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Thursday, May 23, 2013

{allcanada} Alfredsson stands behind post-game comments

CheapOair.com
OTTAWA -- Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson did not back down Thursday from what he said following his team's 7-3 loss in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, but he did feel his sentiments were taken somewhat out of context.
 
Following the loss that put the Senators in a 3-1 series hole heading into Game 5 in Pittsburgh on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, RDS), Alfredsson was asked if it was feasible to beat the Penguins three times in a row.

"Probably not," Alfredsson responded. "I mean, with their depth and power play right now, you know, it doesn't look too good."

Alfredsson later spoke about how the Senators have had a never-quit attitude all season and that maybe they will thrive on the steep odds they were facing in the series, saying "maybe that's the way we like it."

He said Thursday that he felt the second part of his comments were overshadowed by the first part, but he stuck to his belief that the Senators have a difficult road ahead.

"There's no denying we're in tough," Alfredsson said. "Was it taken out of context? Probably, but that's fine. I can handle that. We're down 3-1 to a very good team and going back to their building. We're just going to go in there and give them a hell of a game. We've always responded really well when our backs are against the wall and this is no different. The good thing is we're still in the playoffs, it's not over. So we're going to go in there and give them everything we have."

A lot of the chatter surrounding Alfredsson's comments was that he had given up on the series, and that was what he didn't like about the fallout Thursday.

"I haven't listened or heard all the comments, but it sounds like [people are saying] I had given up. If you ask anyone and they looked at our series, I don't think there's too many people that would pick us right now. That's what I meant," Alfredsson said. "We have an opportunity and we're still in the playoffs. We have always responded when we were up against the wall and I expect us to do the same thing [in Game 5] and give ourselves a chance to win a game and come back here again."

Senators coach Paul MacLean, who himself had a 13-second post-game press conference expressing his belief that his team will be "coming to play" in Pittsburgh for Game 5, shrugged off Alfredsson's comments.

"The playoffs are hard all the time, it's just harder [now]," MacLean said. "I think, Daniel -- I've got no issue with that."

Alfredsson was also asked about grabbing the puck at the end of the game, something that was read by some as a sign that the 40-year-old felt he was playing his last home game as an Ottawa Senator.

"There's no specific reason," he said. "Could this be my last playoffs? Could this be my last season? I don't know. I don't collect sticks or keep a lot of memorabilia at home, but there's no specific reason."

The Senators held a team meeting Thursday to drive home the point that their best game needs to come in Game 5 Friday, and Alfredsson spoke to his teammates about what he said following Game 4 and what he actually meant by it.

His explanation appeared to win over his teammates.

"He's an honest guy, he's pretty frank," center Jason Spezza said. "He's always been a guy who's spoken his mind when he has to. I think things can be taken out of context a little bit, too. I think what he was getting at was that our backs are against the wall and nobody's going to give us a chance -- the oddsmakers aren't going to give us a chance to win this series, and maybe that's how we like it. Maybe that's how we've played our best hockey all year. I think that's what he was getting at."

Posted by Cidinha at 12:05 PM

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