Ottawa Senator wants to plant doubtful seeds into maple leaves – Hockey Writer – Ottawa Senator

The Ottawa Senator barely avoided elimination Saturday night, beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. This is a game that offers them many first games in this series. It was the first time they had a better goalkeeper, won the battle of special teams, and gained the bounce that had previously opposed them.

They remained competitive throughout the series, with only the first game being a blowout. With one or two bounces, one could easily imagine the series being tied together, or the Senators were ahead of Tuesday night with a 3-1 stake.

This must increase the confidence of the group, which can make them advantageous, especially given that Maple Leaf lacks it in potential franchise games. In this case, the losses dropped their record to 1-12, and although there was no panic yet, the Senators' victory in Game 5 could bring them closer to doing so.

Maple Leaf's Stars Fight in Big Games

While this record doesn't work for head coach Craig Berube and many of its new members, it certainly applies to the cores, which have gone through all the heartache and disappointment of previous years.

Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews were especially ineffective in these matches, with the former scoring zero careers in a potential series. Although the depth of the maple leaf has risen in this series, ultimately, it is ultimately up to the biggest players shining at their biggest moments, which is not the case for them.

Take Game 4 as an example. Matthews and Marner sometimes disconnect, and don't spend much time in the offensive zone when compared to other lines in Maple Leafs. That's not to say they're terrible, but they haven't taken over a game like other superstars like Connor McDavid and Nathan Mackinnon.

It is definitely the senators who have planted the seeds of doubt more and more by bringing the bodies to them, limiting their time and space and continuing to fall into the realm of their minds.

Senators think they can come back

One can feel that belief in the Senator's locker room has begun to grow, and one can't help but think that it's only possible to pass in Game 5. For a young group in the first playoffs, this is their first and 3-0 young group, which is their home.

Brady Tkachuk specifically quoted the 2004 Boston Red Sox after Game 3 and how their mentality was to win games just by playing and keep making opponents nervous.

“Win a game and get them back to Ottawa,” Nick Cousins ​​said. “Then use our crowd to get the edge of Game 6, where there is another victory, and anything could happen in Game 7.”

There is no doubt that winning the series from 3-0 is a huge feat (only four teams have done it). The senator has won one victory and can start to take advantage of Maple Leaf’s weak mentality with another victory.

Can help players who make a comeback

Fortunately for the Senators, there was some experience in that room when it was down 3-0. Claude Giroux was a member of the Philadelphia Flyer when he helped achieve this feat in 2010. It is certainly beneficial to have a veteran who can increase perspective and give young players wisdom.

As the series evolves, they also have some major players who really get into their own. Overtime champion Jake Sanderson was at his best Saturday night and could be a real challenge if the series was long.

He is very good at intercepting pucks, boxing in front of his nets, and setting up teammates, which he did in Ottawa’s first goal. He also tied for the team's lead in playoff scores while effectively shutting down Matthews and Mana.

Related: Senators can't blame Linus Ullmark for committing a numerical deficit

Tyler Kleven has a great drama, too. He gradually gained more ice time in every game and took the puck out of the goal line before the winner ended, achieving a huge game late in the game. He gained the trust of Travis Green and the coaching staff, and he and Nikolas Matinpalo presented a 59% expected goal share, the best of any defensive pairing on the team.

Senators' prospects for Game 5

The Senators have a lot to go into Game 5. They finally broke the game and won a game, and as the series evolved, they were improving and, most importantly, they would maintain a significant psychological advantage if they could send the series back to Ottawa.

It's not easy, and few teams win four games in a row in the playoffs, but if they stick with it and keep playing the game, they could bring real fear to Maple Leaf and quickly turn the series around.