For those of you wondering how the Ducks have managed to jump out to a 2 – 0 lead and put a choke hold on the series on an Ottawa team that has been nothing but dominant throughout these entire playoffs, it is quite simple…

I alluded to it in my first “Ask Me Anything”…

“The biggest knock on [the Sens] has been their physical game, which I didn’t think was addressed this off-season or at the trade deadline. Also, goaltending was a question mark; could Ray Emery really outshine the likes of Marty Brodeur or Ryan Miller? The answer to that question has been an emphatic yes. As for physicality, they don’t need it against similar-styled Buffalo and Pittsburgh. And as for the Devils series, in that instance, skill trumped toughness. And don’t get me wrong… they haven’t been playing like a bunch of pansies. They simply have had the good fortune of being able to play to their strengths.”

“I will very likely be picking against the Senators in the finals. As I said above, I don’t think they have really been physically tested yet; and both the Ducks and the Wings play a very tough physical brand of hockey. And, unlike the Devils, they also have the talent to back it up. Not to mention, the team in the West will have the more experienced goaltender AND home ice advantage. I will certainly be rooting for the Senators – I hate the Wings and Ducks AND I have money riding on a Sens’ victory; but I will likely pick against them.”

Of course I ended up deciding that the Senators would find a way to overcome this… but so far, it appears that they can not.

With the exception of only Andy McDonald and Teemu Selanne (who try, but aren’t that tough), every single player on the Anaheim Ducks hits HARD. And OFTEN. Every single shift these guys take, they hit the guy who has the puck hard, the guy who just passed the puck hard, and sometimes they just take the penalty and hit someone else hard when they aren’t even allowed to. And the Ducks are unapologetic and ruthless about it; even after taking a penalty, they’ll come right back out and hit some more.

This type of physicality completely changes the game. After getting hit so many times, players – even if only subconsciously, but often consciously as well – begin paying more attention to where opposing team’s players are instead of their own in fear and anticipation of getting hit. They also begin second guessing moves that will make them end up in the corners where they will take a punishment.

In a day where the new NHL promotes finesse, it is pretty impressive to see such an overwhelmingly powerful team go out there and crush bodies the way they do.

JS Giguere hasn’t been tested much, but when they’ve needed him to make the big saves, he’s been right on the spot. Ray Emery played a decent game 1 and an excellent game 2; but he can’t actually go out there and score, can he?

The only chance the Senators have is taking advantage of the home ice rules in Ottawa. Of course having the fans on their side will be helpful enough; but in the NHL, the home team gets to make the last line change. In other words, they can see who the other team has out there and then choose the match-up they like best. This worked to a charm for Anaheim, who completely neutralized the Senators’ usually dominant line of Spezza Heatley Alfredsson by putting their best defensive offensive line out there; Rob Niedermayer, Samuel Pahlsson, and Travis Moen with BOTH of their Norris trophy winning defensemen Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer. No one in the league is scoring against that line.

If the Sens can find favorable match-ups for their top line instead of always facing those defensive juggernauts, they might have a chance. Granted, as soon as the puck is dropped the Ducks can make a line change; but its those precious few seconds that could be the difference.

And they have to be, or the Ottawa Senators will be staying in Ottawa for good.

(http://vegasdavesdime.blogspot.com/2007/05/ducks-physical-play-overwhelms-senators.html)

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