ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -Andy McDonald and Rob Niedermayer scored in the first period, giving the Anaheim Ducks a 2-0 lead over the Ottawa Senators in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals Wednesday night.
McDonald scored his 10th goal of the playoffs, and fifth in the finals, on a power play at 3:41. With Ottawa defenseman Chris Phillips in his face, McDonald’s wrist shot from the right circle went underneath goalie Ray Emery, who didn’t have his stick on the ice.
The Ducks had a two-man advantage for 15 seconds after consecutive penalties to Tom Preissing and Anton Volchenkov. McDonald’s goal came just as Ottawa’s first penalty expired.
The Senators nearly tied the game halfway through the period on a backhander by Jason Spezza, but Anaheim’s Francois Beauchemin bailed out goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere by getting the blade of his stick on the puck during a scramble in front of the net.
The Ducks extended their lead to 2-0 on Niedermayer’s fifth playoff goal, a backhander from the right circle that hit Emery’s right arm and went in.
Anaheim defenseman Chris Pronger, who missed Game 4 with a one-game suspension for hitting Ottawa’s Dean McAmmond with an elbow to the head, left the bench after taking a hard hit from Antoine Vermette, but returned with 5:25 remaining in the period.
The Senators came into Game 5 trailing 3-1 and facing elimination in the best-of-seven series. They were especially physical from the drop of the puck, but committed the two early penalties and played from behind the rest of the period.
Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson was booed every time he touched the puck by Anaheim fans still smarting from his action in Game 4 Monday. He faked a shot on the net, reloaded and fired the puck from center ice at Scott Niedermayer late in the second period.
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