FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-The Ottawa Senators will win again some day. Of that I am reasonably confident. But it won’t happen until they get something at least resembling NHL goaltending. They can play with more jump, they can carry the game at 5 on 5 and they can play with more structure but none of it matters until they can get an occasional save. When every mistake ends up in your net, the rest of your game really doesn’t matter much. To his credit, Marcus Hogberg did settle in after a tough start last night but the damage was done. With two games coming up against the division-leading Montreal Canadiens, there are going to be some tough decisions to make in net.
-Oh how the tables have turned. After suggesting the Senators lost an early season game because of “young mistakes”, DJ Smith set his sights on the veterans after this loss, saying that he “needs more from of the older guys”. DJ Smith has predictably taken some heat in the early going this season but for the most part, he seems generally aware of the issues his team is facing. It may not always look like it with his roster decisions but those are often influenced both by on-ice performance and developmental goals. But he’s mostly saying the right things as of late. So that’s good! Admitting there is a problem is the first step. Now he just needs to do something about it. A quick glance at the plus/minus numbers (great stat, by the way) shows the veteran trio of Erik Gudbranson, Braydon Coburn and Cedric Paquette finished the game a -7. With the likes of Erik Brannstrom, Logan Brown and Alex Formenton all still sitting on the sidelines, those guys will have to be better if they want to hold their spots in the lineup for much longer.
-As the Senators return from out West, in the middle of a nine-game losing streak, it’s time for Pierre Dorion and DJ Smith to sit down and map out where things go from here. With the team comfortably in last place in the National Hockey League and any misguided hopes of a playoff appearance fading away quickly, the priority over the remaining 46 games of the season has to be individual player development. Obviously that was already pretty high on their list of organization priorities but now with the lingering uncertainty at the AHL level, the Senators need to come up with a clear plan to get those remaining prospects into the lineup. It should start with Erik Brannstrom, Logan Brown and Alex Formenton but there are other guys at the AHL level that should get NHL looks over the next couple months. This will be easier said than done and may require placing some of the aforementioned “veterans” on waivers but they have to make room.
-Speaking of Brannstrom, Bruce Garrioch did a quick segment during the first intermission of last night’s game and mentioned that he’s expecting the Swedish defenceman to join the team in Montreal later this week. Considering the way Ottawa’s blueline has looked during this road trip, Brannstrom is pretty clearly a huge improvement over what they are rolling out there right now. Will be interesting to see what other roster moves the Senators have in mind to clear a spot. Also, it’s sort of surprising that he would be able to travel from Ottawa and join the team without some sort of quarantine period.
-With last night’s game, the Ottawa Senators have officially burned the first year on Tim Stützle’s entry-level contract. Not that there was really any indication the organization was considering other options but with the uncertainty at the AHL level and back in Germany, this was the only real option. While Stützle still has lots to learn about the NHL game, he’s pretty clearly gaining confidence with each passing game. With every shift actually. The losing has to be a grind on the kid but the good news is he’s going to have plenty of opportunity to develop his game in key situations over the course of the season. Even with his team down a few in the third period, Stützle was diving in front of shots. And for the second straight game, his dazzling combination of speed and skill was on full display in the third period. This kid is going to be so good. He already is.
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