FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-If it’s okay with everyone here, I’m going to go ahead and declare that the biggest win of the season for the Ottawa Senators. And actually, I can’t think of one that’s even close. To stroll into a building like the United Center, against a team like the Chicago Blackhawks, and outplay them for a full sixty minutes is damn impressive. The Senators were the better team in this one and did a great job limiting chances against a talented Hawks team and burying their own opportunities along the way. After that early third period goal by the Hawks it would have been easy for the Senators to crumble but they didn’t. They earned those two points.
-Has there ever been a better use of a 5th round pick than the acquisition of Mike Condon? Man, what a move that has turned out to be for new Senators General Manager Pierre Dorion. Knowing that he needed to act and act fast, Dorion acquired a quality goaltender for dirt cheap and possibly saved Ottawa’s season in the process. Condon has been so good for the Senators in his eleven starts and he was at his best last night, especially in that third period. He was doing a spectacular job of tracking the puck in traffic and in scrambles in the crease. His penalty shot save is obviously the one that stands out but he made four or five huge stops in the last 5 minutes of this game. Spectacular third period to preserve a huge two points.
-Bobby Ryan’s recent hot streak continues and this time he actually used his stick to put the puck in the net. Ryan has now scored goals in four straight games and has at least a point in his last five. It’s strange how an injury to his hand seemed to be dragging down every part of his game. The hand is back to 100% and it feels like everything, legs included, are suddenly on another level. Confidence is a huge part of Ryan’s game and he’s finally starting to feel it a little bit out there. He’s fun to watch when he’s at the top of his game.
-He doesn’t get a ton of headlines when he plays well but this was another quietly spectacular performance by Marc Methot. He and Erik Karlsson were both terrific last night actually. That pairing drew a lot of the tough assignments against the Hawks top players and did a great job containing them. In a post-game interview with TSN’s Chris Cuthbert, Marc Methot talked about his commitment to playing better defensive hockey this season and you could see it in his face and hear it in his voice that he honestly believes this team is finally on the right track under Guy Boucher. This new system required complete buy in from the players and listening to that Methot interview, it’s clear that Boucher’s message is getting through.
-With last night’s win, the Senators are now officially off to their best start since the 2007-2008 season when they went 22-8-3 in their first 33 games. They now sit four points clear of the Boston Bruins for second place in the Atlantic Division and they’re once again a Top 10 team in the National Hockey League, tied with the likes for San Jose, Washington and St. Louis in the overall standings. Seriously, if you can’t find things to like about this team and this start to the season, then maybe this whole being a Sens fan thing isn’t really for you. The scary part is with Derick Brassard and Bobby Ryan just starting to heat up and Clarke MacArthur inching closer to a return, this team may be just starting to scratch the surface of their potential.
Boucher’s Post-Game Comments
Boxscore
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