Spezza keeps Senators alive
OTTAWA (AP) – Rookie Jason Spezza provided the Ottawa Senators the offense they needed to stay alive in the playoffs. Spezza, making his NHL playoff debut, had a goal and assisted on Martin Havlat’s game-winner, lifting the Senators to a 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night.
Todd White also scored for the Senators, who cut the Devils’ lead to 3-2. The best-of-seven series shifts back to New Jersey for Game 6 on Wednesday.
The win not only ended Ottawa’s three-game losing streak, but also reversed the team’s troubling past of going 0-6 when facing elimination.
Scott Stevens scored for the Devils, who appeared to have the series momentum coming off Saturday’s 5-2 victory. New Jersey, attempting to reach the Stanley Cup finals for the third time in four years, has never lost a series it led 3-1.
The series winner will face the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, who are resting after completing a sweep of the Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference finals.
After the teams traded second-period goals, Havlat put the Senators up for good on a broken play with 12:01 remaining. Peter Schaefer sparked it when he stripped the puck from New Jersey’s Sergei Brylin behind the Devils net.
Schaefer failed on his wraparound attempt, but the rebound rolled to Havlat, standing at the right post. Martin Brodeur prevented Havlat from jamming the puck in, and then blindly kicked the puck away.
The puck, however, hit the skate of New Jersey defenseman Richard Smehlik and rolled back into the net.
Spezza sealed the victory with 7:32 remaining, redirecting Chris Phillips’ point shot for a power-play goal. It was Ottawa’s first man-advantage goal of the series, ending an 0-for-20 streak.
Senators coach Jacques Martin’s decision to insert Spezza into the lineup to provide more offense paid off. In replacing tough-guy Chris Neil, Spezza also had an assist on Havlat’s goal.
The Senators had been outscored by New Jersey 12-6 heading into Game 5, and 10-3 in the last three games.
The second player selected in the 2001 draft, Spezza had seven goals and 21 points in 33 games this season.
White, set up by Magnus Arvedson, opened the scoring with a short-handed goal four minutes into the second period. Arvedson badgered New Jersey defenseman Brian Rafalski into turning over the puck deep in the Devils end. He spun around and fed a pass into the middle that White slapped in.
It was Ottawa’s third short-handed goal of the playoffs, tying Anaheim for the most this postseason.
Stevens tied it two minutes later when Pascal Rheaume beat Ottawa’s Radek Bonk to win a faceoff and drew it back to the left point. Stevens’ shot sneaked through a crowd and appeared to deflect in off the skate of Phillips in front.
The Senators held the edge in play in the first period despite being outshot 7-2. The problem was hitting the net, as several of the Senators’ shots sailed wide, including Bryan Smolinski’s snap shot, when he was set up in the right circle.
Ottawa goalie Patrick Lalime’s best save was his first when, lying on his side, he somehow got his arms up to foil Patrik Elias’ backhander from in close.