Taking on the league’s best possession team (in shots on goal) during the regular season and limiting them to a fraction of the offense they’re accustomed to in the playoffs is no small feat.
That’s exactly what the Ottawa Senators did to the Boston Bruins in Round 1 when they beat the boys from Beantown in six games.
The Bruins, owners of a 55.3% Shots For rating from October to early April, were absolutely stifled by an aggressive, stealthy forecheck, a neutral zone trap that worked like quicksand against an impressive forward corps, and a Senators blue line that hardly budged in their own end.