Sens Decide They Don't Want The Cup After All

Despite their heroic efforts to win game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals two days before, and the absence of vertically-gifted Ducks defender Chris Pronger, the Senators decided they didn't really want to win the Stanley Cup after all and dropped game 4 with a score of 3-2.

Things started off well, with Ottawa out-shooting Anaheim 13-2 in the first period, but they only scored one goal and subsequently allowed Andy McDonald's neck to score twice for the Ducks in the second. Anaheim outshot the Sens 13-4 in that one. Later on, Dany Heatley remembered how to play hockey just long enough to tie the game at two goals each, but Dustin Penner (who?) got some help from Teemu Selanne and McDonald to score a gorgeous one-timer on the edge of the crease (the game-winner) just four minutes into the third. The game may as well have ended at that point.

Of note was an incident involving Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson, who shot the puck directly at Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer as the horn rang to end the second period. The puck bounced harmlessly off of the Duck (they don't absorb water, either) but tempers flared after that. Despite the natural protection offered by his human beard shield, Niedermayer went after Alfie and tried to rough up the dirty foreigner for his transgression. No one was actually injured in the end.

The series now returns to Anaheim, where the Ducks will likely finish off the Senators and claim the third Stanley Cup in a row for the Sun Belt states. Only Gary Bettman and the 27 fans of the Ducks will be happy with that.