Sens sweep home-and-home with Canadiens

[Madferret]

Sens sweep home-and-home with Canadiens
Canadian Press

MONTREAL (CP) - Daniel Alfredsson had a goal and two assists to lead the Ottawa Senators to 5-3 win Saturday over the Montreal Canadiens and a sweep of the home-and-home series between the two clubs.

Mike Comrie, Chris Kelly, Wade Redden and Jason Spezza also scored for the Senators (32-22-3), who moved three points over the reeling Canadiens (29-22-6) in the Eastern Conference standings.

Steve Begin scored in his return from a 27-game stint on the injured list with back spasms while Michael Ryder and Andrei Markov added goals for the Canadiens, who allowed the first goal for an eighth game in a row. They're 2-5-1 over that span.

Ray Emery made 37 saves for the Senators to get his 24th win of the season.

David Aebischer made 25 saves for Montreal to lose his second straight start.

Canadiens winger Sergei Samsonov made his return to the lineup after a three-game stint in coach Guy Carbonneau's doghouse, while Markov returned after missing the last three games with a strained knee.

Carbonneau benched winger Alex Kovalev for the first 17 minutes of the third period, while defenceman Janne Niinimaa didn't see the ice the entire third.

The Senators went ahead 5-2 with two quick strikes at the start of the third period, putting the game out of reach.

Alfredsson's wrist shot from the side boards went in off Fisher 17 seconds into the third, and Spezza one-timed a Dany Heatley feed off a 2-on-1 rush at 3:31 for his 22nd goal of the year.

Montreal cut the lead to 5-3 on the power play at 5:04 when Markov fired home a rebound.

Ottawa jumped out to a quick lead at 2:10 of the first when Comrie's slapshot from the left circle beat Aebischer through the legs for his 13th goal of the season, and his sixth in 16 games as a Senator.

The Senators went ahead 2-0 when a loose puck jumped over Niinimaa's stick right to Comrie, whose shot went off the post but was banged in by Kelly at 10:26.

The second period featured lots of action with three goals and 11 penalties, including fighting majors for Chris Neil and Mike Komisarek just moments after they stepped out of the box.

Emery was also assessed a penalty in the second when he swung his stick and hit Canadiens forward Maxim Lapierre in the face, drawing a minor for slashing.

The Canadiens got to within one at 5:01 when Mike Johnson beat Emery to a dump-in behind the net and fed Begin in front.

Ryder tied it up for Montreal with a power play goal at 9:14, tipping home a Sheldon Souray point for his 16th of the year and his first in eight games.

The Sens regained the lead at 16:37 on a 4-on-3 power play, with Redden firing a perfect wrist shot top corner.

Notes: Canadiens D Craig Rivet missed his second game due to a bout of pneumonia. .. The lone scratch for the Senators was winger Brian McGrattan. .. Montreal scratched wingers Alexander Perezhogin, Aaron Downey and Garth Murray.

http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20070210/sens_78651.jpg

[Man.Utd]

Ray Emery has turned himself into an outstanding goaltender. He was the reason we got two points tonight and had a shutout in our last game against Montreal but for a penalty shot. He is now 6-0 when facing 40+ shots and possibly the best netminder in the East other than Brodeur.

Hopefully some of his saves tonight find their way onto youtube or something. They'll definatly be on the highlight reels tonight. It was a joke that Rayzor was not the 1st star. Likely due to his slash to Lapierre's face. It was the first time we've really seen Emery's anger its head in the NHL. I can't say I minded much at all (though I also don't condone). The man is simply in the zone and you always let a hot goalie go about things his own way. Go ask Ron Hextall, Billy Smith, or Ed Belfour if their antics had an impact on their success. In the AHL Emery was often a better goalie when he fought.

[Amoroq]

I'm just making an observation here, but does anyone remember what happened to the Leafs on March 23 and 25th 2006? Back to back loses to the Montreal Canadiens.

Do these back to back loses the Habs just suffered at the hands of the Sens have the same smell to it?

Just curious.

The Ottawa Sens I feel are neck and neck with the Devils as picks in the east. Forget the Sabres, they are having the kind of season the Sens had last season, fast out of the block only to stumble in the playoffs. I am getting the feeling that Ottawa is putting it all together at exactly the right time.

[MadDevil]

The Ottawa Sens I feel are neck and neck with the Devils as picks in the east. Forget the Sabres, they are having the kind of season the Sens had last season, fast out of the block only to stumble in the playoffs. I am getting the feeling that Ottawa is putting it all together at exactly the right time.

I think Buffalo is a lot more beatable in the playoffs than many think they are. The Sabres remind me too much of the Red Wings and Sens teams over the last 5-6 years that have great regular seasons where they can rely on talent alone to win them games, and then when push comes to shove in the playoffs they just can't seem to get it done. Now I realize that Buffalo came close to making it to the Finals last year (some would say a healthy defense would have beaten Carolina), but I don't think that necessarily means that moving on to the Finals is the obvious next step for them.

To be honest, Ottawa scares me more than Buffalo does in the playoffs. Maybe it's just my bias against the Sabres and some of their fans (kind of like my rooting against Edmonton last year) but I have to agree that the Sens seem to be putting it all together at the right time. It's something I actually worry about with the Devils. They've been one of the best teams in the league since December (15-2-3 over that span). I just hope that doesn't fizzle out down the stretch and result in an early playoff exit. With all the veteran leadership, I don't think it will, but you never know. I wouldn't mind seeing another New Jersey/Ottawa ECF.:D

[Max Power]

I hope you guys are right :thumb:

To me I still think Ottawa has some chemistry issues between lines that I hope get resolved. The other thing Ottawa will need is Volchenkov to play as well in the playoffs as he is in the regular season. In the past he's somewhat disappeared but I think he’s come into his own this year. He’s been spectacular this year and is probably one of the most underrated defensemen. Same goes with Emery as Man U has said this guy has simply been rock solid and has exceeded anybodies expectations this year. Let’s hope he can do the same in the playoffs.

Anybody have the misfortune of catching coaches corner this Sat? Emery makes a few highlight real saves in the first period but rather then discuss that dumb a$$ Cherry decides to discuss how somehow Lalime got screwed by Ottawa. Somehow all of a sudden all the weak goals Lalime let in game 7 against TO were not his fault? Conveniently he did not show any replays. I bet if we catch any past reels from him he’s saying the opposite and Ottawa’s weakness is in goals and Lalime has to go.
This just reinforces how small of a man Cherry is and how integrity is a quality he cares not of