FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-There’s something special brewing here. You can hear it in the way the players are talking before and after each game and see it in the way they respond as the heat gets turned up. Fighting through tough stretches and pushing back when things aren’t going their way. This is a team that’s starting to believe and it’s pretty clearly contagious throughout the lineup. Another damn good effort against a good hockey team in a really tough building. With these last three wins, the Ottawa Senators are now officially in a playoff race. And man oh man, does it ever feel good to watch important hockey games again. Next up- the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night at the Canadian Tire Centre. That rink is gonna be jammed and the buzz that has been building over the last couple months is gonna hit another level. Be there.
-Big Game Brass! Playing in his 1000th game in the city where he played some of his best hockey, Derick Brassard turned back the clock on Thursday night and was a huge reason the Senators came away with another two points in their playoff push. It didn’t come with a lot of fan fare when the Senators brought Brassard in on a PTO this year but he has been quietly solid this year and because of the injury to Josh Norris, has really filled in a key role at the centre ice position. You can also see that he’s a respected player in that locker room and a key part of the leadership group that is driving this playoff push. Awesome to see him contribute on his big night at MSG.
-Aside from the heart-stopping scare in the third period, safe to say Jakob Chychrun’s Ottawa debut was a resounding success. After sitting for three weeks and flying in over night, Chychrun hit the ground running for the Senators and was rock solid in his first game as a Senator. He found a couple good opportunities to jump into the rush but what was most impressive about his game last night was his ability to disrupt plays with an active stick. It’s the kind of thing you don’t usually see on a guy’s highlight reel and that you only pick up on when you watch him on a regular basis. He was winning puck battles all night long. His debut was impressive but it was his between periods interview that really jumped out. This is a guy who is so clearly thrilled to be an Ottawa Senator. He’s going to fit in perfectly with this group.
-If you watch him closely over the course of a hockey game, Jake Sanderson will do at least six or seven things that make no logical sense. And I mean that in the best way possible. His ability to win puck battles that he looks like he has no chance in and knock down pucks that he has no business touching is seriously one of the most impressive things. He almost never makes a mistake and he’s next to impossible to beat one on one. And in case you’re wondering, he is still very much a rookie defenceman in the National Hockey League. He is absolutely going to get Calder votes from anyone that has been watching him closely this season.
-It’s going to be interesting to see how DJ Smith sorts out the defence down the stretch. They now have seven guys that you can comfortably roll out on any given night and that means at least one tough decision to make before each game. Smith’s decision to scratch Erik Brannstrom came with some predictable criticism last night but it’s no secret that he doesn’t love Brannstrom on his off side so maybe we shouldn’t be too surprised. Both Brannstrom and Holden are going to be big parts of this playoff push though.
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Oh! And it’s Trade Deadline Day on SensChirp!
Like every other General Manager, Pierre Dorion has already made his big splash but that doesn’t mean he’s done. Ottawa will take a close look at the market today and based on some of the buzz, may look at adding another forward (a centre) to provide a little additional depth down the middle.
Dorion has played the trade market to perfection the last ten months, so don’t be surprised if he finds one more bargain before the deadline hits later today.
Remain buckled, folks.
