FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-It feels fairly ridiculous trying to cobble together thoughts on a hockey game considering the events that are unfolding in the world around us but that’s what we’re here for I suppose. Although not to the same extent as the night before in Anaheim, the Senators probably deserved a better fate in this one. While I admittedly watched a good portion of the game with one eye barely open, it felt like the Sens stuck with the Kings for most of the night and it really was a game that could go either way. Only it was the foolishly red-hot Kings that found a way to score a goal late. Ending up on the wrong end of close games has been the signature of the 2019/2020 Ottawa Senators. And it came at the perfect time last night.
-It goes without saying but this California trip went about as well as it possibly could have. Other than that three-point game against the San Jose Sharks, things went just as they needed to for the Ottawa Senators out West. And thanks to a couple more favours from the out-of-town scoreboard, Sens fans woke up to the ideal situation in the standings- Ottawa Senators in 30th and the San Jose Sharks in 29th. Given some of the scenarios currently unfolding for the NHL, there may be an added significance to the standings ending up the way they did last night.
-While the two points meant nothing to either team, the game itself took on a strange feel given the events that were unfolding around pro sports and around the world in general. Only a couple hours earlier, the NBA announced they would be suspending their season indefinitely in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, as it was revealed Utah Jazz forward Rudy Goebert had tested positive for the virus. Another NBA game was then cancelled shortly before tip-off, NCAA players were briefly held in quarantine in Nebraska and when it was all said and done, it felt like the Kings and the Senators were the only ones still playing. Sort of a surreal feeling to the whole night.
-It will be interesting to see what the league does from here. Listening to the experts last night, it does sound like all options are on the table as the league attempts to navigate an unprecedented situation. This morning, Darren Dreger is reporting that there is an NHL Board of Governors call at 1:00 PM to discuss their options but given the way things have escalated in the last 48 hours, it’s hard to imagine games continuing in any form in the immediate future. While playing in empty stadiums looked like a viable option as recently as 48 hours ago, the way things snowballed in the NBA last night provides a pretty strong warning to other sports leagues that it might be a good idea to try and get out in front of this thing as quickly as possible. From there, who knows? Is it a one-month delay and the season picks up afterwards? Do they cancel the season completely? And from Ottawa’s perspective, what happens with the Draft Lottery? And what happens at the AHL level? Obviously pro sports takes a back seat in situations like this but there are some big decisions that need to be made and in an awful hurry.
-Watching the news last night and seeing this all unfold in real time, it’s pretty clear that we are in uncharted waters here. And while this is a hockey community first, in times like this it can and will be more than that. While I understand that people come here to talk Sens and often to escape the other stuff going on round us, there are instances when the lines blur- when our online hockey community is our community in general. So by all means, use this as a platform to share information, to ask questions, to give answers (although please, consult other sources too) or just to vent. Or if you want to, just come here to talk Sens. But more than anything, be respectful. Not just in times like this but in general. Understand that while this is an online community, we’re all dealing with things in real life too. For some this current situation may be no big deal but for others this is going to impact their jobs, their families and their daily lives. Just…just be kind to each other.
Smith’s Post-Game Comments
Player Interviews
Advanced Stats
Boxscore
Loading …