NEW YORK — They call it “The Kanata Wall.”
Nobody is taking credit for the nickname the Senators have given designer Guy Boucher’s 1-3-1 defensive system, but they readily admit it is the reason for much of their success. And happiness.
“After games some times we were laughing and saying, ‘We brought the Wall tonight boys. No one went through it,” Senators centre Derick Brassard revealed after Tuesday’s morning skate. “All season long, we brought the Wall.”
Almost all season. In Game 2 of this Eastern Conference semifinal against the New York Rangers, the Senators needed an heroic and historic performance by Jean-Gabriel Pageau to escape with a 6-5 victory.