After a wild first period that saw the Ottawa Senators put up four goals against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final, Don Cherry had some advice for the home team at Canadian Tire Centre.
“The game’s in the bag. Don’t get them mad,” he said during a segment of Coach’s Corner on Hockey Night in Canada, explaining the approach he would take if he were at the helm of a team with such a commanding lead early in a playoff game.
“Don’t run at anybody, don’t be a smart guy, just play the game, because [you’re] up 4–0 and it’s in the bag.”
Cherry said he was confident the Senators would pull out a victory — something he’d predicted before the game began — especially with the benefit of an enthusiastic home-ice crowd.
He also had some praise for Dion Phaneuf, who has been landing big hits and appears to be playing like he did back in his days with the Calgary Flames.
“He looks like [Chris] Neil,” Cherry said.
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