Ottawa faces tough road-map to pull off the upset
The Senators escaped elimination with a 1-0 win over the Canadiens in Game 4 on Wednesday, but if they want to come back from a 3-0 series deficit to advance to the next round, they will need a series of nuances to go their way.
Bleacher Report writer Dave Lozo listed all of the improbable events the Senators would require for a series win, and his list looks difficult.
First, Lozo says, the Senators need Montreal goalie Carey Price to lose four consecutive games. The Canadiens have not lost four consecutive games all season, so this task looks like the most insurmountable of all.
Lozo also noted that Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson will need to continue to be nearly unbeatable since Price is unlikely to give up many goals in a game, and the Senators need to be better in terms of 5-on-5 possession.
One of Lozo's more controversial requirements claims that a Canadiens player needs to suffer an injury. His explanation, however, makes sense.
"There have been two recent comebacks from down 3-0 to win a series; Philadelphia overcame Boston in the second round in 2010 while Los Angeles rallied to beat San Jose in 2014," Lozo wrote. "In the salary-cap era, a 3-0 deficit likely has more to do with one team getting some bounces than one team being utterly dominant. When the Bruins blew their lead, they lost David Krejci to injury in Game 3; when San Jose squandered its lead, the Sharks lost Marc-Edouard Vlasic for the series during Game 5."
Even if all four of these events happen, it still looks like the Senators have a tough road ahead. But if any team can do it, Ottawa -- a squad who was originally 14 points out of playoff contention -- would be the probable comeback kids.
(h/t Bleacher Report)
