Daniel Alfredsson still out of Senators' lineup
Daniel Alfredsson #11 of the Ottawa Senators lays on the ice following an elbow from Carl Hagelin #62 of the New York Rangers that resulted in a major penalty in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. (April 14, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
OTTAWA -- There was, perhaps, a thought that Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson could make a surprise return Wednesday night for Game 4. That was eliminated when the teams came out for their pregame warmups, when Ottawa took the ice without its captain for the second straight game.
His appearance on the ice for the morning skate before Game 3 was a pretty big surprise, given his admission after that skate that he had suffered a concussion when Carl Hagelin elbowed Alfredsson in the head midway through Game 2.
Alfredsson wasn't able to play in Game 3, and the Senators were shut out, despite generating some quality scoring chances without their leader. Alfredsson missed yesterday's skate, as he had practice the day before, and Senators coach Paul MacLean said there had been no change in Alfredsson's status.
There was still the possibility of some gamesmanship on MacLean's part -- he had, after all, indicated nothing about putting Zenon Konopka and Matt Carkner in to add some toughness before Game 2, and those two not only went into the game, they started it and some mayhem ensued.
A reporter was brave enough to ask John Tortorella about the secrecy and mind games played this time of year. "No, I don't want to talk about it," Tortorella said, as if on cue, to maintain the air of mystery around coaching decisions this time of year.
Without Alfredsson -- who, despite being 39 and in his 16th season with the Senators, still had 27 goals and 59 points -- the pressure fell more on Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek, who came into last night's game with only one assist apiece after leading the team with 34 and 35 goals this year.
"The Rangers are checking very close," MacLean said. "It's a time of year when things happen real fast, and you don't get the time and space that maybe you'd like to have. We need to create a little more of that time and space, and maybe do things a little bit quicker to create those opportunities when they're there."
The Scotiabank Place fans chanted "Alfie" before the game, something they had done throughout Game 3. But that was the closest the crowd got to their captain, still missing and leaving a big hole in the Senators' lineup.
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