Tkachuk, Lajoie and Anderson Lead Senators Over Stars

SensChirp October 16, 2018 0
Tkachuk, Lajoie and Anderson Lead Senators Over Stars

FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS

-If you’re looking for a sure-fire way to motivate a hockey team, counting them out often does the trick. Write them off before the season starts. Tell them they can’t do something and then watch what happens. All summer long, this group heard about how they were nothing without Erik Karlsson. A guaranteed 31st place finish. Through six games it’s pretty clear that this collections of guys don’t give a shit what the experts say. The 20+ players in that room came to work and to prove people wrong.  Not sure where this team is going to finish in the standings when it’s all said and done but I can say pretty confidently that they’re going to put up more of a fight along the way.  Another total team effort last night.

-While the Senators have started the season with an impressive 3-2-1 record, you’re going to see a lot of people pointing to the shot-differential as a cause for concern.  And for the most part, those people are right.  Giving up close to 40 shots a game isn’t usually a recipe for long-term success.  But watching the last two games, where the Sens were outshot by a fair margin, it’s clear that the shot clock doesn’t tell the whole story.  In both cases (against Los Angeles and against Dallas), the Senators were in control of the game most of the way. In particular, the Stars shot total was inflated because they spent an eternity without a goalie in the net. Not as long as the Philadelphia Flyers have gone without one but damn close.  And as they mentioned a couple times on the broadcast, the Senators are doing a good job of keeping shots to the outside and limiting those second and third opportunities.  Craig Anderson was definitely sharp last night and worthy of first star honours but it’s not like the Stars carried the play, as the shot clock might suggest.

-Not that Sens fans need much more evidence after the start he’s had but there was a shift in the second period that showed exactly what Brady Tkachuk is all about. Just an absolute menace on the forecheck and in front of the net but combined with the hockey IQ of a high-end offensive talent. The NHL is becoming a young man’s game but it’s still difficult for a 19 year old to walk into a pro line up and have an immediate impact. In the case of Tkachuk, it’s like he’s been doing it for 10 years instead of just 4 games. Seriously, to play the game with confidence and swagger he does at that age is nothing short of remarkable. 5 shots, 4 hits, 8 Tkachuks (causing shit in front of the net) and the game-winning goal. Six points in his first four NHL games. You can order your Brady Tkachuk jersey here.

-Yep, Max Lajoie is definitely a freak.  The way he has started the season is going to go down in Sens history in terms of a player coming out of nowhere to have an immediate impact.  One of the most amazing things about Lajoie’s start is there has never been an indication at any point in his career that he could be an offensive force.  Never hit double digit goals in the Western Hockey League and only scored once in 56 games in Belleville last year. Yet watching him jump up in the play, you would swear he’s been playing that way his whole career.  He’s just such a smart hockey player and has a strong sense of when to go and when to stay back.  He is the first defenceman in Ottawa Senators’ history to put up 7 points in his first 6 games. Oh and I feel like this is worth repeating…he’s a 20 year old rookie! You can order your Max Lajoie jersey here.

-And with that, the NHL regular season has come to a close. Or so it would appear when looking at the upcoming schedule. After a rare Monday night home game, the Senators now don’t play again until Saturday. No trip to Sweden that I am aware of either. Just a big ol’ four day break in the middle of the first month of the season.  Guy Boucher has retired the whole “rest is a weapon” way of thinking so this figures to be a busy week of practice for the Senators.  They’ll have a full day off today before returning to the practice ice tomorrow. The Montreal Canadiens are in town on Saturday night.

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