FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-It’s good to be back! While you never want to put too much stock in a preseason game, you know the opposition and the networks that cover them certainly would have if it was a different result for their beloved Leafs. The Senators controlled this game from start to finish and got standout performances up and down their line up. Mark Stone looked like Mark Stone again which was so nice to see after the way he finished last season. Mike Hoffman was flying and registered a very early candidate for goal of the year. Craig Anderson looked like he was in mid-season form in his 30 minutes of work and vets like Cody Ceci, Jean Gabriel Pageau and Johnny Oduya all had good nights. And that’s not to mention solid performances from a handful of bubble/Belleville guys in Tyler Randell, Ben Sexton, Danny Taylor, Gabriel Gagne and Andreas Englund. Lots to like about this one.
-It’s only a preseason game but last night provided a glimpse into what makes Thomas Chabot such a special player. Everything he does on the ice just looks so effortless and the little plays he makes in the offensive zone are the type usually reserved for ten year veterans. His patience with the puck combined with an understanding of when to jump into the play makes him such a dangerous player and one that should have a bright future in the National Hockey League. There were a few instances where the speed of the game seemed to surprise him a little bit in his own end but the best way to adjust to the speed of the NHL is by playing in the NHL.
-The first time I watched Christian Jaros play was for Slovakia in the World Junior tournament in 2014. After a couple games I remember being a little bit confused by the defensive defenceman label the organization has given him. And again last night, that’s just not the type of player I saw. While he’s certainly responsible in his own end and physical when he has to be, what really stands out is his quick, crisp decisions with the puck and his willingness to jump into the play. It’s going to be fun to watch this guy develop. Really seems like the Sens have found a good one in Jaros.
-So about that new faceoff rule? Yea that’s not going to work. In another classic case of the NHL taking a drastic step to fix a problem that didn’t exist, last night was our first look at what appears to be a league-wide crackdown on faceoff violations. It happened a few times in last night’s game (here’s two of them- On Dominic Moore and Connor Brown) and it had Coaches and players talking after the game. For something like this to be successful, there has to be a whole lot more clarity about what the expectations are for centres on the draw. The thought of one of those penalties being called in a playoff game makes me a little bit nauseous. Not a big fan of the slashing crackdown either but at least in that instance they are trying to solve a real issue. It’s just going to very difficult to tell the difference between a stick-check and something that’s in the hand area though.
-On a night where just about everything went right for the Ottawa Senators, it was a late-game injury that had people talking after the game. Colin White, who had a fairly quiet night overall, blocked a shot with what looked like his wrist late in the game and was clearly in a ton of pain leaving the ice. Boucher said they won’t know the extent of the injury until the swelling goes down a bit, which doesn’t sound promising. White is considered one of the favourites to fill Derick Brassard’s spot early in the season.
#Sens Head Coach Guy Boucher speaks to media following tonight’s 6-2 preseason win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. pic.twitter.com/Vxj1Onl89m
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) September 19, 2017
Boxscore
Schedule
Line up for Tonight’s Game vs. Maple Leafs
Loading …(UPDATE- 11:30 AM)- The Senators are on the ice for their morning skate ahead of tonight’s rematch against the Leafs. Courtesy of Brent Wallace, a best guess at their forward combinations for this one. The line up includes Parker Kelly, who was just signed to an entry level contract earlier today.
McCormick-Thompson-Pyatt
Vandevelde-Brown-DiDomenico
Batherson-Reinhart-Kelly
Formenton-Chlapik-Blunden
