FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-Bryan Murray had a great interview with James Duthie during the first intermission and gave a pretty good idea of what the team is thinking leading up to the deadline- no rentals, they have a few veterans they’d consider moving including Chris Neil, they could move a defenceman if the right offer comes along, they are very interested in BU goalie Matt O’Connor and if a deal for an impact forward with term on his deal comes along they’ll consider it. That’s where things stand with four days till deadline day and I really don’t think the winning streak is going to change that.
-I’m not really sure what’s happening right now but I like it. The combination of some of the weaker links being out of the line up and a goalie standing on his head have the Ottawa Senators playing some of their best hockey of the season. Some of their best hockey in a couple seasons actually. You could see it from the minute the puck dropped last night that a match up against the defending Champs didn’t intimidate them at all. Back to back games in California didn’t matter. The Kings winning streak was irrelevant. They were in Los Angeles to get the two points and nothing else mattered. It’s a confident hockey team we’re watching the last little while.
-At this point, I think we’re all running out of words to describe the incredible play of 27 year old Andrew Hammond. Probably because it’s unlike anything we’ve seen in the history of the franchise. He was an AHL goalie and not a particularly good a couple weeks ago. What he’s doing defies explanation. He now has a 4-0-0 record in his four starts with a 0.75 GAA and a. 975 save percentage. Back to back shutouts against Anaheim and friggin’ Los Angeles. I actually can’t even believe the words as I’m typing them. Last night he had me celebrating saves like they were goals.
-Hammond was good but let’s now downplay the game Jonathan Quick had at the other end of the rink. If not for a handful of highlight reel saves (and a couple posts) this could have been a more one-sided game. While they were guilty of letting up a little bit in the third period, trying to protect the lead, I thought the Senators did a great job generating chances against an LA team that doesn’t usually give up a whole lot. That second period was some of the most entertaining hockey I’ve watch all season. It was fun watching the Senators give a team like the Kings everything they could handle, in their rink, in the second game of a back to back.
-So now it’s five points back with a game in hand. Starting to sound a little more possible ehhhhh? Oh and I don’t know if you’ve looked at the top of the East yet but it’s Montreal holding that top spot. Oh please, oh please….give me another playoff series against the Habs.
