One down...

One down for me too

That was one of the most frustrating games I've seen all season. I've never seen such terrible puck management. They treated it like a hand grenade.

They tried to sit on a one goal lead for 15 minutes, with predictable results.

I still think the Rangers take this series, but games like this make me wonder how they finished first in the conference.

Let me make sure I'm clear on this.

Accidental injury on a legitimate hockey play: Three games.
Aggravated assault: One game.

Is that about right?

And what's worse, Hagelin has no priors. Carkner is a repeat offender.

I never wanted to think the NHL had an agenda against the Rangers, but it's beyond obvious at this point. Fucking bush league.

I would like to get one thing straight too. Carkner did deserve to get one game BUT Boyle did the exact same thing to Karlsson in game one. Boyle got what was coming to him. Want to pick on on a 180lb player and take cheap shots when you're a heavyweight? Better answer to ours, and we have a few that are now dressed and itching to go.

Unintentional or not, Hagelin has to know better. Elbow to the head taking out a player is a suspension. And it was a clear cut elbow to the head. He had plenty of time to let up and realize Alfredsson was vulnerable or even hit the body. No, he got the elbow right up in the head. Good thing he got suspended because... well the Sens have had the same answer they did for the cheap shots on Karlsson in game one. Want all this crap out? Refs need to do their jobs if not, the players will police the game like Carkner did in game two.

Please. All Boyle did was give Karlsson a couple of pops with a glove. That's not even close to the same thing. It's insulting to compare the two.

If Hagelin deserves three games, so does Phillips, because he laid his elbow square into Callahan's head. Of course, that wasn't even reviewed.

Don't be fooled by Boyle's size. He's not what you would call a heavyweight. John Scott is a heavyweight, and if the Rangers want to get even physically, they'll dress him. Though, I'm pretty sure they're more concerned with winning the series, which I am still confident they will do.

... were we even watching the same game? After the whistle Boyle hunted down Karlsson and gave him 5 or 6 shots to the head, yes with his glove on. So what? That makes it ok to hunt down a 180lb skilled defenceman and give him cheapshots? Refs could have ended this crap by giving Boyle his own time in the box but no, Karlsson got two for taking punches and not turtling. The Rangers also took liberties on him all game long. Paul Maclean was perfectly fine playing a skilled game against the Rangers, but the liberties the Rangers took forced his hand. Hence why Carkner and Konopka were dressed. We still have Blood and Borowiecki (a local kid who grew up watching the Sens who is itching to get in) waiting on the sidelines as well. Ottawa might have been known as a soft team in playoffs past. Not anymore, and that was the message sent. Want to goon it up? Better believe there will be an answer. Carkner was that answer to Boyle. Mess with our skilled players and it won't be like playoffs past. We will come for you so man up.

The Phillips hit was deserving of a penalty, and he got one and you scored on it. It was nowhere near as bad as the Hagelin hit and you have to know that. First of all it wasn't even really an elbow but more of a shoulder to the head of someone who was ducking a bit. Yes, Phillips should had let up, he didn't, he got sent to the box, Rangers scored. Hagelin got the elbow up on Alfredsson cut and dry. Evidence is in the video buddy. Alfredsson's out, might not play (I think he will because well... the man played on literally one knee a few playoffs back and it's a good chance this is his last playoffs before he retires. He is a tough SOB which just amplifies the hit if he left the game as there's no way in hell Alfie would leave the game unless he was really, really hurt).

Did I mention I love the playoffs? All the heated debate and rivalry... love it!

That's called a scrum. It happens in every game. If Karlsson can't handle it, I would suggest he find another line of work.

There is no way the Senators can win this series playing a skill game. That would bring it down to defense and goaltending, and they're horribly overmatched.

I don't know what you think you saw, but Alfredsson clearly ducked his head to shy away from the hit, and Hagelin can't stop on a dime. Contrast this with Phillips, who made Callahan's head his intended target.

Talk about the refs not doing their job. Where the hell were they when Boyle was getting mugged? No surprise, though. The ref that stood there and watched was Ian Walsh, the same Philly boy that tried to screw the Rangers in the Winter Classic. On top of that, Dubinsky gets tossed for being the third man in, even though he was realistically the second. Stand up for a teammate, get kicked out. Only in the NHL.

I'm sure you'll be perfectly happy with the refs tonight. You'll spend half the game on the power play because the league wants the Rangers out ASAP.

Yeah, nothing beats the playoffs. Even better that our teams are facing off. Gives us something to argue about.

I know you're most likely not taking this personal, but just a disclaimer, don't take this jawing back and forth personal Sevens. I'll disagree with you, you'll disagree with me, that's the fun of playoffs!

Anyways if you call the Phillips hit intentional then you call the Hagelin hit criminal. I don't think he did it on purpose but dude, he led with his elbow. Even if Alfie didn't duck a little (and a very little might I add) he would have been hit in the head regardless. Replays don't lie bud and you cannot lead a hit with your elbow. He did, knocked out our heart and soul captain for the game but it also inspired the Sens to rise up. From what I'm hearing Alfie is practicing today and is 50/50 to start. Like I said, the man is tough as nails and since it's playoffs and the first home game of the series I expect him to suck it up and play. Just wait until you hear the Alfie chants when he takes the ice or when each period reaches the 11 minute mark (Alfredsson's number). We love him here in Ottawa because he is all out heart and soul. Like I said, Phillips should have led up but it was nowhere near the elbow Hagelin threw and was well deserving of the two minutes he got. You got a goal on that powerplay too so he paid the price for the move.

As for Boyle vs. Karlsson, it wasn't a scrum when Karlsson is 30 feet away from the net and Boyle seeks him out to glove punch him in the head several times. Karlsson took it and stood up to himself the best he could but come on, he weighs in at 180lbs where as Boyle is what, 240-250? If Boyle didn't know that he had Carkner, who is around the same size, coming for him then he should really rethink his own career. Not to mention Chris Neil, 6'2 around 210-215 fought the joker and made him look silly. Like I said if Boyle and the Rangers want to play this goonish game bring it on as we have a lot more grit than people give the Sens credit for.

Rangers have more skill, I'll give them that, but one thing I've learned from this year compared to other is the Sens have heart. They worked their asses off to get where they are now and no one expected that. I think this series is up in the air and will be very close (Rangers will most likely take it) but it won't be a fast series like many "experts" said, especially if it keeps being physical like game two. God I can't wait until some of our awesome prospects are ready for the big time. Few more years down the line we'll be right back on top of the east again... this time with grit and grind!


@ Koari, I didn't see a four game sweep coming out of the Flyers ESPECIALLY against the Penguins... who I thought would win the whole thing this year... this is what happens when I enter playoff hockey pools. I never guess right...

Oh, no, it's nothing personal at all. It's a playoff series. Opposing fans are going to defend their teams and yap at each other. It comes with the territory, especially when you get incidents like we had on Saturday. When it's over, we can follow through on our bet, shake hands, and put it behind us. That's what the players do.

Don't get the wrong idea. It's not like I'm gonna hate you for this.

Gotta give Neil credit for the way he played. He challenged Boyle, waited for him to drop the gloves, and squared off with him like a man. That's the right way to do it. And, he scored the winning goal. He had a great game.

I wouldn't have said anything if the discipline had been less lopsided. I still think the Rangers are getting hosed and the league hates them, but if they're deserving of that top seed, they'll rise above it.

Can we agree that both teams should cut out the bullshit and just play the game?

Yeah I know, I just wanted to be clear. People just take things personal or bring personal stuff into it. For example I have this guy I went to college with who's mostly a baseball/football fan complain about all the violence in the playoffs this year over facebook. He complains about this every year and I tell him this is how the NHL playoffs have been played since the league started. He then complains that I'm only saying this because the Sens are in the playoffs and because of what happened in game 2 and that I get all feisty when people talk bad about my team... well not once did I mention Ottawa in anything I said and Don Cherry even showed replays of the playoffs from 70s-80s last night on Coach's Corner. Line brawls, fights, blood, dirty hits etc. All WAY worse than this year. Proved my point and I have no idea why he even brought up the Sens as he complained about the same violence this time last year and I said the exact same thing: Welcome to the playoffs!

Well they cut out the violence last night and it was just exciting end to end hockey but my god did King Henry save your guy's ass last night. Sens keep playing like last night you guys are in trouble as they were all over you. Lucky bounce off the end boards that pops right out to Boyle and he scores. Ottawa couldn't buy that kind of a bounce last night. I guess we'll bank our chances for the next 3 games. You have have tonight!

Yeah, I'm not happy with the Rangers at all. That was a perfect example of a goalie being the great equalizer. Lundqvist stole that game, no two ways about it.

Give Anderson credit. He had to make some good saves himself.

Did Richards even dress? I thought he was supposed to be this playoff beast, but I barely heard his name. Kreider made his NHL debut last night, and he was more noticeable.

I was yelling at the hockey gods last night.... what did I deserve to see my team play so good and have a stupid bounce off the end board pop out perfectly to Boyle to score the game winner. They're trying to make this a 7 game series. Stupid hockey gods...

Hey man, Ottawa's first line has been invisible too. It's been the role players for both teams that have been playing awesome. God, Konpka's playing like a beast! I always saw him as a great faceoff guy but a liability for getting penalties. The guy has been all over the Rangers' zone setting up plays. I don't think he's been in the box yet this series!

Btw why THE HELL did Jim O'Brian not just take a one timer in the wide open net?!?! God, he had to take a couple of seconds to set up his shot and by that time it got freakin blocked! ugh...

Btw, right now I wish I could listen to the Ranger commentary as CBC's is absolutely awful. We have Bob Cole who should have retired 40 years ago when Leafs last won the cup that doesn't know who is even on the ice (he called Afredsson Captain Daniel Anderson and Karlsson Gonchar and vice-versa so many times I've lost count) and Glen Healy who... god I hate more than Cole! He is AWFUL at any job he's ever done. He played for both the Rangers and the Leafs so his obvious hate for the Sens is glowing and I want to go down to Scotiabank Place and punch some sense into him. Never says one good thing about Ottawa ever but the Rangers can literally do no wrong. Just be unbiased you jackass. That's all I want! I feel so bad for Gary Galley as he's the only one who actually has a head between his shoulders out of these clowns!

If I listened to the Rangers feed at least I know it'll be biased and I don't have to listen to a 90 year-old dinosaur fuck up every name on the ice! God I wish TSN was doing this series...

I was switching between that and the Sens/Rangers (I had a couple Pens fans over). 10-3? Jesus... Still can't top the Sens/Rangers games. Besides game one it's been a coin toss on who's going to win. I may have a heart attack at the end of this series...

WOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I woke up everyone in my apartment building with my yelling after that OT goal! Game on Sevens!!

Well, that sucked.

It's best of three, and the Rangers have home ice. They can do this, but that top seed is starting to look really misleading.

I thought from the start this would go to 7 games. Rangers have the edge but it's looking like a coin toss over who will win this series. By far the most exciting series to watch! Great job both teams! My goal: get tickets to game 6!