FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-This game started well for the Senators. I thought they took it to Tampa Bay for the majority of that first period until that late 5 on 3. Pretty rare to see a team get a full two minute/two man-advantage but in this case, both calls were legitimate. The Senators almost made it the intermission tied but a late goal by Kucherov gave Tampa the lead after twenty and the Sens never really recovered. They had a pretty good push in the back half of the third but by that point it was too little, too late.
-This was without a doubt, the best game Chris Wideman has played in the NHL. He was held off the score sheet but certainly not for a lack of trying. Wideman finished the game with a team high seven shots on goal and it felt like he had the puck on his stick all night long. There has obviously been a bit of an adjustment period for Wideman as he transitions to the NHL game but you can tell he’s getting more and more comfortable every night. His confidence was at an all time high last night. Wideman has actually been pretty solid on most nights but in this one he actually looked like a difference maker. Hopefully more of that to come.
-I thought Cody Ceci looked pretty good too. And for the same reasons. More confident with the puck on his stick, skating the puck out of trouble on a number of occasions and obviously showing tremendous skill on that goal in the third period. Ottawa’s blueline has been a sort spot in the first quarter of the season but if both Ceci and Wideman can turn in efforts like they did last night on a regular basis, things might start to look a little better back there.
-Jared Cowen finished the game with just 13:25 of ice time, the lowest of any Senator defenceman. You would have to think he’s a strong candidate to come out of the line up on Saturday. Move Borowiecki back to defence and get Shane Prince back in the line up, preferably on the second line. Zack Smith has been good but I still think he’s more suited to that fourth line centre role. Dave Cameron has juggled things a lot lately and that’s fine but at some point you have to let guys play their proper position.
-Things are really starting to tighten up in the Atlantic Division. The Sens sit six points back of the top ranked Habs (with a game in hand) but are only four points clear of the 6th place Tampa Bay Lightning. Any sort of prolonged winning streak or losing streak can be the difference between first place in the Eastern Conference and 12th. It’s that close right now. Heading into the month of December, it was pretty clear this was going to be a crucial month for Ottawa. They are 3-3-0 so far which isn’t bad but it would be nice to close out this road trip with a win in Montreal on Saturday night.
