Fall guy on Senators isn’t easily tripped up

Daniel Alfredsson is the only member of the Senators who has played in all 96 of the team’s Stanley Cup playoff games since 1997.

That means the Swedish-born right wing has been on the wrong side of a lot of post-series handshake lines.

Fairly or not, Alfredsson has become the symbol of the Senators’ postseason failures and unfulfilled promise. Great things have been expected since their 103-point breakthrough season in 1998-99, but they haven’t delivered in the playoffs:

* 1999: Ranked third overall, eliminated in the first round by Buffalo.

* 2000: Eliminated in the first round by Toronto.

* 2001: Swept out of the first round by Toronto.

* 2003: Seeded first in the playoffs, eliminated in seven games in the Eastern Conference finals by New Jersey.

* 2004: Eliminated in the first round by Toronto.

* 2006: Seeded first, eliminated in the second round by Buffalo.

The Senators’ early stumbles this season put Alfredsson at the forefront of trade rumors, at least until they righted themselves around Christmas. With the weight of expectations lighter than usual, they cruised through the playoffs -- until they ran into the buzz saw of the Ducks’ relentless physical play.

The history of the Cup finals favors the Ducks to expand the 2-0 lead they built at Anaheim and win their first championship. But Alfredsson, shut out in the first two games but still the top playoff goal-scorer with 10, says his team will perform better tonight under duress than any of its predecessors did.

“I think for starters, we haven’t played as good as we wanted the first two games,” Alfredsson said Friday after the Senators practiced at Scotiabank Place.

“We’ve been within dying minutes in the third period and had our chance to win them. So we know we can play better. It’s not like we’re giving them our best and we don’t have a chance.

“We feel we can be a lot better, and I feel playing at home is going to bring that out of us. And we fought a lot of adversity throughout the year. And I think the way we responded makes me comfortable.”

Alfredsson’s reaction to losing the first two games was to remain calm and avoid a panic that might become contagious. He isn’t big on inspirational speeches and he’s unlikely to scream or throw things, and he was smart enough not to change his personality now, when the Senators need comfort and familiarity.

In the close confines of the Senators’ locker room after their 1-0 loss at Anaheim on Wednesday, and again since the team returned to Ottawa, Alfredsson has stressed the positive and the possible. There’s no need to jettison the game plan, just to do a better job of controlling the tempo, winning faceoffs and fighting through checks.

“We had a little chat after the last game, and Alfie spoke a little bit just about needing to play with a little more confidence and turn this around,” said his center, Jason Spezza.

“But I’m sure his play will probably be more than any words can do. And he usually leads by example.”

So far, that example has been less than sterling.

Alfredsson, Spezza and Dany Heatley have been outplayed by the Ducks’ checking line of Travis Moen, Sammy Pahlsson and Rob Niedermayer, an unexpected turn of events.

Spezza and Heatley share the playoff scoring lead with 21 points each, and Alfredsson is close behind at 18. So far in the finals, they’ve produced merely two assists, both on the power play, in Game 1.

The Ducks have not let them control the puck, eliminating the factor that makes the trio so masterful. And that, Ottawa Coach Bryan Murray said, has led Alfredsson to commit mistakes born of frustration.

“In a couple of situations the other night he tried to do far too much again, simply because he wasn’t getting plays created,” Murray said. “So I think when Alfie gets skating the way he does and working and he starts getting the puck when he’s moving, I think you’ll see him back to where he was against Buffalo and the other teams.”

Only if the Ducks let him.

They may have an edge because Pahlsson knows Alfredsson very well. They have played together on Sweden’s national and Olympic teams and won a gold medal together at the Turin Games.

“Of course, I know what he’s good at and what he likes to do,” Pahlsson said, “but I guess he knows me too....

“He’s really good with the puck. He’s always trying to find a good pass, and he makes good decisions and has a really good shot. What you try to do almost every time is take away his time and space. You don’t want to give skilled players any time or space at all.”

Tonight will show if this is indeed Alfredsson’s time and the Senators’ time.

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Helene Elliott can be reached at helene.elliott@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Elliott, go to latimes.com/elliott.