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Monday, October 4, 1999
Special effort a boost
Senators' specialty units provide spark in opening win
If there's an area in which the Senators can try and improve this season, it's their play in those man advantage situations, especially on the power play.
So what do the Senators do?
They go out and score what amounted to three special teams goals in their 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in their season opener.
"Two power-play goals put the game away for us," said Senators coach Jacques Martin. "If we don't score when it's 1-0, it's a completely different game. Both special teams were the difference in the game."
While it didn't go in the books as a short-handed goal, Radek Bonk's goal to open the scoring came just two seconds after a penalty to Shaun Van Allen expired.
TURN ON POWER
Sami Salo, on a cannon to the top corner, and Vinny Prospal, with a bank shot off the back of Philly goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck, scored on the power play in the second period.
The Senators' power play ranked just 15th overall in the league last season. The prospects for it improving took a hit with Alexei Yashin suspended after not reporting to camp.
"One of the things we talked about during our meetings at Mont Tremblant was how we had to be better as a team on the power play," said Senators assistant coach Perry Pearn. "You lose a guy who generates as much as Yash does and everyone's got to work harder at it right from the start."
The Senators have been doing a better job of moving the puck back to the pointmen and the defencemen have been doing a better job with their shot selection, getting shots through when the opening is there and moving it when it isn't instead of just pounding it into somebody's pads.
The Senators' penalty killing, meanwhile, blanked the Flyers on six power-play attempts, including over a minute with a two-man advantage early in the third period.
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