PLAYOFF GAME DAY: Game 5: Ottawa Senators (1) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (3) - 7:00pm ET - Thu. Apr. 22nd, 2010

Here's the story if anyone is interested.

PITTSBURGH - Pascal Leclaire will get a chance to play with the season hanging the balance.

The Senators goaltender will be in the net Thursday night at Mellon Arena for Game 5. After Brian Elliott’s meltdown in Game 4 by allowing four goals on 19 shots in a 7-4 loss, Leclaire will make his first-ever playoff start.

Senators coach Cory Clouston has to hope Leclaire can get the team up off the mat to force a Game 6 at home Saturday. Ottawa trails the Penguins by a 3-1 count in the best-of-seven series.

“We feel Brian has struggled,” said Clouston.

Winger Shean Donovan will also play in place of Jonathan Cheechoo. He will add a bit more grit and physical presence on the Senators' fourth line in taking the place of Jonathan Cheechoo. He, in turn, had taken the spot of Ryan Shannon in Game 4.

“We know we have a tough road ahead of us,” said Clouston. “It’s one game at a time. There’s still confidence in the room.”

Leclaire says he is pumped up about the opportunity to play, even if things look grim overall for the Senators.

"I'm excited to play, especially here. It's a loud building," said Leclaire. "It's a great challenge for our team and I'm definitely excited to be part of it.

"We're all focused on the task. I don't think there's many people giving us a chance right now. It's a great challenge, kind of like the underdog feeling right now."

The Penguins would like to get this done.

“We have to play with better discipline, stay out of the penalty box for one, because there were a few lapses in our game,” said Pittsburgh winger Billy Guerin. “We have to play a better 60 minutes.

"These a tough games when teams are fighting for their lives. We’ve got to be ready for their best.”

DirtyDave wrote:

shabbs wrote:Donovan with a hat trick.

YES!

Sens will 14-4 Donovan 3 goals 4 assisst and 3 fights

Come on. NOW you're just being ridiculous.

N4L wrote:
You have to be kidding right? That 2nd goal was the turning point in that game, there should be very little debate about that. That was the biggest mistake any player has made this year.

Again, the 2nd goal is only backbreaking if your team has no leadership and no backbone. It was a terrible play by Spezza, I think we all get that, the 3rd goal was bad, the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th were also not necessary if we felt like coming back/winning.

Not to mention that the 2nd goal - the Crosby partial breakaway - was a weak goal. I'm surprised he didn't get yanked after that goal, or after his giveaway caused the 3rd goal, or after whiffing on the 4th goal (I guess he did get pulled here actually). He's been pretty weak, I agree with Clouston, not great.

What I don't agree with is putting the crappiest goalie in the league in replace of him. I'd rather Elliott have to fight through this and deal with it.

is Donovan playing tonight... he should get a friggen shot

So you are surprised Elliott didnt get pulled after standing on his head in the first and then letting in a breakaway goal by Crosby to make it 2-0? I beg to God you are not surprised by that.

I dont think you appriciate what kind of effect that 2nd goal had on the team and Elliott. The Sens game went to Dung, they gooned it up, and they were lucky enough to score 2, 5 on 3 goals. That's it. That 7-4 score was faltering to The Sens. It all stemmed from the 2nd goal. The series was over right there in that moment.

Elliott is broken right now, that 2nd goal killed him. It was obvious. Leclaire probably is the best choice tonight.

I am very excitied for Leclaire to start. I can't really exlain why, but something about his speed, size and flexiblity seem like a good match to deal with the Pens one-timer.

He was destined to fail from the moment he stepped on the ice for game 4.

So we can't hold that against him.

Go Leclaire make Columbus regret the trade sooner than later

You know what really killed that game for us the other night? The glass breaking at the moment where we were certain to make it 4-3. The call being blown dead at that time when Captain Clutch had a bullet ready to fire into the back of the net. That's what really killed our chances in that game. That took the wind out of our sails and set in the ultimate frustration for our team where it seemed like everything and everyone on the planet was against us. I truly believe that. The goaltending pooping the bed after that was just the lack of drive and confidence of feeling like nothing was going our way.

DirtyDave wrote:is Donovan playing tonight... he should get a friggen shot

He is playing.

SensGirl11 wrote:You know what really killed that game for us the other night? The glass breaking at the moment where we were certain to make it 4-3. The call being blown dead at that time when Captain Clutch had a bullet ready to fire into the back of the net. That's what really killed our chances in that game. That took the wind out of our sails and set in the ultimate frustration for our team where it seemed like everything and everyone on the planet was against us. I truly believe that. The goaltending pooping the bed after that was just the lack of drive and confidence of feeling like nothing was going our way.

+1

SpezDispenser wrote:

N4L wrote:
You have to be kidding right? That 2nd goal was the turning point in that game, there should be very little debate about that. That was the biggest mistake any player has made this year.

Again, the 2nd goal is only backbreaking if your team has no leadership and no backbone. It was a terrible play by Spezza, I think we all get that, the 3rd goal was bad, the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th were also not necessary if we felt like coming back/winning.

Not to mention that the 2nd goal - the Crosby partial breakaway - was a weak goal. I'm surprised he didn't get yanked after that goal, or after his giveaway caused the 3rd goal, or after whiffing on the 4th goal (I guess he did get pulled here actually). He's been pretty weak, I agree with Clouston, not great.

What I don't agree with is putting the crappiest goalie in the league in replace of him. I'd rather Elliott have to fight through this and deal with it.

Or how about just giving Brodeur a shot. Why not? Again, it's about the team not about Elliott.

N4L wrote:So you are surprised Elliott didnt get pulled after standing on his head in the first and then letting in a breakaway goal by Crosby to make it 2-0? I beg to God you are not surprised by that.

I dont think you appriciate what kind of effect that 2nd goal had on the team and Elliott. The Sens game went to Dung, they gooned it up, and they were lucky enough to score 2, 5 on 3 goals. That's it. That 7-4 score was faltering to The Sens. It all stemmed from the 2nd goal. The series was over right there in that moment.

Elliott is broken right now, that 2nd goal killed him. It was obvious. Leclaire probably is the best choice tonight.

I think keeping him in after the 3rd goal was a mistake - well, I don't think, it was a mistake. Elliott Diddled up the next play badly, then Crosby scores on him again - with a nice shot, but a stoppable one as well.

As much as you wanna put this all on Spezza, there were tremendous other factors in that game - in that period. Elliott crapping his pants is one, Volchenkov is another, our offense not getting their heads out of their arse another, the defense running around like tools.

If the Sens hunker down after the 2-0 goal, they're right back in the game in no time, just like pretty much every other team in the playoffs has had to do - battle through some adversity. But no, they collectively packed it in. Pretty much every one of them - and when the time finally came for them to push back, the Pens tap danced on Leclaire's head.

I guess by that rationale, we simply can't put Elliott in. He's been destroyed by Crosby so badly that he'll need all summer to get back to where he was before this. Crosby has dismantled Spezza, dismantled Alfredsson, dismantled Phillips and Volchenkov (who didn't see that coming?) and taught Elliott that what he was playing wasn't playoff hockey.

And he's done all this in four games. It's far from 'that 2nd goal ended everything', far, far, far, far, far from that.

SensGirl11 wrote:
Or how about just giving Brodeur a shot. Why not? Again, it's about the team not about Elliott.

Team's done, Elliott's just beginning his career.

But yes, now that I hear The Grinch is in net tonight, I would have been inclined to try Broduer just for fun.

SensGirl11 wrote:You know what really killed that game for us the other night? The glass breaking at the moment where we were certain to make it 4-3. The call being blown dead at that time when Captain Clutch had a bullet ready to fire into the back of the net. That's what really killed our chances in that game. That took the wind out of our sails and set in the ultimate frustration for our team where it seemed like everything and everyone on the planet was against us. I truly believe that. The goaltending pooping the bed after that was just the lack of drive and confidence of feeling like nothing was going our way.

That too.

SensGirl11 wrote:You know what really killed that game for us the other night? The glass breaking at the moment where we were certain to make it 4-3. The call being blown dead at that time when Captain Clutch had a bullet ready to fire into the back of the net. That's what really killed our chances in that game. That took the wind out of our sails and set in the ultimate frustration for our team where it seemed like everything and everyone on the planet was against us. I truly believe that. The goaltending pooping the bed after that was just the lack of drive and confidence of feeling like nothing was going our way.

How did you like the non-call when Pittsburgh put the puck directly over the glass in front of 2 officials? That was also sweet.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:to be honest i'm very happy about this. maybe CC read my post last night?
leclaire is the gamble. at this point we have to take a gamble. we've put our faith in elliot in all the . game. he faired well in his second, then it went downhill. leclaire has much better skills. i say it's our best chance to win this one from the goaltending point of view.
GO SEN GO!

Like I said in an earlier post. Go BIG or Go HOME! Seriously it's going to take some divine intervention for this to work but when you're down 3-1 in a best of seven now's the time to try anything. I wouldn't be surprised to see all the lines juggled as well. Perhaps move Spezza, Alfie, Cullen, Fisher and Regin around and make Bylsma work to get his match ups?

how about "Jason, we're holding your mother hostage. for every no look drop pass, we're taking a finger"

SeawaySensFan wrote:

How did you like the non-call when Pittsburgh put the puck directly over the glass in front of 2 officials? That was also sweet.

Oh man, we shouldn't even start on the officiating. They were/are mentally challenged.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SensGirl11 wrote:You know what really killed that game for us the other night? The glass breaking at the moment where we were certain to make it 4-3. The call being blown dead at that time when Captain Clutch had a bullet ready to fire into the back of the net. That's what really killed our chances in that game. That took the wind out of our sails and set in the ultimate frustration for our team where it seemed like everything and everyone on the planet was against us. I truly believe that. The goaltending pooping the bed after that was just the lack of drive and confidence of feeling like nothing was going our way.

How did you like the non-call when Pittsburgh put the puck directly over the glass in front of 2 officials? That was also sweet.

When the ultra homer FSN Pittsburgh commentators are saying the Sens were getting railroaded all night, you know it's bad...

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SensGirl11 wrote:You know what really killed that game for us the other night? The glass breaking at the moment where we were certain to make it 4-3. The call being blown dead at that time when Captain Clutch had a bullet ready to fire into the back of the net. That's what really killed our chances in that game. That took the wind out of our sails and set in the ultimate frustration for our team where it seemed like everything and everyone on the planet was against us. I truly believe that. The goaltending pooping the bed after that was just the lack of drive and confidence of feeling like nothing was going our way.

How did you like the non-call when Pittsburgh put the puck directly over the glass in front of 2 officials? That was also sweet.

That too. It's great isn't it? Unbelievable. There was a phantom player there that apparently deflected it over the glass...

That's the whole thing though, the whole game was a joke. Everything and everyone went against us. Anything that could possibly go wrong, did.