FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-I like Craig Anderson. I like him a lot. In my opinion, he is the best goalie in franchise history (before you yell HASEK! I don’t mean the most talented but the best, which in my opinion, is a combination of success and tenure) and nobody else comes close. Okay maybe Lalime does but still. This organization has had a hell of a time with goaltending over the years and he has given them stability at the position where it’s often so hard to find it. Ask the Philadelphia Flyers. And that’s why it has been so difficult to watch the gradual decline in his game over the last couple seasons. While there is no doubt his game has dropped off a little bit, as tends to happen with age, it’s been magnified by the fact that the team has unraveled defensively in front of him. Stopping pucks for this group is a tough gig. But when his career does come to an end, we’ll look back on Andy as one of the most important players in franchise history. Leader in games played, wins, save percentage, goals against average, tied in playoff wins. Only shutouts left to go. Last night was the 28th of his Sens career, just two back of Patrick Lalime.
-It’s amazing what a little confidence can do for a hockey team. Just about everything has gone wrong for the Senators this season but since the Coaching change there are flashes of a barely recognizable group. Consistency is obviously still a huge issue but you can see they are at least trending in the right direction. And the differences in their game are turning up in all three zones. In their own end of the rink, it seems like they’ve simplified things. Guys seem to better understand their assignment and when it’s going well, their structure just seems a little more uhh structured. Same thing in the neutral zone. A complex forecheck and a tendency to sit back and try to wait for a mistake has been replaced with a more conventional approach that attempts to force those mistakes. And in the offensive zone, guys seem like they have the freedom to make plays. To try things that may not have tried earlier in the season. That Gibbons/Wolanin/Paajarvi goal was a prime example of what NHL players can do when they have the freedom to improvise and the confidence to pull it off.
-The games may not mean much to the Senators down the stretch (although Operation Don’t Finish Last is showing signs of life) but the roster is filled with guys looking to make a strong impression heading into next season. Anthony Duclair is probably at the top of that list. Duclair is just 23 years old and already suiting up for his fifth NHL team. Nobody will say it publicly but this has to feel like a last chance to prove he can do what it takes to be an everyday player. And so far, he has done everything expected and then some during his brief time as a Senators. Five goals in 15 games and consistent flashes of the speed and skill that make him so dangerous. Duclair is a restricted free agent this summer and you would certainly think he has done enough to earn another look next year.
-Brian Gibbons is another player that has made a strong impression since the trade deadline in February. A forgotten deal of sorts, Gibbons has carved out a niche for himself in the team’s bottom six and actually been surprisingly productive in that role. Gibbons is a little older (31) and will have the opportunity to listen to offers from other team’s as an unrestricted free agent so it will be interesting to see if he considers a return to Ottawa. Obviously a rebuilding team like the Senators has to leave roster spots open for young players but with 10 points in 14 games, he has certainly done enough to earn an NHL job somewhere next season. On a one year deal, that’s something the organization has to consider.
-Bruce Garrioch was on Question Period last night and had some interesting comments about the search for a new Team President. While he didn’t name any specific candidates for the position, he did suggest that experience is the most important asset in this hire. Specifically they’ll be looking for someone with experience negotiating contracts and a comfort “selling the message”. Garrioch also mentioned that the organization plans on investing significant resources on the scouting side of things this summer. With a record number of picks in the first three rounds coming up over the next three years, this is certainly a good time to address that side of the house. An experience Team President and significant investment in scouting were two of the key items fans were demanding from Ownership during this rebuilding phase. If he isn’t going to do the getting the hell out of town part, it’s encouraging that the other demands are being addressed.
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 27, 2019
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