need to start pulling things together and play strong for the next week or so. Things have been far from smooth since Christmas time, and despite last night's big comeback, there hasn't been a whole lot to cheer about when it comes to this team lately.
I'm hoping Steve Warne from the Team 1200's TGOR morning show is right - he thinks the Sens have enough talent that come playoff time, they'll be able to flip the switch and return to the Beasts of the East that they were last year at this point. They'll start tearing it up, and hopefully return to the Stanley Cup Finals again for the second straight year.
I've never given up before on my boys, so I'm not going to start now. If anyone can do it, I truly believe they can.
I've got my fingers crossed!!
3 comments:
WHOOOHOOOO!!! There is a blog. I have been loast without it. It's my lunch hour read... and it was no more for over 10 days. I understand the angst you have been feeling though. I have been avoiding watching the games all together. And Saturday night Wayne convinced me to watch the TO Game... well it was okay at first... and then shit started to hit the fan as well as my good mood. I cursed like a sailor at those idiotic calls on the SENS and the idiotic blind eyes towards the Leafs who commited penalties that were not punished.
Wayne had even had enough when they lost to MTL. After the 2nd period he thought it would be more beneficial to get extra sleep than to watch another 45 minutes to an hour of rubish.
But I heard on the radio this morning that they racked up a win and was quite pleased... Sometimes, I think they need some tough love. We can't always be cheering when their losing... that's just rewarding bad behaviour!
Anyways, glad to have the blog back. Hope to see some stuff on the Elbows on Monday as I will miss their big show Saturday night against my beloved Chainsaws. I have volunteered to help with chores so that Wayne can play hockey as his mom is on a bus trip to the states. So I will need a nice recap!
Yay!!!!!! The blog is back!
Not to burst everyone's bubble, and this is not me being an arrogant Habs fan because I don't think this is the year for them either....but...but...I was in the Gatineau valley over Easter so I was stuck with the Sens-Leafs game on Saturday and there was that beautiful (well for two periods) game on Monday and I have to say that the Sens have some serious, HUGE problems in goal. Ray Emery was decent last year but he's still busy being an assclown so Murray has no choice but to go with Gerber and he's horrid. Sorry, he's dreadful, even Toskala is better. I don't know how the Sens will go far in the playoffs with him in goal despite their talent up front. Goaltending wins Stanley Cups, and if the Sens have to play the Devils this year which Martin do you think will come out on top? I don't even think the Devils are the team in the East, I'm gonna come right out and say it now, the Rangers are going to the finals to get spanked by the West. The Sens just seem very unhappy and weak in goal at this point. Talent only goes so far.
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