FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-Just when you think the Andrew Hammond story can’t get any more unbelievable, the guy completes an 11th straight game with two or less goals to star his career (passing Dolly Dolson in the process), stops Claude Giroux to win the game in the shootout, and then picks up a hamburger before skating off the ice while saluting the fans with said hamburger. If I had read that sentence back in October, I would not have understood a word of it. I’m still not sure it makes much sense.
-There’s no doubt about it at this point- this team is playing inspired hockey in front of Andrew Hammond. For whatever reason, having that 27 year old previously unknown goalie guarding their net has lit a fire under this team. There have been nights where Hammond stole points for the Senators but last night was not one of them. They played with terrific pace and intensity most of the night and really didn’t give the Flyers much. The one shot that did go in for Philly probably should have been stopped.
-At 7:00 PM last night, the Washington Capitals were the team Ottawa was chasing. By the time the final horn sounded in both Nation’s Capitals, the Boston Bruins were the target again. The Senators trail the Bruins by five points and have a game in hand. Those two teams meet again on Thursday night in a game that will once again be called, the biggest game of the year.
-But before it gets to that point, the Senators absolutely have to take care of business in Carolina. This is one of those “trap” games if I’ve ever seen one- a one game road trip, against a bottom feeder (that has owned Ottawa recently, a couple days before a crucial home game against the Bruins. The challenge for Dave Cameron will be making sure his team really does take it one game at a time. They have to win on Tuesday night.
-Man, how tough is Mark Borowiecki? I have no idea how he came back in last night’s game. In the third period, Borowiecki crashed hard into the end boards in a collision that had concussion and broken collarbone written all over it. Borowiecki struggled to his feet and managed to skate off under his own power, but it seemed like he was done for the night. Two minutes later, Borowiecki was back out there killing a penalty. Crazy.
