Ottawa

Ottawa Senators must focus on system, not Subban slash

The Senators need to re-discover the quick and defensively sound play that dug them from their mid-season hole, not look for payback.

If Sens focus on revenge or justice in Game 2, series could be over quick

Ottawa Senators Head Coach Dave Cameron says his team must move on from the slash on Mark Stone, who Cameron calls one of the NHL's best players over the past few months. (CBC)

The Ottawa Senators need to seek much more than justice or revenge in Game 2 as they try to avoid a 2-0 series deficit to the Montreal Canadiens.

They need to re-discover the quick and defensively sound play that dug Ottawa from their mid-season hole.

The slash by P.K. Subban on Mark Stone did more than take Ottawa's rookie out of the game, at least for a time.

It also created a frenetic and disorganized second period where Montreal, despite giving up two power-play goals during a major penalty, came out with a one-goal lead.

The Habs held onto that lead and now hold a 1-0 lead in the series.

You can spend day and night debating the Subban slash, including the intent, the injury and how it will affect the series.

As with most incidents in the playoffs, the slash should not define the series unless the Senators make it the focus. An Ottawa win in Game 2 would steal home-ice advantage from Montreal and send the teams back to Ottawa just as they did two years ago — tied 1-1.

Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban, left, was not suspended for his slash on Ottawa Senators forward Mark Stone, right, who suffered a microfracture of his right wrist. (Canadian Press)
Ottawa showed some great signs early on in Game 1 and earned a 1-0 lead – even though the goal was a bit of fluke.

Their defence let them down, though, and a short-handed goal by Lars Eller on a bad giveaway encapsulated the messy second period for Ottawa.

While head coach Dave Cameron and general manager Bryan Murray have put much of the media focus on the Subban-Stone storyline, the talk in the locker room has to be on a return to the team's successful, aggressive system.

The Senators gave the puck away 10 times in Game 1, something the Habs thrive on, which ultimately led to odd-man rushes against the Senators. After pushing hard early and creating a number of Montreal giveaways, Ottawa took their foot off the pedal as the game wore on.

"It was a lot of things that we feel we can clean up and it wasn't our best game by any means," goalie Andrew Hammond said on Thursday.

There is tape to keep and there's tape to watch, learn and toss.

Sens forecheck must return to form

If Ottawa plans to make this rivalry a competitive series, with or without Stone, their forecheck and defensive zone coverage must be sharper.

Andrew Hammond, who gave up four goals on 39 shots in Game 1 against Montreal, knows the Senators need to return to the form that saw them succeed over the past two months. (CBC)
"We have to, essentially, just move on now and worry about our next game," said defenceman Marc Methot, who led Ottawa with four giveaways in Game 1.

"It's not easy. We've got a full playoff series against this team … We can't let (the slash) distract us, though, we can't let it be the big headline in our dressing room."

P.K. Subban will play Game 2, while Stone is questionable for the rest of the series. The Habs could also welcome back leading scorer Max Pacioretty, who has been out with an upper-body injury.

It doesn't matter if Stone surprises everyone and dresses Friday, Cameron should remind his team about the importance of their attacking system.

As he said Thursday, the "best way to get even is to win the hockey game."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jamie Long is a digital journalist, producer and editor with CBC Ottawa. You can reach him at jamie.long@cbc.ca.