Do you remember where you were?
Maybe you just watched it on TV? Maybe you went to the game that night and can actually think back to the feeling in the building?
It was a mostly uneventful regular season game against the New York Islanders, actually. Jean-Gabriel Pageau made his return. The Senators won 4-3. Just a normal game. And then, about a week later, everything changed.
It has been 588 days since the Canadian Tire Centre hosted a regular season hockey game with fans in the rink.
A lot has changed since then. The fan discourse over the last couple weeks suggests a lot of things remain the same. Look, there’s no sugar-coating it- we got issues. This rebuild is pointed in the right direction but this owner, this fanbase, this market and this team- we all got issues. Yet later tonight, for the first time in almost six hundred days, we have an opportunity to block out the noise for a few hours and just enjoy our hobby again.
We can head down to the CTC, buy a deliciously over-priced draught beer, purchase a handful of 50/50 tickets even though we know Eugene always wins, sit shoulder to shoulder with some obnoxious Leaf fan, feel the buzz in the rink as the danger flutes kick in and for one night, we can recapture a bit of the normalcy that has been taken from us in the last couple years.
The Ottawa Senators host the Toronto Maple Leafs in the regular season opener.
Tonight’s opposition, the Toronto Maple Leafs, enter another season as a self-proclaimed Stanley Cup contender. Despite possessing none of the actual qualities of a contending hockey team and even though this particular group carries a stunning amount of playoff baggage, this could finally be their year.
Meanwhile, it’s hard to know what to expect from the Sens this year. As recently as a month ago, it felt like fan expectations and excitement levels were rising heading into the new season. Their prospect pool is the envy of the league. The team finished last year on a high note and the “Sens Sickos” embraced a hard-working roster filled with young stars in the making. It really seemed like Sens fans were ready to bury the hatchet on the missteps of the past and just get back to supporting the players on the ice. Unfortunately, a prolonged contract negotiation, the preseason struggles of Michael Del Zotto and the outdated signage and cold tap water at the CTC have completely derailed the whole damn thing.
In all seriousness, I get it.
Two months of hand-wringing over the gigantic elephant in the room has been emotionally draining. When all you read is anger and frustration, it’s becomes difficult to feel anything else.
But for tonight anyway, the focus belongs on the guys that are here. Guys like Josh Norris, Shane Pinto, Drake Batherson and Alex Formenton- all poised for huge breakout years. And the second year superstar-in-the-making, Tim Stützle. A player that many Sens fans will be seeing live and in-person for the first time tonight. The now 19-year old gets to play a real game, in front of fans, for the first time in his career tonight.
It’s weird that Brady isn’t here yet but until he arrives, and he will arrive eventually, there’s still lots to like about this group.
DJ Smith will have the team on the ice for the morning skate at 10:30 AM so we’ll confirm the lineup then. Sounds like he’s at least toying with the idea of dressing 11 forwards and seven defenceman. Up the roof!
Here’s how DJ has them lined up at the morning skate…
Stützle-Norris-Batherson
Paul-Pinto-Brown
Formenton-Tierney-Ennis
Sanford-Shaw-Kelly
Sanford
Chabot-Zub
Mete-Zaitsev
Holden-Brown
Del Zotto-Brannstrom
Anton Forsberg starts.
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:00 PM. The game is available on TSN4, TSN5, TSN1200 and if you’re feeling really adventurous, you can head down to the CTC and watch it with thousands of your closest friends and mortal enemies. Remember to wear your mask though- there will be Leaf fans everywhere.
Back by popular demand, the HEAD2HEAD table.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 1-0-0 (2 pts) | Undefeated |
| Goals For | 2.00 (T-7th) | None…YET |
| Goals Against | 1.00 (T9th) | None yet! |
| Power Play | 33.3% (T-4th) | Perfect |
| Penalty Kill | 0,0% (T-8th) | Flawless |
| Shots For | 30.0 (T-9th) | Lots |
| Shots Against | 32.0 (8th) | Not very many |
| Leading Scorers | Buntin- 1 pt Engvall- 1 pt Marner- 1 pts |
Zub- 0 pts Zub- Zub pts Zub- Zub Zub |
| Starting Goalie | Petr Mrázek 0-0-0 -.– GAA, .— sv% |
Anton Forsberg 0-0-0 -.– GAA, .— sv% |
