It’s happened a few times recently but it was on full display in the third period against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s an unfamiliar feeling and maybe one that hasn’t really been there consistently since the 2007 season. Sure there have been flashes in the last 15 years or so but what’s encouraging lately, is that it’s starting to be a regular thing.
And it’s this- when the Ottawa Senators flip the switch, they are capable of flat out dominating a hockey game.
That valiant comeback attempt against the Penguins was the latest example. They were coming in waves and the Penguins- an Eastern Conference powerhouse and what feels like a perennial Stanley Cup Contender- really had no answer. I didn’t hear them say it obviously but you could almost sense a “Uh oh” reaction from the likes of Crosby, Malkin and Letang unfolding in real time. In fact, there were shifts where you could see those three in particular trying to push-back and get the game back in their control and they just couldn’t do it.
The Senators ultimately came up short on Thursday night but it was another clear reminder that this team is close. Like, really close. And when they ultimately peak with this collection of hockey players, they are going to be an absolute handful.
This has been a weird year. There were encouraging signs in the start but it all unravelled pretty quick in the month of November. Looking back, local media and fans probably should have given this team a little slack during that challenging stretch but it’s understandable that patience is thin in this market. And then in December, the Senators were again mostly left on their own. But what we’re seeing this month is regular signs that this is a team that has turned the corner.
And it’s all the right players leading the way. The five-headed monster of Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, Josh Norris, Thomas Chabot and Tim Stützle have shown that they are going to drive this bus for years to come.
One of the reasons this thing is starting to shift into another gear though is the emergence of guys in that second tier. Erik Brannstrom, in the words of the Head Coach, has “arrived”. You can see him gaining confidence with every shift. Alex Formenton, who feels like he’s been around forever at this point, is finally recognizing just how dangerous he can be at the NHL level. Jacob Bernard-Docker looks more than comfortable and seems to be adjusting to the NHL pace. Add Jake Sanderson and Shane Pinto to those eight guys and well, look out.
This may seem like an unusual amount of optimism for a 30th place hockey team but if you’ve been watching closely, you can see it too. They told us there would be rising and they promised unparalleled success.
Not long now.
The Ottawa Senators visit Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Saturday night.
With 49 games left in their season, this may seem like a situation where the Sens are left to just play out the string. That pesky 24-point gap is going to be tough to close. But watching the last few games, it’s clear that this team has no intention of coasting to the finish line.
They’ll have their hands full on Saturday.
The Capitals have an impressive 22-10-9 record although they have sputtered a bit lately, going just 4-4-2 in their last ten outings. Alex Ovechkin leads the way for them obviously. Even at 36, he’s showing no real signs of slowing down. He leads the league in goals and points and now sits just 9 goals back of Jaromir Jagr for third on the all-time goal scoring list. Just 137 back of Gretzky for those keeping track.
No game day skate for the Senators so we’ll have to wait until DJ’s 11:10 AM media availability to find out if there are any changes to the lineup. Brady Tkachuk and Alex Formenton both missed practice yesterday but they are expected to be available tonight.
A best guess at the lineup for now.
Tkachuk-Norris-Batherson
Formenton-Stützle-Sanford
Paul-Gambrell-Watson
Bishop-Tierney-Gaudette
Chabot-Zub
Brannstrom-Brown
Holden-Bernard-Docker
We’ll find out later this morning who is available between the pipes. Or the Head Coach will keep it a secret until game time, which is always fun.
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:00 PM. At 7:08 PM, to be exact. The game is available on Sportsnet One, which means we’ll get to listen to the panel pretend they have any idea who the Ottawa Senators are. Fun! Dean and Gord are on the call at TSN1200 and Bort will be serving up streaming hot steams.
Here’s a closer look at tonight’s match-up via the HEAD2HEAD table.
Also, an avocado…is a fruit. Huh.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 11-20-2 (24 pts) | 22-10-9 (53 pts) |
| Goals For | 2.82 (T-20th) | 3.27 (10th) |
| Goals Against | 3.67 (31st) | 2.76 (T-11th) |
| Power Play | 19.4% (T-16th) | 15.0% (30th) |
| Penalty Kill | 78.3% (20th) | 79.6% (16th) |
| Shots For | 29.6 (22nd) | 31.5 (16th) |
| Shots Against | 33.8 (27th) | 28.4 (2nd) |
| Leading Scorers | Batherson- 33 pts Norris- 26 pts Tkachuk- 26 pts Brown- 19 pts Chabot- 19 pts |
Ovechkin- 56 pts Kuznetsov- 40 pts Carlson- 32 pts Wilson- 29 pts Eller- 19 pts |
| Starting Goalie | TEEBEEDEE | TEEBEEDEE |
