The Sens will prevail
Maybe it's the Ipsos poll that came out and got me in a good mood but I'm surprisingly optimistic about the Sens chances in this series. Jay, on the other hand....
Belfour will not steal a series. A game or two - yes - but he isn't going to keep it up.
The Senators have undeniably outplayed the Leafs in every game thus far. They solved their faceoff problems last night. They had sustained pressure in the Leaf zone repeatedly. They are beating up the Leafs physically - Gary Roberts and Darcy Tucker in particular were noticably less effective yesterday than on Saturday. Ron Francis looks tired. The Senators should target Nieuwendyk more as he has been the most dangerous Leaf in the series and might not be able to stand up to repeated hits. Only the goals remain - luck is a result of hard work and it will come.
I do think, however, that the Senators should make another change for Game 4. I would like to see Josh Langfeld in the lineup for Todd White to add someone that can get in front of the net and stay there. Play Langfeld with Fisher and Havlat. Have Smolinski centre Bondra and Alfredsson - a great line during the last two weeks of the season. Bonk would still centre Hossa and Varada and keep Spezza in the lineup on the fourth line with Niel and Schaefer - of course mixing Havlat, Hossa and Alfredsson in for the majority of Niel's shifts.
I wouldn't change the defensive pairings - I think Volchenkov is playing too well to sit and bring in Leschyshyn.
And one last tidbit from Colby Cosh on Belfour:
He's still a crazy drug casualty with a bad back. One of these nights he's going to snort the OxyContin too close to game time and Hossa's gonna have a Darryl Sittler night. I promise.
Belfour will not steal a series. A game or two - yes - but he isn't going to keep it up.
The Senators have undeniably outplayed the Leafs in every game thus far. They solved their faceoff problems last night. They had sustained pressure in the Leaf zone repeatedly. They are beating up the Leafs physically - Gary Roberts and Darcy Tucker in particular were noticably less effective yesterday than on Saturday. Ron Francis looks tired. The Senators should target Nieuwendyk more as he has been the most dangerous Leaf in the series and might not be able to stand up to repeated hits. Only the goals remain - luck is a result of hard work and it will come.
I do think, however, that the Senators should make another change for Game 4. I would like to see Josh Langfeld in the lineup for Todd White to add someone that can get in front of the net and stay there. Play Langfeld with Fisher and Havlat. Have Smolinski centre Bondra and Alfredsson - a great line during the last two weeks of the season. Bonk would still centre Hossa and Varada and keep Spezza in the lineup on the fourth line with Niel and Schaefer - of course mixing Havlat, Hossa and Alfredsson in for the majority of Niel's shifts.
I wouldn't change the defensive pairings - I think Volchenkov is playing too well to sit and bring in Leschyshyn.
And one last tidbit from Colby Cosh on Belfour:
He's still a crazy drug casualty with a bad back. One of these nights he's going to snort the OxyContin too close to game time and Hossa's gonna have a Darryl Sittler night. I promise.
