Pavelec defeats Senators
That's what every newspaper and blog headline should read. Because that's exactly what he did. As much as this is a Senators blog and I would like to revile him to no end, I have to admit that Pavelec was magnificent. The Senators finally found their total package and were stumped by a sizzling hot goalie. With a .912 save percentage before the game, you would expect him to let in a goal for roughly every 11 shots. Faced with 51 shots on goal last night, at least four should have gone in. But Pavelec was superb and acrobatic and only allowed a measly one goal, a .980 save percentage for the game!
Even losing his mask didn't stop Pavelec from stumping the Senators.
The Senators have nothing to reproach themselves for this game. The score in no way indicates how lopsisded the game was. Both teams are attacking teams and they traded pretty equal blows for the first period. Pascal Leclaire showed some of his stuff with some tremendous glove saves off the Thrashers' Little and Salmela. The only goal of the period was a seeing-eye puck that manged to pass a forest of trees and find the back of the net. Leclaire never saw it.
After that, most of the game was spent in the Altlanta zone, peppering Pavelec with so many shots it looked like a practice session. He robbed Daniel Alfredsson alone in the crease, He stole one from Jarkko Ruutu with unbelievable reaction time on a deflection. He gloved down a sure goal from Milan Michalek. He took two more deflection away from Ryan Shannon and Mike Fisher, He took two attempts away from Chris Neil right in the crease. That incredible glove came out to rob Shannon once again, before taking another one from Shannon again while sprawled on the ice. It took a five on three for the Senators to finally solve Pavelec. The Senators pushed hard tie up the game up and were caught pressing too much. The Thrashers locked the game in with a breakaway from Afinogenov late in the third.
Upside
Aside the lack of a point for their efforts, the Senators did everything right. Goaltending was solid, defense was aggressive not allowing much action in the Sens' zone, and the offense was something to behold. Looking at the highlight reel saves, the final score shoud have been somewhere in the 5-2 range in favour of the Senators. There were so few mistakes that I'd be nitpicking in pointing out the need to win more face-offs in our defensive zone. I guess Halloween gremlins were at work at The Bank. The Senators need to continue playing this way, not all goalies are as hot as Pavelec.
Even losing his mask didn't stop Pavelec from stumping the Senators.
The Senators have nothing to reproach themselves for this game. The score in no way indicates how lopsisded the game was. Both teams are attacking teams and they traded pretty equal blows for the first period. Pascal Leclaire showed some of his stuff with some tremendous glove saves off the Thrashers' Little and Salmela. The only goal of the period was a seeing-eye puck that manged to pass a forest of trees and find the back of the net. Leclaire never saw it.
After that, most of the game was spent in the Altlanta zone, peppering Pavelec with so many shots it looked like a practice session. He robbed Daniel Alfredsson alone in the crease, He stole one from Jarkko Ruutu with unbelievable reaction time on a deflection. He gloved down a sure goal from Milan Michalek. He took two more deflection away from Ryan Shannon and Mike Fisher, He took two attempts away from Chris Neil right in the crease. That incredible glove came out to rob Shannon once again, before taking another one from Shannon again while sprawled on the ice. It took a five on three for the Senators to finally solve Pavelec. The Senators pushed hard tie up the game up and were caught pressing too much. The Thrashers locked the game in with a breakaway from Afinogenov late in the third.
Upside
Aside the lack of a point for their efforts, the Senators did everything right. Goaltending was solid, defense was aggressive not allowing much action in the Sens' zone, and the offense was something to behold. Looking at the highlight reel saves, the final score shoud have been somewhere in the 5-2 range in favour of the Senators. There were so few mistakes that I'd be nitpicking in pointing out the need to win more face-offs in our defensive zone. I guess Halloween gremlins were at work at The Bank. The Senators need to continue playing this way, not all goalies are as hot as Pavelec.
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