Saturday Night Special
- Saturday, April 5/03
Toronto Maple Leafs (44-27-7-3, 98pts) vs Ottawa Senators (51-21-8-1, 111pts)
by Rink Rat
The Ottawa Senators are teetering on the verge of winning the President's Trophy, emblematic of the best record for the regular season. Compliments will be muted. Ottawa lacks credibility as an elite team because they have blown play-off series regularly after having good regular seasons. Nemesis for the Ottawa Senators comes in a blue uniform with a maple leaf crest on the front. The Toronto Maple Leafs.
In the 2000 play-offs Ottawa went out to the Leafs four games to two, scoring 11 goals in six games. Next spring the Leafs pounded the Senators 4-0, Ottawa managing three measly goals in four games. Last year the Senators caught a break and were matched against the disintegrating Philadelphia Flyers in the first round and won. Their next opponent was the Leafs. The series was closer but Leaf winger Gary Roberts powered his team past Ottawa in seven.
Defenseman Sami Salo, with the Senators last spring but this season in Vancouver, said recently Ottawa was so relieved to be out of the first round last year they had little left for Toronto. This season the Senators have been a forward looking bunch and previous debacles were pushed into the background. They have assembled the best season in franchise history this year. Their road record of 23-12-5-0 is second best in the NHL, three points behind Vancouver's record. Ottawa is 5-0-0-0 recently on the road and 6-3-1-0 in the last ten. They have 126 road goals, easily the best in the Eastern Conference. They've conceded 99 which is third best. Ottawa's power play has produced 38 goals on the road, tops in the NHL and given up 27 shorthanded goals, which is third in the conference. Ottawa doesn't draw many penalties, 179, Vancouver has that distinction with 231, and their times shorthanded is middle of the pack.
There has been talk around the team that netminder Patrick Lalime doesn't receive much credit, that he is an upper echelon goaltender. Maybe, but not on the road. He has roughly a .905 save percentage on the road which is unremarkable. However his teammates hold opposition shots to 26.5/game, which indicates the Senators play demon defense. Lalime in the Rat's view is not quite as good as his team.
At the other end of the rink, Leafs' goalkeeper Eddie Belfour has had an outstanding season. He's likely better than his team. Roughly 3700 minutes, a .922 save percentage, and a master of the big save when his team desperately needs it. Belfour, after a poor year last season, is in contention for the Vezina Trophy after this one.
Toronto has had a difficult time with the Senators during the season. Not unusual because Ottawa seems to always do well until the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the play-offs. In four games so far Toronto is 1-3 versus Ottawa, outscored 4-9. The previous meeting was a disgrace and Toronto lost 4-1 with Tucker and Domi playing the fools. The design logic of the Leafs is finish as high as possible during the regular season then turn on the jets in the play-offs. Loading up at the trade deadline, they landed a power forward (Owen Nolan) a couple of mobile defensemen (Wesley, Housley) and fading warrior Gilmour. Because of injuries no-one knows how these players, except Nolan, will pan out.
Toronto is on a 3-0-2 run at home, 6-2-2-0 in their past ten games, and 24-12-4- 0 (third in the conference) overall at home. They've scored 122 goals at home (3.09, 4th in the conference), allowed 98 (2.49, also 4th), and give up as many shots as they take (roughly 29)
This game will have little impact on the standings but might determine whether Ottawa finishes first overall. However there is another implication. If both teams win their first round play-off series they could be second round opponents. Time for the Leafs to crank up the effort levels. Time also to sow seeds of doubts with the Senators. Ottawa could face an inspired Belfour in the Leafs' net if the nattering about Ottawa's Lalime's rising stature reaches the Eagle's ears. Belfour, who earlier notched win number 400, has a well-earned reputation for driving himself to outplay the guy at the other end of the rink in big games.
This well could be a message game. The Rat thinks the Leafs will be sending the message and the Senators will leave Toronto with something to worry about. Leafs take a rough one.
LEAFS on the Money Line !!!
- Saturday, April 5/03
Toronto Maple Leafs (44-27-7-3, 98pts) vs Ottawa Senators (51-21-8-1, 111pts)
by Rink Rat
The Ottawa Senators are teetering on the verge of winning the President's Trophy, emblematic of the best record for the regular season. Compliments will be muted. Ottawa lacks credibility as an elite team because they have blown play-off series regularly after having good regular seasons. Nemesis for the Ottawa Senators comes in a blue uniform with a maple leaf crest on the front. The Toronto Maple Leafs.
In the 2000 play-offs Ottawa went out to the Leafs four games to two, scoring 11 goals in six games. Next spring the Leafs pounded the Senators 4-0, Ottawa managing three measly goals in four games. Last year the Senators caught a break and were matched against the disintegrating Philadelphia Flyers in the first round and won. Their next opponent was the Leafs. The series was closer but Leaf winger Gary Roberts powered his team past Ottawa in seven.
Defenseman Sami Salo, with the Senators last spring but this season in Vancouver, said recently Ottawa was so relieved to be out of the first round last year they had little left for Toronto. This season the Senators have been a forward looking bunch and previous debacles were pushed into the background. They have assembled the best season in franchise history this year. Their road record of 23-12-5-0 is second best in the NHL, three points behind Vancouver's record. Ottawa is 5-0-0-0 recently on the road and 6-3-1-0 in the last ten. They have 126 road goals, easily the best in the Eastern Conference. They've conceded 99 which is third best. Ottawa's power play has produced 38 goals on the road, tops in the NHL and given up 27 shorthanded goals, which is third in the conference. Ottawa doesn't draw many penalties, 179, Vancouver has that distinction with 231, and their times shorthanded is middle of the pack.
There has been talk around the team that netminder Patrick Lalime doesn't receive much credit, that he is an upper echelon goaltender. Maybe, but not on the road. He has roughly a .905 save percentage on the road which is unremarkable. However his teammates hold opposition shots to 26.5/game, which indicates the Senators play demon defense. Lalime in the Rat's view is not quite as good as his team.
At the other end of the rink, Leafs' goalkeeper Eddie Belfour has had an outstanding season. He's likely better than his team. Roughly 3700 minutes, a .922 save percentage, and a master of the big save when his team desperately needs it. Belfour, after a poor year last season, is in contention for the Vezina Trophy after this one.
Toronto has had a difficult time with the Senators during the season. Not unusual because Ottawa seems to always do well until the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the play-offs. In four games so far Toronto is 1-3 versus Ottawa, outscored 4-9. The previous meeting was a disgrace and Toronto lost 4-1 with Tucker and Domi playing the fools. The design logic of the Leafs is finish as high as possible during the regular season then turn on the jets in the play-offs. Loading up at the trade deadline, they landed a power forward (Owen Nolan) a couple of mobile defensemen (Wesley, Housley) and fading warrior Gilmour. Because of injuries no-one knows how these players, except Nolan, will pan out.
Toronto is on a 3-0-2 run at home, 6-2-2-0 in their past ten games, and 24-12-4- 0 (third in the conference) overall at home. They've scored 122 goals at home (3.09, 4th in the conference), allowed 98 (2.49, also 4th), and give up as many shots as they take (roughly 29)
This game will have little impact on the standings but might determine whether Ottawa finishes first overall. However there is another implication. If both teams win their first round play-off series they could be second round opponents. Time for the Leafs to crank up the effort levels. Time also to sow seeds of doubts with the Senators. Ottawa could face an inspired Belfour in the Leafs' net if the nattering about Ottawa's Lalime's rising stature reaches the Eagle's ears. Belfour, who earlier notched win number 400, has a well-earned reputation for driving himself to outplay the guy at the other end of the rink in big games.
This well could be a message game. The Rat thinks the Leafs will be sending the message and the Senators will leave Toronto with something to worry about. Leafs take a rough one.
LEAFS on the Money Line !!!
