FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-“That team was almost in the Stanley Cup Final last year. They competed real hard. All they’ve been hearing about is the Leafs and how great they are. And they showed us that they’re still the big boys and we’re not quite ready.” Well said, Mr. Babcock.
-Heading into this Saturday night tilt, the prevailing wisdom seemed to be that the Ottawa Senators better be careful. The high-flying Leafs were rolling into town and they were here to teach the Sens a lesson. And in the end, they did. The lesson being that when the Senators play their game, and their system, they are still as good as any team in the Eastern Conference. While the Leafs pushed back at times, this was an effort the Senators should be proud of.
-If you’ve ever been to a Leafs/Senators game in Ottawa, you know how unpleasant it can be. Even in the last decade, when their team was largely irrelevant, Leaf fans walk into that building with a swagger and arrogance that is unlike any other fan base. It’s enough to keep a lot of Sens fans away from the building completely. And this year, with the Leafs off to a hot start, it was on another level last night. But as bad as these games can be, it sure is a fun place to be when things go well for the Senators.
-Two games. Six points. Not a bad return to the line up for Erik Karlsson. After a relatively quiet first game, Karlsson has been an offensive force the last couple games, quickly moving into the Top 20 in scoring among a defenceman despite spotting the rest of the league a two week head start. His 2 points per game rate has him tied with Steven Stamkos for the league lead.
-It wasn’t all good news for the Senators. Bobby Ryan took a puck in the hand area and again broke his finger. Boucher was quick to a put a one month timeline on the injury after the game but we should know more about his status in the next couple days. Even though he hasn’t scored through eight games, Ryan has been a huge part of the Ottawa offence and is a big reason that top line with Derick Brassard and Mark Stone has been clicking. They need him back as soon as possible.
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