FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-There were three periods in that game. The first. The second. And the Mika Zibanejad. The Senators looked like they were down and out in this game until Zibanejad put the team on his back in the third period. And in particular in 2:38 of the third period. It’s flashes of brilliance like that which sort of leave people wanting more from Zibanejad. He’s an incredibly talented player that can single-handedly change the game. He did that last night.
-Goes without saying but that was a massive win for the Senators. After letting two points slip away in Vancouver the other night this sort of had the feel of a must win game for Ottawa. And down two goals heading into the third period, it felt like the faint playoff hopes were all but gone. Instead Ottawa finished the road trip on a high note and come home with four of a possible six points. Still four points back of the Penguins for the second wild card spot but with three teams to jump.
-Prior to yesterday’s game, the Sens announced they had signed Chris Neil to a one year contract extension. It was a surprisingly polarizing move among fans. Okay maybe not surprising but certainly disappointing. After everything Chris Neil has done for the organization and the way he remade himself as a player this year, I really thought there would be close to universal support for the move. It’s a low cost, zero risk contract to a useful fourth line player. And it just so happens that it’s a player that has given his entire life to the organization.
-It’s been a pretty disastrous season for the Binghamton Senators and last night, the organization made it pretty clear they’re not happy with the way things have gone down there this year. In a rare multi-player AHL deal, the BSens sent Cole Schneider, Eric O’Dell, Alex Guptill and Mike Sdao to Buffalo in exchange for Jason Akeson, Phil Varone and Jerome Leduc. Obviously the Tim Murray connection is a big reason for this deal as he gets a couple guys he knows pretty well in Schneider and Sdao. O’Dell has had a strong season in Binghamton while Guptill has been up and down between the AHL and ECHL most of the year. In return, the Sens get a couple guys with some NHL experience in Akeson and Varone. Wouldn’t call them prospects but useful depth for the organization. Binghamton was pretty desperate for bodies on defence and this trade gets them one guy that can step right into the line up in Leduc.
-With the trade deadline just a day away, there’s plenty of talk around the Ottawa Senators. No guarantee anything gets done before tomorrow at 3:00 PM but Bryan Murray and his staff are definitely considering a few different options. The Jonathan Drouin pursuit continues obviously. Teams are definitely interested in both Patrick Wiercioch and Shane Prince although to this point, nobody has offered enough to get something done. The Panthers were kicking tires but they’ve gone in another direction. I’ve also heard that the Senators have talked to Dallas and St. Louis about young forwards. Another thing to keep an eye on in the next 24 hours.
