FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-I know logic says that it might be best for Ottawa to slide down the standings a little bit in the second half of the season but logic seems to go out the window when it comes to a game against a hated rival. When you sit in the CTC, in a building full of fans cheering for the other team, it’s difficult to come to the conclusion that, hey it might be for the best if Ottawa lost this game tonight so they could have a higher pick in June. This was a big win for the Senators and a fun night at the Canadian Tire Centre. Said it on Twitter but it’s awfully nice for all those Hab fans to pay the inflated ticket prices to sit there quietly all night.
-Montreal Canadien forward does silly deke. You won’t believe what happens next.
-Erik Karlsson was at his best last night. The return of Marc Methot seems to have made a huge difference in his game and helped to settle him down a bit. He no longer looks like a guy trying to do it all himself every shift and a lot of that has to do with playing with a partner he trusts. Both Methot and Wiercioch have been great for EK65. Sens PR guy Brian Morris pointed this out on Twitter last night- Karlsson has 7 points, 31 shots and is a +8 in his last 9 games.
-The return of Marc Methot has really stabilized Ottawa’s blueline. Not only has he helped Karlsson, but his return also means that other left shot D can play the proper amount of minutes. It allows Cameron to use Wiercioch in the right situations and perhaps most importantly, moves Chris Phillips from a 20 minute a night defenceman, to the more realistic role of 6th or 7th defenceman. Methot has a new agent as of a couple weeks ago and that has people a lot more optimistic about an extension.
-At this point, Montreal Canadiens’ fans must think Jean Gabriel Pageau is the greatest player of all time. With memories of a playoff hat trick still fresh in their minds, Habs fans were forced to watch another huge game from Pageau, as he turned in what was certainly his best performance of the season. He was a force in all three zones, at even strength and on the penalty kill, and was probably Ottawa’s best forward in this one. Pageau has been solid since being called up but it was nice to see him finally get rewarded with a couple points.
