FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-As a fan base, we often have a hard time giving any credit to the opposition. It seems we always want to blame the outcome on a particular Ottawa mistake, player or Coaching decision. But I think last night is a perfect example of the opposition just earning the win. This Caps team had a reputation as a defensive juggernaut coming in and that’s exactly what we saw for three periods. They gave Ottawa next to nothing for sixty minutes and in the rare instances where the Sens were able to break through, Holtby was there with a big save. I’m not saying Ottawa can’t beat Washington but last night, the Capitals earned that victory.
-I’ll admit I’m having a hard time evaluating the Tom Wilson hit on Curtis Lazar. Partly because a Sens fan bias is swaying my opinion a little bit and partly because I just think Tom Wilson is a bit of a goof. I mean, minutes earlier the guy was skating by the Ottawa bench, taunting the whole team. This is a guy with a reputation and it’s not a good one. It was a blindside hit. There was absolutely contact with the head. But at the same time, I think the Capitals have a case when they say shoulder to shoulder or hip to hip was the primary point of contact. Either way, it was an unnecessary hit and Wilson absolutely knew Lazar was vulnerable. And again, Wilson has a reputation for this sort of thing. Tough one for the league.
-If you’re looking for positives in last night’s performance, look no further than Andrew Hammond. He was excellent for the Senators and gave them a chance to hang around in this one. There were some concerns about rust being a factor for Hammond after nearly a month out of the lineup but he looked as sharp as ever. It’s great news for the Sens as they are definitely going to need Hammond to start a little more often in the weeks to come.
-Listen, I know I said I would stop talking about Jared Cowen but the reality is, this guy keeps making himself the centre of conversation. Last night Cowen played just 11:08, the lowest total on the Ottawa blueline and the least amount of ice time he’s had in a game all season. It’s so abundantly clear that Coach Cameron doesn’t trust Cowen at this point and I’m just not really sure where they go from here. Obviously you would expect to see Cowen come out of the lineup on Friday but now with Lazar’s status in question, they may actually need Borowiecki at forward again. If you’re suggestion is “Trade Cowen”, don’t even bother. Other GM’s see him play. Nobody his trading for that contract without sending Ottawa an even worse contract in return.
-And a quick thought on the already contentious LeBreton Flats debate. This morning, the Ottawa Citizen published an editorial questioning the legitimacy of a rink at LeBreton Flats. Yesterday, Councilor Catherine McKenney was openly critical of the idea. Mayor Jim Watson expressed concern over the fact that only two bids were submitted. It’s been two days and you can already see where this is headed. Keep in mind this is a month before we even know what the two groups are proposing! It’s already become abundantly clear that Ottawa hockey fans are going to have to make sure their voices are heard on this one because at every turn, you’re going to see people dismissing the idea.
