There’s an NFL flair to defense

All you need to know about Ottawa’s inept offense in the Stanley Cup finals is that in two games, the Ducks have limited the Senators to 36 shots on goal, with 15 of them coming in man-advantage situations.

Playing a style of defense similar to an NFL Cover 2 scheme with two safeties deep, the Ducks have made it difficult for the Senators to get the puck into the attacking zone.

“It’s not just that, but they have a couple of real good safeties back there,” Ottawa forward Mike Comrie said of the Ducks’ Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. “They take away the home run pass. You have to really simplify things against them.... We have to somehow find a way to create chances without turning the puck over.”

While Ottawa’s top-line forwards Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley have taken heat for their ineffectiveness so far in this series, Comrie and the rest of the Senators’ secondary goal-scorers have also struggled.

Comrie, acquired by Ottawa in a trade from Phoenix in January, has one assist and three shots on goal against the Ducks. Not the type of production Coach Bryan Murray was looking for from a player brought in for his offensive skills.

“No, he’s not” playing to “expectations,” Murray said Friday. “But there’s a number of guys that aren’t. Mike Comrie isn’t the only one.”

Murray noted that Comrie played much better in Game 2 and had a chance to score a goal during a power play but just couldn’t get it in the net.

“He’s a real hawk around the offensive net,” Murray said of Comrie. “We haven’t got the puck in there, so therefore he hasn’t had a chance to do the things he’s best at.”

Comrie, who scored 13 goals and 25 points in 41 games with Ottawa this season, said the Ducks’ dedication to defense has been impressive.

“As skilled as they are, they still think defense first,” Comrie said of the Ducks, who lead the best-of-seven series, 2-0, heading into tonight’s Game 3 at Scotiabank Place.

“We know that we all need to bring it,” he added. “There’s no question about it, Game 3 is our biggest game up to this point of the season.”

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If it were left up to him, Chris Kunitz might do something drastic to his broken right hand in order to play in the finals.

“I’d cut it off and go try to play,” the Ducks’ forward joked after participating in Friday’s practice.

Since that wouldn’t be prudent for his long-term health, Kunitz must be content with skating alongside his teammates in practice to stay in shape and hope that the two fractures in the middle of his hand heal quickly over the next few days.

Kunitz underwent surgery on May 16 and on Thursday was cleared to travel and participate in practice.

Coach Randy Carlyle said it remains a longshot that Kunitz, who had 25 goals during the regular season, can heal fast enough to be able to play.

“I would still say until we get clearance from a doctor, and that’s first and foremost, then the decision has to be whether he’s in game shape or his hand is this or that,” the coach said. “But at this point, we’re nowhere near that.”

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The Ducks will hold a free viewing party for tonight’s game at the Honda Center with doors opening at 4 p.m.

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lonnie.white@latimes.com

eric.stephens@latimes.com