Senators forward Mike Fisher and his teammates haven't given up on their mission to become Stanley Cup champions. Photo: A. Ringuette/Freestyle Photography/OSHC

by Todd Anderson

The Ottawa Senators haven't given up hope. Although they trail the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 in the Stanley Cup final, the Sens say they can rally in the series, starting with a win tonight in California.

"It's a big hole, but it's not something that's insurmountable," centre Jason Spezza says. "We just have to worry about chipping away one game at a time. We can't worry about trying to win the series. We have to try to worry about winning a game first."

With Anaheim's 3-2 victory on Monday, the Ducks tied an NHL record for one-goal wins in a playoff season with 12. In the final, Ottawa has only been outscored 10-9 in the four games. Sens alternate captain Wade Redden says the key is to find out how to get over the edge and come out on the other side of the score.

"I don't think we can take much solace in that (the close scores during the series)," Redden says. "Throughout the playoffs it's always a bounce here or there. You obviously have to work hard to get anything done out there. It's disappointing because I don't think we were as good as we could be. We're going to have to have a great game Wednesday night.

"We need to focus on finding a complete game down there and getting the series back to Ottawa."

Only one team in NHL history - the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs - has come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Cup final. That doesn't concern Senators forward Mike Fisher too much.

"No, we're not going to worry about that," Fisher says. "I think our focus now is Anaheim and trying to put this behind us..

"It's going to be tough in Anaheim. They played well there. We just have to go in there on a mission, be relentless, give it everything we've got and not worry about history. Just worry about winning games."

Senators goaltender Ray Emery says it isn't a big stretch to think his team can put together a three-game winning streak.

"Is it impossible to come out of? No. We won three games in a row against great teams this year tons of times. So, certainly, we can win two games in a row, no problem. Once you do that, it's just whoever wins Game 7."