Sens toy with Chicago as Emery earns first win of season


By CHRIS STEVENSON -- Ottawa Sun

Senators 6, Blackhawks 1

THE GULF in talent between the Senators and the Chicago Blackhawks is wider than "Dollar" Bill Wirtz' credibility gap in the Windy City.

It was summed up just a little more than a couple of blinks of the eye into the third period of the Senators' convincing 6-1 win over the injury-riddled Blackhawks at the Corel Centre in front of 16,420 satisfied fans last night.

The man at the heart of it was Senators winger Marian Hossa, who had a goal and two assists, ably helped out by Martin Havlat (a goal and two assists).

ALFIE NETS 200TH GOAL

Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson was also a multi-point man with a goal -- the 200th of this career -- and an assist. In all, 12 Senators figured in the scoring to help rookie goaltender Ray Emery get his second career win and his first at home.

"I'm only 692 (goals ... actually it's 694) behind (Wayne) Gretzky. I still have some work to do," said Alfredsson, who gave the Senators a 2-0 lead early in the second period. "I could have had five (goals) after the first two periods. We needed this one, for sure. We needed this and I thought it showed in the way we came out. I thought we played a good game and created a lot of chances early. It was important to get a win like this because we have a lot of games at home right now and January and March are going to be hard months for us."

Havlat was moved to left wing on a line with Hossa and Radek Bonk after Senators winger Petr Schastlivy left the game for good in the first period after sustaining a facial laceration. Havlat and Hossa created some magic in the third.

"I felt great (last night). The whole team played well," said Hossa. "This is going to be good for the guys' confidence to win at home and score a lot of goals in front of our fans."

When Hossa and Havlat get the room and time they did last night, they are going to do things that are worth the price of admission.

Hossa's move to the net on Bonk's goal at the six-minute mark was fabulous.

So was Havlat's burst of speed that led to Hossa knocking in a rebound at 6:15.

Havlat had scored a highlight reel goal of his own in the second to make it 3-0, splitting the Chicago defence and jamming a shot between the pads of Blackhawks goaltender Michael Leighton, who was spectacular in defeat.

The 'Hawks suffered their 11th loss in their last 18 games and have but one win in that stretch (1-11-3-3).

"Give them credit, they played well," said 'Hawks coach Brian Sutter, "but we could have played better. We beat ourselves, game, set and match."

The Senators should have won this one over a team missing its four best players and they did, in convincing fashion.

The Senators ran their record on Thursdays to 8-1-1-1 with last night's win and will be looking for their first win on a Saturday night at home tomorrow when they host the Rangers.

Sens smiling again


By DON BRENNAN -- Ottawa Sun

HOLLYWOOD, FLA. -- If they were having fun before, they hid it well.

Through the rumours and doubts and the one-goal defeats. Through the "bag skate" sessions and the slip-slide to the bottom of the division standings. And through getting their "pee pees whacked," as one player described Jacques Martin's pre-game speech Monday that must have hit a nerve.

But yesterday was different. Yesterday, there could be no denying the sense of pure enjoyment surrounding the Senators practice. There was no mistaking the glee. Yesterday, they were really having fun.

If the whooping and cheering and laughing weren't enough to prove it, then the celebration of the winning goal in a black-white penalty shot showdown certainly was. Led by the likes of Daniel Alfredsson, Vaclav Varada and Karel Rachunek, Team Black swarmed the scorer, until finally there was a group of seven or eight of them together in a big, bouncing hug.

HAVLAT ON ROLL

It should come as no surprise that Martin Havlat was in the middle.

For one thing, he has now scored four goals in 15 games this season and three have been game winners. That ties him for third in the GWG category among all NHLers.

For another, the nifty winger was on a roll after scoring two on shots he didn't even throw directly at the net in Monday's 4-1 win over Philadelphia. Perhaps it was fate's way of paying him back for the chances that haven't bounced his way off the posts the past two games, when Havlat has once again been the Senators' most dangerous weapon.

When he wants to be, he is very good.

Yesterday, as he barrelled toward Ray Emery with bragging rights on the line for his fellow teammates in black, you could tell there was no way Havlat was going to be denied on this breakaway, just as there was no way Martin Prusek was going to stop him a few minutes earlier when he had that same determined stride going at the other net.

"I didn't think there was going to be that big of a difference," Havlat said of the training camp he lost because of a contract dispute. "But right now, with the (hamstring) injuries, it's like I missed a whole month.

"I've played 15 games now, and I feel I'm getting better and better. I'm getting there. We still have a lot of games left."

Indeed, it would appear Havlat is starting to get over the hamstring problems and anger he felt in negotiations with a club that gave Bryan Smolinski $10 million US over four years. And that he is just starting to heat up.

But he was not the only hero in Monday's win. Prusek, his Czech countryman, hushed skeptics with his strong performance in goal.

And two other Czechs who wound up playing on a newly formed line with Havlat also came up big: Varada and Radek Bonk.

TRUE GRIT

Varada put on a clinic in grittiness, banging hard with every Flyer that came his way and fighting for pucks like he was starving for the rubber. Bonk made a much quieter statement that did not escape his coach's attention.

"He may have been one of our top players," said Martin. "His defensive-zone coverage was outstanding. He was involved. He played strong at both ends."

And then there's Havlat, who would much prefer to be on the offensive at all times, but knows he also has to concentrate on his responsibilities without the puck to appease Martin. He was flying and staying focused.

"With Marty, it comes down to two things," said Martin. "One is his work. And using his speed to his advantage. When he's using his speed and quickness, he's a real threat."

Said Havlat: "You can't have a great night every night. You've got to keep trying. But every night is going to be different."

Every night certainly has been for the Senators, who will again strive for consistency with this two-game road trip to Florida.

And if it means anything at all, it looks like they're going to have some fun doing it.

Prusek spells relief

Goalie fills in to help Senators down Flyers


By CHRIS STEVENSON -- Ottawa Sun

There you go, Senators fans, put down that phone, take your finger away from the speed dial (1-800-GAS-BONK) and back away slowly.

Take a couple of deep breaths.

Feel better now?

The Senators' 4-1 victory over the NHL-leading Philadelphia Flyers last night at the Corel Centre might not be good for the phone-in shows, but it was just what a struggling club needed, as much for the win as how it was achieved.

The Senators scored the first goal of the game for the first time in 13 outings.

They got outstanding goaltending from Martin Prusek, a last-minute fill-in for an ailing Patrick Lalime.

STARS SHINE

Their best players were their best players. They were much better away from the puck, and a willingness to take and give hits -- like Jason Spezza in front of the net and Vaclav Varada along the boards -- was apparent.

They looked almost like the those good old Senators you had come to know and love.

"Especially when we got the lead we did," said Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, who had a goal and an assist. "This is huge for us and for the confidence.

"But when you really break it down, it was Prusek making the saves for us."

Prusek was nothing short of outstanding while making 31 saves in front of a crowd of 16,289.

His best?

It might have been with the Senators coddling a 1-0 lead in the middle of the second period. After a giveaway up the middle, he flashed his glove to take away a top-shelf goal by Philly's Simon Gagne.

Shortly after that, he stopped big John LeClair on a breakaway after Ottawa's Antoine Vermette had been hooked to the ice and then stacked his pads to stop a re-direct by Tony Amonte.

All those saves came in about a four-minute span. Shortly after that, Senators winger Martin Havlat got his second of the night on a carom, this time off Flyers goaltender Robert Esche, on the power play to make it 2-0.

Havlat had opened the scoring when his attempted pass banked in off the foot of Flyers defenceman Eric Weinrich at 2:28 of the second period.

"I didn't have a shot on goal and I had two goals," said Havlat. "It's about time we had some luck. On the first one, I was trying to pass to Bonkie, but the second one I was trying to bank it."

The Senators made it interesting in the third by answering the question: "How can you give up a 2-on-1 break while you're on a 5-on-3 power play?"

STREAK SNAPPED

The Flyers' Keith Primeau scored on the break to cut the Senators' lead in half at 3:13 of the third, but Senators defenceman Anton Volchenkov took a lovely pass from Marian Hossa to restore the two-goal lead at 12:08.

The Flyers saw their 12-game unbeaten streak ended by a club that seems to have their number. The Senators have ended the Flyers' season the last two springs.

"This is a tough building," said Primeau,"no doubt about it. We've got to find a way to win here if we want to be champs."

After a miserable November, the Senators start December on a winning note. They are now off to Florida to play the Panthers tomorrow night and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

● Senators 4, Flyers 1: Martin Havlat and the Ottawa Senators got the bounces they needed to end Philadelphia’s 12-game unbeaten streak.

Havlat scored twice on fluke plays in the Senators’ 4-1 victory over the NHL-leading Flyers last night.

"I didn’t even have a shot on net tonight, and I scored two goals," Havlat said.

On the first goal, Havlat’s attempted pass to Radek Bonk struck Philadelphia defenseman Eric Weinrich’s right skate and deflected past goalie Robert Esche into the open left side.

Havlat made it 2-0 late in the period with a power-play goal. Behind the goal line, he fired the puck into the crease at Esche, banking it into the net off the goalie’s right pad.

The Senators scored the first goal in a game for the first time since Nov. 3.

"We haven’t been starting very well," Senators center Shaun Van Allen. "We’re always behind the 8-ball, and you have to put so much energy just to come back and tie. It’s so much easier for the team that scores first."

Flyers captain Keith Primeau scored a short-handed goal early in the third, beating Martin Prusek on a two-on-one rush with Weinrich while Ottawa had a two-man advantage.

Senators defenseman Anton Volchenkov restored Ottawa’s two-goal lead midway through the period, scoring his first goal of the season off a centering pass from Marian Hossa.

The Senators were denied a goal with 4:18 remaining when a video review determined Hossa’s pass in front on a power play was kicked in by Bonk at the edge of the crease.

Daniel Alfredsson scored into an empty net with 1:16 left.

Prusek made 31 saves starting in place of Patrick Lalime, who fell ill with the flu before the game.

Martin Havlat scores twice to help Senators beat Flyers 4-1
SENATORS 4, Flyers 1

# Summary

OTTAWA (CP) -- The Ottawa Senators breathed a collective sigh of relief Monday night.

Not only did they beat the league-leading Philadelphia Flyers 4-1, they finally scored the first goal of the game.

Martin Havlat scored twice to lead the Senators while Anton Volchenkov and Daniel Alfredsson each picked up a goal.

Keith Primeau scored the lone goal for the Flyers, who were unbeaten in 12 games. Robert Esche stopped 26 shots.

The biggest surprise of the game was Ottawa goaltender Martin Prusek who was instrumental to the victory stopping 31 shots.

Prusek was not scheduled to start the game, but when Patrick Lalime came down with the flu and was unable to play Prusek was called into action.

Lalime wasn't even able to sit on the bench during the game.

"Marty Prusek played fantastic," said Senators winger Bryan Smolinski. "He shone, he showed flashes of brilliance and that was what we needed. He kind of stole the game."

Alfredsson agreed adding that Prusek was definitely the game breaker.

"He was unbelievable," he said. "He made the right saves at the right time. It was a big effort from everybody."

After a scoreless first period the Senators finally scored the first goal for the first time in 13 games to the delight of the 16,289 on hand.

Havlat opened the scoring at 2:28 of the second period. Radek Bonk dished a pass to Havlat, who saw his shot bounce in off Eric Weinrich's skate.

Jacques Martin, normally quite reserved, couldn't help but find a little humour in the win.

"We talked in the dressing room before the game and said let's make a change and get the first goal," said Martin with a laugh. "I think we fooled them, we got the first goal."

Prusek then made point-blank saves on Eric Desjardins, Simon Gagne and John LeClair to preserve the lead.

Havlat scored his second of the game on the power play at 16:33 of the period. A two-man advantage had just expired when Havlat took a pass down low and banked a shot in off Esche's pads.

"I never saw the puck," said Esche. "The guy made a good play. It was a bit of a flukey goal."

Esche wasn't overly impressed with the Senators and felt the Flyers fell far short of the type of performance the team is capable of displaying.

"I don't think it had anything to do with what they did," he said. "It was about what we didn't do."

The Flyers cut the lead in half 3:13 into the third with a shorthanded goal.

Alfredsson was unable to keep the puck in at the blue-line and Primeau and Weinrich broke in for a two-on-one. Primeau held on to the puck and beat Prusek with a quick wrist shot.

"We've been knocked out by Ottawa two years in a row, instead of having that killer instinct it's almost like we played not to lose, said Philadelphia's Jeremy Roenick. "We have to have everybody in and tonight we weren't all in."

Ottawa regained the two-goal lead at 12:08 of the third as Marian Hossa picked the puck up at centre ice, skated down low and waited for Volchenkov, who jumped into the play, and beat Esche shortside.

"We definitely play better with the lead," said Hossa. "It's tough to always come back, you waste so much energy. I think we were all pretty happy to see Marty (Havlat) score the first goal."

Bonk nearly made it 4-1 with 4:18 remaining, but the goal was disallowed as he kicked the puck in.

Alfredsson added an empty-net goal with 1:16 remaining for his tenth of the season.

Havlat nets two as Sens ground Flyers

Canadian Press

12/1/2003

OTTAWA (CP) - The Ottawa Senators breathed a collective sigh of relief Monday night.

Not only did they beat the league-leading Philadelphia Flyers 4-1, they finally scored the first goal of the game.

Martin Havlat scored twice to lead the Senators while Anton Volchenkov and Daniel Alfredsson each picked up a goal.


Related Info
Senators/Flyers
Senators post game

Keith Primeau scored the lone goal for the Flyers, who were unbeaten in 12 games. Robert Esche stopped 26 shots.

The biggest surprise of the game was Ottawa goaltender Martin Prusek who was instrumental to the victory stopping 31 shots.

Prusek was not scheduled to start the game, but when Patrick Lalime came down with the flu and was unable to play Prusek was called into action.

Lalime wasn't even able to sit on the bench during the game.

``Marty Prusek played fantastic,'' said Senators winger Bryan Smolinski. ``He shone, he showed flashes of brilliance and that was what we needed. He kind of stole the game.''

Alfredsson agreed adding that Prusek was definitely the game breaker.

``He was unbelievable,'' he said. ``He made the right saves at the right time. It was a big effort from everybody.''

After a scoreless first period the Senators finally scored the first goal for the first time in 13 games to the delight of the 16,289 on hand.

Havlat opened the scoring at 2:28 of the second period. Radek Bonk dished a pass to Havlat, who saw his shot bounce in off Eric Weinrich's skate.

Jacques Martin, normally quite reserved, couldn't help but find a little humour in the win.

``We talked in the dressing room before the game and said let's make a change and get the first goal,'' said Martin with a laugh. ``I think we fooled them, we got the first goal.''

Prusek then made point-blank saves on Eric Desjardins, Simon Gagne and John LeClair to preserve the lead.

Havlat scored his second of the game on the power play at 16:33 of the period. A two-man advantage had just expired when Havlat took a pass down low and banked a shot in off Esche's pads.

``I never saw the puck,'' said Esche. ``The guy made a good play. It was a bit of a flukey goal.''

Esche wasn't overly impressed with the Senators and felt the Flyers fell far short of the type of performance the team is capable of displaying.

``I don't think it had anything to do with what they did,'' he said. ``It was about what we didn't do.''

The Flyers cut the lead in half 3:13 into the third with a shorthanded goal.

Alfredsson was unable to keep the puck in at the blue-line and Primeau and Weinrich broke in for a two-on-one. Primeau held on to the puck and beat Prusek with a quick wrist shot.

``We've been knocked out by Ottawa two years in a row, instead of having that killer instinct it's almost like we played not to lose, said Philadelphia's Jeremy Roenick. ``We have to have everybody in and tonight we weren't all in.''

Ottawa regained the two-goal lead at 12:08 of the third as Marian Hossa picked the puck up at centre ice, skated down low and waited for Volchenkov, who jumped into the play, and beat Esche shortside.

``We definitely play better with the lead,'' said Hossa. ``It's tough to always come back, you waste so much energy. I think we were all pretty happy to see Marty (Havlat) score the first goal.''

Bonk nearly made it 4-1 with 4:18 remaining, but the goal was disallowed as he kicked the puck in.

Alfredsson added an empty-net goal with 1:16 remaining for his tenth of the season.

Notes: Ottawa C Mike Fisher remains out of the lineup with a right elbow injury. D Brian Pothier and Curtis Leschyshyn and LW Petr Schastlivy were healthy scratches for Ottawa...D Marcus Ragnarsson, LW Eric Chouinard and LW Todd Fedoruk were healthy scratches for Philadelphia.