Senators try to get more physical

In the new NHL, where interference is not supposed to be tolerated by officials, the Ottawa Senators were one of the best at mastering this change during the regular season.

But now that Ottawa is in the Stanley Cup finals, where smart physical play is a mandate, the Senators tried a more aggressive style against the Ducks on Wednesday. However, they still find themselves down, 2-0, heading back to Ottawa in the best-of-seven series.

“When you break it down, we are not winning the one-on-one battles,� Ottawa defenseman Wade Redden said. “We have to simplify the game and just concentrate on that.

“When we do get the puck, we have to keep it and not give it back to them, whether it’s making a pass, getting it deep and not letting them get second and third chances with the puck. That’s what’s wearing us out. By the end of the game, there’s nothing left in the tank to mount a comeback. We have to be a lot better, starting with the start of the game.�

For the second game in a row, the Ducks outhit the Senators, owning a 36-28 edge Wednesday. Travis Moen, Ryan Getzlaf and Samuel Pahlsson led the Ducks with four hits each.

*

For two periods, the Ducks and Ottawa played to a scoreless tie, which can sometimes force a home team to start to press.

But that was not the case with the Ducks, who took the ice in the third period with even more confidence.

“There was such a good feeling in the [locker] room, there was no panic at all,� said Getzlaf, who finished with three shots on goal. “We had confidence in our group that if we stuck with our system, we’d be rewarded for it, and that’s what happened tonight.�

*

The Senators, who now have to win four of the final five games to win the Cup, are confident that they can turn things around once they return home.

“We’ve played well in our home building ... [but] we absolutely have to do it this time,� Ottawa Coach Bryan Murray said, to “give ourselves a chance to come back here [Honda Center] and get one.�

Added Ottawa defenseman Chris Phillips: “It’s disappointing to not get a win down here, but we can’t hang our heads. There’s a lot of pride in this room and we’re going home now. We’ve got two games at home to even the series.�

*

After two games, the Ducks hold a commanding edge in shots on goal in the finals, 63-36.... The Ducks had a strong Game 2 in the face-off circle, winning 59% of the draws, led by Pahlsson, who won 10 of 12, and Getzlaf, who won eight of 12.... Of the 30 home teams that won the first two games of the Cup finals since the best-of-seven format was introduced in 1939, 29 went on to win the series. The only time a road team lost the first two games and came back to win the series was the Montreal Canadiens, who rallied back against the Chicago Blackhawks in 1971.... The national rating for Versus’ telecast of Game 1 was a .72, down 18% from the .88 for Game 1 in last year’s finals between Edmonton and Carolina. Monday night’s game had an average U.S. viewing audience of 522,593, down 13% from 852,871. In Canada, Game 1 had an average viewing audience of 2.608 million.

Times staff writer Larry Stewart contributed to this report.

[email protected]