FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-The Senators overhauled their defence pairings ahead of this game with the New Jersey Devils and for the most part, it worked. I thought Freddy Claesson looked quite comfortable skating alongside Erik Karlsson and allowed Cameron to spread out the talent a little bit on his D-pairings. Marc Methot and Chris Wideman seemed like a pretty good match and Patrick Wiercioch and Mark Borowiecki were quite solid at both ends of the rink. Obviously the Devils weren’t pushing all that hard but there were definitely some positive signs from the blueline last night.
-The NHL needs to seriously consider relegating the New Jersey Devils. Okay, okay…maybe that’s a tad extreme but it just seems like the for as long as I can remember, a Sens/Devils game is always bordering on unwatchable. Last night was no exception. The Senators deserve their share of the blame for not exactly pushing the pace offensively but my word was this hockey game ever tough to watch. It’s a damn shame too because last night was a sold out building with a number of kids in attendance with the Bell Capital Cup in town. Would have been nice if they could have put on a better show.
-Another night, another 30+ minute game for Erik Karlsson. In a back to back situation, Erik Karlsson played more than 67 minutes (34:37+33:13). That has to be some sort of record and really is way too much for an NHL player. He seems to be responding fine to the increased ice time but you have to be at least a little bit concerned about his body breaking down later in the season. He even finished with 4:11 on the penalty kill last night. He is so far and away the favourite for the Norris Trophy right now that there are no other players even in his league. It’s a treat to watch this guy every night but the Coaching staff should probably find a way to cut back on his minutes a little bit. Or just say to hell with it and play him the full 60. Either way.
-The Shane Prince situation is getting pretty odd. Fans are frustrated that we aren’t seeing more of him and the frustration is justified. It would be different if he still had Michalek and MacArthur ahead of him on the depth chart but the Senators are in desperate need of a left winger that can create offence and Prince seems like the obvious candidate to get a longer look. He played 5:31 last night. There’s just no way that makes sense considering the fact that the Senators were in desperate need of offence all night. There is more going on here. There has to be. And a perceived weakness defensively if just not enough of an explanation. I always think back to the rumoured KHL offer/trade request from last year combined with the fact that he was a lock for this roster because of his waiver status. Whether there are reasons or not, Shane Prince isn’t getting a fair shot.
-Even though the team is struggling a little bit right now, 2015 has to be considered a successful year for the Ottawa Senators. The run they went on at the end of last season is one that put this team in the league’s record books and captured the imagination of the fan base. For a couple months last year, our Senators were the talk of the sports world. With a young core in place and a handful of prospects excelling on the international stage at the World Junior tournament, it’s safe to say that 2016 should be another fun one for Sens fans. Thanks to all of you for another great 12 months on SensChirp and Happy New Year!
