[Raji]

Senators preparing for unfamiliar Ducks
Wed, May 23, 2007By Associated Press

OTTAWA -- Daniel Alfredsson and the Ottawa Senators have some cramming to do before facing the Anaheim Ducks in the Stanley Cup final.

The teams, set to open the finals Monday night in Anaheim, didn't face each other this season and haven't met in Anaheim since Oct. 17, 2003, when Senators goalie Patrick Lalime made 30 saves in a 3-0 victory.

In fact, they have played only once since then, with Anaheim's Chris Kunitz beating Dominik Hasek for the shootout winner in Ottawa on Jan. 19, 2006.

Oddsmakers have the Ducks listed as -138 favorites in Game 1. The total is set at 5.

''I haven't seen them much, a period here and there during the playoffs,'' said Alfredsson, the Senators' captain. ''I think it will be the most physical series so far. They're a bigger team and they have some skilled guys as well.''

Ottawa center Mike Fisher has confidence that the current level of the Senators' game will ensure a competitive series even if they have much less experience to draw on in facing Anaheim compared to their familiarity with Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Buffalo - the Eastern Conference champions' opponents on their way to the Canadian capital's first Stanley Cup final since 1927.

''We'll obviously get a look at video to see their tendencies, but we've got to keep doing the same things we're doing,'' Fisher said. ''We feel good where our game is at. We're in tough but we think it's a good series.''

Senators coach Bryan Murray is well-acquainted with a number of the Ducks' players, notably goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the 2003 Conn Smythe winner when Anaheim lost in seven games to New Jersey.

''You have to be on with a shot because you don't get very many soft goals on him,'' said Murray, who was the Ducks' GM at the time.

Martin Gerber, Ottawa's backup goalie, held the same role behind Giguere with Anaheim in 2003.

''He doesn't play fancy or flashy,'' Gerber said. ''He's probably the hardest-working guy in the league, the way he works in practices.''

Raji