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| Last updated at 3:42 AM on 20/05/07 |
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His Ottawa Senators teammates swarm captain Daniel Alfredsson after he scored the game-winning overtime goal against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 5 of the NHL Eastern Conference final in Buffalo, N.Y., Saturday. The Senators took the series 4-1 and will play in the Stanley Cup final against either the Detroit Red Wings or Anaheim Ducks. — Photo by The Associated Press |
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Senators celebrate a berth in the Stanley Cup final 
Talk about your capital gains-Ottawa goes from chaos to conference championship in six months
PIERRE LEBRUN,THE CANADIAN PRESS—BUFFALO, N.Y.
The Telegram
It seems absurd in retrospect. Just six months ago billionaire owner Eugene Melnyk had to give GM John Muckler and head coach Bryan Murray a public vote of confidence with the Ottawa Senators off to a tepid 7-10-1 start, six points out of a playoff spot and rumours swirling on the job security of everyone in the organization.
Since that hastily organized conference call with reporters on Nov. 16, in which Melnyk told everyone to take a deep breath and relax, the Senators have gone 53-18-8 — including their 12-3 run in the playoffs that has them in their first-ever Stanley Cup final since re-entering the league in 1992.
“I believed in these guys from Day 1,” a jubilant Melnyk said as he shook Muckler’s hand shortly after his team’s series clinching-win Saturday over the Buffalo Sabres. “I believe that these guys will go all the way.”
Daniel Alfredsson — who else? — put the Senators in the Stanley Cup final with the overtime winner 9:32 into the fourth period Saturday, the captain adding another chapter to his glorious post-season.
“It’s kind of surreal right now,” Alfredsson said of his first-ever foray into the NHL’s championship series.
It was fitting in too many ways that Alfredsson got the big goal, his 10th of the post-season, having been the goat on last year’s overtime winner by the Sabres when Jason Pominville walked around him and beat Ray Emery to end yet another disappointing playoffs for the Senators in the second round.
“He’s taken a lot of heat over the years,” said Senators linemate Dany Heatley. “It’s great to see him score big goals. He deserves it. He’s a man on a mission.”
Alfredsson, arguably the best player in this year’s NHL playoffs, beat Ryan Miller with a low shot just inside the post on the glove side, stunning a sellout crowd of 18,690 at HSBC Arena.
“It surprised the heck out of me, I didn’t get a really good look at it,” said a dejected Miller.
The Senators knocked out the Sabres in five games a year after Buffalo turned the same trick on them in the second round.
“Last year was disappointing,” said Sens goalie Ray Emery. “It didn’t feel right losing to them. There was a lot of pride on the line for us in this series.”
Ottawa will play either Anaheim or Detroit in the Cup final, the Western Conference final tied at two games apiece heading into Sunday’s fifth game.
“Pick your poison with those two teams,” said Heatley. “They’re both great clubs.”
Will the third time be a charm for Canada? The Senators hope to achieve what Calgary (2004) and Edmonton (2006) just failed doing in the last two championship finals, bring the Cup home to Canada. The old Senators did just that 80 years ago in 1927. No Canadian team has won Lord Stanley’s prize since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.
Ottawa, unlike the Flames and Oilers, won’t be going into the Cup final as a big underdog, polishing off the President’s Trophy winners in few games than most had predicted, serving notice to either Detroit or Anaheim what awaits them in the final series.
“I believe they’ve got a good shot,” said Sabres star Daniel Briere. “Their top line is rolling on all cylinders. Their group of defencemen is really doing the job. They’re getting timely goals from everyone. It seems everything is in line for them to win it.”
Heatley and Jason Spezza also scored for the Senators on Saturday, who have won all three of their playoff series in five games.
Maxim Afinogenov and Jochen Hecht scored for the Sabres.
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20/05/07
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