Senators Artcles: B-Sens at their best against rival Penguins
April 19, 2005

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Scott Lauber of Press Connects.com

B-Sens at their best against rival Penguins

Binghamton has won 7 straight in series

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON -- Even in October, the Binghamton Senators thought it would come to this.

As training camp opened, the Senators knew they had at least a half-dozen players who would've been in Ottawa if not for the owners' lockout. But when they scanned the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' roster, they saw just as many would be NHLers.

So whenever they faced the Penguins, even in the preseason, they needed little motivation.

"They've got a bunch of guys that should be in the NHL, and I think it's true that they have brought out the best in us," captain Chris Kelly said. "We've probably had some of our best games against those guys."

Specifically, the Senators have won seven straight against the Penguins, their opponent in a best-of-seven first-round Calder Cup playoff series that opens here Friday night. They lost only once in eight games -- 2-0 way back on Halloween -- and have enjoyed so much success against their archrival that it's hard not to be overconfident.

But if you think this series is going to be a rout, the Senators apparently don't.

After a scrimmage Monday morning, Kelly noted that three of the regular-season games (and one in the preseason) against the Penguins were won in overtime. Goalie Ray Emery pointed out that most of these Penguins played in the Calder Cup Finals last spring, and co-coach John Paddock observed that they twice rallied from 3-1 series deficits to get there.

"I just think we respect them so much because of the talent they have," center Jason Spezza said. "If you have an off-night, they're going to beat you. They're a good hockey club. I think there's a lot of mutual respect between us and them."

There were times, especially early in the season, when the Senators were guilty of not respecting an opponent (think of their season-opening 6-2 loss in Albany or the 4-3 setback in Springfield on Nov. 21) or believing they could coast to a victory on their superior talent.

That never occurred against the Penguins.

Instead, the Senators took a pair of early-January matchups as, in the words of defenseman Brian Pothier at the time, "litmus tests" to gauge how well they were playing and won by a combined margin of 9-4. And after nearly blowing a four-goal lead March 12 in Albany, the Senators went into Wilkes-Barre the following night and throttled the Penguins, 6-2.

After the Halloween shutout by goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, the first overall pick in the 2003 NHL draft, the Senators beat him for 14 goals in four games. They limited the powerful line of Matt Murley, Kris Beech and Michel Ouellet to four goals in eight games and kept the Penguins' power play silent 32 times in 36 chances.

Penguins pest Mike Sgroi accused Senators enforcer Brian McGrattan of not wanting to fight in November, and McGrattan knocked him out in March, while Chris Neil avenged a cheap shot from Penguins defenseman Ross Lupaschuk earlier this month.

Even in Wilkes-Barre, where the Penguins sell out most games in an 8,143-seat arena that Emery calls "a mini-NHL rink," the Senators have recently won 6-2 and 3-1 decisions after a 5-4 overtime victory in November.

Winners of six straight games to end the season and with points in 26 of their last 29 games, the Senators have reasons to be confident. But against the Penguins, their most frequent measuring stick, it hardly appears they'll be overconfident.

"It doesn't seem like we ever have to get too worked up to play them," defenseman Andy Hedlund said. "I think we looked at their team at the beginning of the year and figured we'd be battling with them all season. They definitely bring out the best in us."