FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-Great game from Bobby Ryan last night. He was probably the most dangerous player on the ice for the Senators. When Ottawa acquired Ryan it was with the idea they were getting a pure sniper but there are parts of his game that are severely underrated. He’s strong in his own end and may actually be one of the best playmakers on the team. Fun to watch when he’s at the top of his game.
-For all the great games Mike Hoffman has had this season, last night’s effort certainly wasn’t his best. Hoffman had settled into a nice little groove with Zibanejad and Ryan but looked a little bit lost at times last night. It will be interesting to see how much time Cameron gives the new line combinations to gel. Plenty of blame to go around on that game winning goal (Where was Phillips going? How does that shot beat Lehner?) but the play started with a Hoffman bobble.
-Speaking of Robin Lehner, it’s tough to really fault him on any of those first period goals although it was sort of indicative of the way things have gone for him lately. Pucks are just finding a way past him. He was much better in the second period but then gave up a soft one on the game winner. The Senators would have a much easier time riding Lehner for a stretch of games if he could give up less than four goals in a start. They may not have much of a choice depending on the severity of Anderson’s injury.
-The agent for Marc Methot and Mike Hoffman was apparently in town for the game last night and sat down with Sens’ Assistant General Manager Pierre Dorion. Mike Hoffman doesn’t seem to be in any rush to sign but the clock is ticking when it comes to Marc Methot. There hasn’t been any talk in the last couple months and there remains a fairly significant gap between the two sides. Both sides are going to have to bend a little bit to get something done and to this point anyway, neither side has appeared willing to do so.
-During an intermission segment last night, Bruce Garrioch suggested that there at least five or six teams looking at Chris Neil right now, including the Winnipeg Jets and the Chicago Blackhawks. Murray is going to leave the final decision up to Neil but it’s a great sign if that many teams have legitimate interest. It’s hard to tell exactly what the asking price might be on Neil but the reality is the more teams that have interest, the higher the price goes. I don’t think the Senators have to trade Neil but they certainly have to get a sense for what the market is like and at least have a conversation with Neil about his interest in playing for a contending team. Neil has been a good soldier for this team for many years and in my opinion, deserves a chance to call his shot.
