ALLARD: HOPEFULLY, IT HASN'T BEEN TOO NICE AND EASY

Jean-Pierre Allard of Smarting Senators weighs in following the Senators' 1-0 win over the Sabres in Game 2 of the East final last night, which gave Ottawa a 3-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

While being ecstatic about this, a huge part of me - the hockey purist in me - is sorely disappointed because, let's be honest here, this has not been a great series for a conference final.
It's had its exciting moments but these have only been intermittent for the most part, with play being predominantly one-sided for the Senators. It's great if you're one of those million late-season, bandwagon jumpers, but a drag to this hockey nut who's invested far too much of his precious time since October.

There isn't even the faintest of a trace of that bad blood, that was exchanged in the papers between the 2 coaches prior to the series, that has extended itself to the ice yet, making me seriouly wonder if we wouldn't have been better off if the Rangers and Mr. Sean Avery had not let Daniel Brière score with seven seconds left in Game 5. Don't you just think the Blueshirts might have been a more worthy opponent?

Give full marks to Ottawa though. The scary part is that Ottawa keeps getting better with each game, thus lending more and more credence to the belief this series will be over tomorrow night.
Ottawa is making Buffalo look like a Junior B team, sans Rogatien Vachon. The Sabres managed only 15 shots on net in their biggest and most crucial game of the season, including an embarrassing five in the third period last night, as Ottawa took a 3-0 series lead. The Sabres’ once-potent power play is 0-for-18 in this series. Still need more convincing? Consider that it's a total team effort as all the Sabres have inexplicably taken to playing like expansion Senators' immortals Darcy Loewen and Bob Kudelski.

Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller would be totally excused if right now, he was currently waiting at Ottawa's Supreme Court to secure a restraining order against the Sea of Sens Red Army invading his undefended net. Or involved in a one-sided argument with himself at Hull's Taverne La Whip about his mates' non-support.

While the questions keep getting asked as to how the Senators' opponents can look so discombobulated, whether it's the power play, killing penalties, winning face-offs or simply trying to exert any kind of late-game sustained pressure when down by a mere goal, it's not too early to suggest that it's not so much the other team that sucks as it is more the Senators who are so masterful.

Still, I can't help but have an overwhelming fear that it's all been way too easy so far and that Ottawa has not yet faced the much needed adversity that is a prerequisite for any team hopeful on going all the way.

In that sense, with the thoughts of meeting either the formidable Red Wings or the still mighty Ducks, perhaps coach Lindy Ruff's Sabres would do us all a favour and show up tomorrow night and give us a game. You know, just so Ottawa doesn't become too complacent.

NOTES

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, courtesy of ESPN:

• Daniel Alfredsson scored the only goal in Ottawa's 1-0 win over Buffalo. It was the second time in his career that Alfredsson scored the only goal in a playoff game that ended in a 1-0 score, his other one also coming against Buffalo at Ottawa in Game 4 of the first round in 1997. That one came in overtime.
  
  Alfredsson is one of eight players in NHL history with two such goals in his career, but only one of the other seven did it against the same team both times. Boston's Cooney Weiland did it twice against the Canadiens, both in 1929.

According to NBC Sports, courtesy of Johnstone Apork, altered ego of Jean-Pierre Allard and reporter at large who was last seen in Schenectady, N.Y.

• With the very strong possibility of the Ottawa-Buffalo series ending in four games, NBC Sports is reportedly scrambling for last-minute plans and is giving serious consideration to re-broadcasting either Orson Welles' epic War of The Worlds or Gone With The Wind next Saturday at 2:00 P.M. in place of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final.
  
  It was reported that some NBC executives are breathing much easier after they were spotted late last night in an impromptu meeting with NHL Commiczar Gary "U.S. Bonds" Bettman and Canada's Prime Minister and newly-Senator fan Stevie Harper at Barbarella's Diamond's.