FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-In the aftermath of last night’s 5-4 win over the Calgary Flames there was still a whole lot of angst among fans unhappy with how the Sens won the game. I have a bit of a news flash for you- the Ottawa Senators are not an elite hockey team. They don’t get to choose how they win games. In this particular instance the Sens need to take those two points and run like hell. Lots to work on but at the end of the day, two points is two points.
-Never again, Cowen-Borowiecki. Never again. I want to believe that Dave Cameron is a smart hockey man so I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But if I ever see a Cowen-Borowiecki pairing dress for the Senators again I’ll have serious doubts about Cameron’s ability to Coach at the NHL level. That sounds extreme and it’s meant to. This pairing is so obviously a bad idea that I just can’t rationalize why you would you use them, ever. I get that you need the extra body for the penalty kill but it’s just not worth it to have those two out there every third shift at 5 on 5. Individually, I still think both guys can be useful but together just makes no sense. It has to stop. Now.
-For the third straight game the Senators used a line of Ryan-Turris-Stone and for the third straight game they looked like a pretty dangerous trio. Cameron is going to have some decisions to make once Mike Hoffman returns. The old rule is you don’t lose your spot to injury and I suspect that will apply when Hoffman is ready. But the fact is, the Sens have found the key to kick-starting Bobby Ryan and they should continue to use it.
-Sure was nice to see Bobby Ryan finally get one. You could tell this recent goal scoring slump was wearing on him and it was only going to get worse with the increased media attention he was getting. Ryan is the kind of player that listens to his critics a little too much at times which can make the slump that much worse. Hopefully now that the first (with a goalie) has gone in, the ol’ ketchup bottle will start to flow a little bit.
-That was about as good of a four goal game as you’ll see from a goalie. Craig Anderson was the victim of some terrible bounces but did a good job of battling through it and securing the win. He kept the Sens in a game the Flames mostly dominated through forty minutes. He made a massive save on Gaudreau in overtime that was the only reason this game even went to a shootout. He was also sharp in the shootout, giving the team a couple big stops again on Gaudreau and finally on Monahan to end the game.
