TSN - Ottawa Wins the Stanley Cup in Game 6
Jun 5, 2016 2:10:51 GMT -5
Beans (BOS), bjernagris (PHI), and 3 more like this
Post by brob89 (NSH) on Jun 5, 2016 2:10:51 GMT -5
by Bob Mckenzie/TSN.ca
Elgin Street in Ottawa has been packed now for, going on a week. That is unlikely to change. The aptly, though unoriginally, named
Sens mile has seen thousands walking up and down the street throughout these playoffs, but it was nothing compared to the past week,
and the celebration that's in store for the city of Ottawa come two days from now. It's been a long time since a Canadian team has won the Stanley
Cup, but it's perhaps fitting that it was the team from the nation's capital to end the drought. It's been even longer since Ottawa won the
cup. In fact, this current resurrected version of the old Senators franchise has never won the cup. But if you count the previous incarnation
of the Senators franchise, they won it last in 1927. So, they've only had to wait 90 years. No big deal.
It's hard to not be impressed by what this Senators team, put together by GM Bob Lawblaw over this past off-season, has accomplished in
their first season together. There isn't a category of team or individual play where they're not at or near the top of the league. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin
both had excellent seasons and post seasons, and Erik Karlsson --- well, he was Erik Karlsson. And Steve Mason --- well, he was nothing like
Steve Mason. He was excellent, particularly when it mattered most shutting out the San Jose Sharks in game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals.
I'm sure he wouldn't have written it up any differently. It looks like he's headed to free agency. But if you're going to leave; might as well
leave on a high note. There's still a chance that Ottawa will re-sign their star goalie, but my sources seem to be indicating that the two parties
are too far apart.
To be clear, despite the exceptional performance of this Senators squad, their path to victory was difficult and at times, they looked very beatable.
In particular, a late season series of humbling defeats to the lowly, but improving, Maple Leafs sticks out in my mind. But in the playoffs, they
were simply timely performers. Not every win was pretty, but they won and in relatively convincing fashion losing only 4 games out of the twenty
played. They showed why they were the last team standing.
Here are 5 reasons why the Senators won the Stanley Cup:
1. Injuries - There are few teams as unaffected by injuries as the Senators were this year, the playoffs included. They're not exactly a rough
and tumble team, but they certainly have some players with a mixed injury history. This year was just special. And their players stayed healthy
throughout. A game 5 injury to Logan Couture was undoubtedly the nail in the coffin for the Sharks. It's hard to say what would have happened
had Ottawa experienced something similar.
2. Points from the Back-end - There might be a better defensive core in the inhl, but if there is, I'd need to see some proof. This top four of
Ryan Murray, Erik Karlsson, Michael Stone, and Sami Vatanen can do everything. They're solid defensively playing off of each other's strengths
and weaknesses, and add to that - they can score. Lots. Karlsson and Vatanen are generally the leaders in the offensive categories, but this
playoffs Michael Stone stepped up with goals and lots of them.
3. Depth Contributions - Look at this year's top playoff point contributors. There are some Sens up there, but really, they put up points by
committee. Seguin, Benn, and Karlsson have been scorers all season, and the post-season was no different. But it's the impact of players like
Turris, Guptill, Dubinsky, and Duclair that really put them over the top. In particular Dubinsky and Guptill scored some important goals at
important times. The Sens may not have any line that is the best in hockey, but they have a strong group as a whole. And they showed
that in these playoffs.
4. Mason - What more can I say about Steve Mason? If he doesn't win the Hasek trophy this year, it will be an injustice. He should probably
win the Conn Smythe as well, or at least be in the discussion. He was pulled in one game against the San Jose Sharks. But apart from that,
he played every minute of the Playoffs for his team, and he was exceptional. Definitely the best goalie of the playoffs Could the Sens have won
the cup without his other worldly play? Not even close. They would have lost in the Conference Finals if not earlier. Letting him go to Free
Agency is both a shock and, considering his performances, will probably come back to bite them.
5. Chris Phillips - Is there a better story to be found than this one? Chris Phillips was considering retirement. He'd gone through the frustration
of being traded from the only team he'd ever played for to the best team in the Eastern Conference, only to be knocked out in the first round of
the playoffs. And he was not offered a new contract. But then Ottawa came calling, and he jumped at the chance to re-join this group. Was he
the most impactful player on this team? Probably not. But he was this team's leader all year long, and he was the first to lift the cup. As he
did you could see the years washed away from his face as he celebrated this long awaited victory with his teammates. This was his 19th season
in the iNHL. It will probably be his last. What a way to finish!
The Summer is here. Thoughts now are turning to the draft and free agency. But this Senators team has done something special this year, and
the scariest thing about them is that they're probably just getting started.
-end-
Elgin Street in Ottawa has been packed now for, going on a week. That is unlikely to change. The aptly, though unoriginally, named
Sens mile has seen thousands walking up and down the street throughout these playoffs, but it was nothing compared to the past week,
and the celebration that's in store for the city of Ottawa come two days from now. It's been a long time since a Canadian team has won the Stanley
Cup, but it's perhaps fitting that it was the team from the nation's capital to end the drought. It's been even longer since Ottawa won the
cup. In fact, this current resurrected version of the old Senators franchise has never won the cup. But if you count the previous incarnation
of the Senators franchise, they won it last in 1927. So, they've only had to wait 90 years. No big deal.
It's hard to not be impressed by what this Senators team, put together by GM Bob Lawblaw over this past off-season, has accomplished in
their first season together. There isn't a category of team or individual play where they're not at or near the top of the league. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin
both had excellent seasons and post seasons, and Erik Karlsson --- well, he was Erik Karlsson. And Steve Mason --- well, he was nothing like
Steve Mason. He was excellent, particularly when it mattered most shutting out the San Jose Sharks in game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals.
I'm sure he wouldn't have written it up any differently. It looks like he's headed to free agency. But if you're going to leave; might as well
leave on a high note. There's still a chance that Ottawa will re-sign their star goalie, but my sources seem to be indicating that the two parties
are too far apart.
To be clear, despite the exceptional performance of this Senators squad, their path to victory was difficult and at times, they looked very beatable.
In particular, a late season series of humbling defeats to the lowly, but improving, Maple Leafs sticks out in my mind. But in the playoffs, they
were simply timely performers. Not every win was pretty, but they won and in relatively convincing fashion losing only 4 games out of the twenty
played. They showed why they were the last team standing.
Here are 5 reasons why the Senators won the Stanley Cup:
1. Injuries - There are few teams as unaffected by injuries as the Senators were this year, the playoffs included. They're not exactly a rough
and tumble team, but they certainly have some players with a mixed injury history. This year was just special. And their players stayed healthy
throughout. A game 5 injury to Logan Couture was undoubtedly the nail in the coffin for the Sharks. It's hard to say what would have happened
had Ottawa experienced something similar.
2. Points from the Back-end - There might be a better defensive core in the inhl, but if there is, I'd need to see some proof. This top four of
Ryan Murray, Erik Karlsson, Michael Stone, and Sami Vatanen can do everything. They're solid defensively playing off of each other's strengths
and weaknesses, and add to that - they can score. Lots. Karlsson and Vatanen are generally the leaders in the offensive categories, but this
playoffs Michael Stone stepped up with goals and lots of them.
3. Depth Contributions - Look at this year's top playoff point contributors. There are some Sens up there, but really, they put up points by
committee. Seguin, Benn, and Karlsson have been scorers all season, and the post-season was no different. But it's the impact of players like
Turris, Guptill, Dubinsky, and Duclair that really put them over the top. In particular Dubinsky and Guptill scored some important goals at
important times. The Sens may not have any line that is the best in hockey, but they have a strong group as a whole. And they showed
that in these playoffs.
4. Mason - What more can I say about Steve Mason? If he doesn't win the Hasek trophy this year, it will be an injustice. He should probably
win the Conn Smythe as well, or at least be in the discussion. He was pulled in one game against the San Jose Sharks. But apart from that,
he played every minute of the Playoffs for his team, and he was exceptional. Definitely the best goalie of the playoffs Could the Sens have won
the cup without his other worldly play? Not even close. They would have lost in the Conference Finals if not earlier. Letting him go to Free
Agency is both a shock and, considering his performances, will probably come back to bite them.
5. Chris Phillips - Is there a better story to be found than this one? Chris Phillips was considering retirement. He'd gone through the frustration
of being traded from the only team he'd ever played for to the best team in the Eastern Conference, only to be knocked out in the first round of
the playoffs. And he was not offered a new contract. But then Ottawa came calling, and he jumped at the chance to re-join this group. Was he
the most impactful player on this team? Probably not. But he was this team's leader all year long, and he was the first to lift the cup. As he
did you could see the years washed away from his face as he celebrated this long awaited victory with his teammates. This was his 19th season
in the iNHL. It will probably be his last. What a way to finish!
The Summer is here. Thoughts now are turning to the draft and free agency. But this Senators team has done something special this year, and
the scariest thing about them is that they're probably just getting started.
-end-