FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-Confidence is a funny thing in pro sports. It’s amazing how different the same collection of players can look at any given moment over the course of a long season but in the last week or so, the Ottawa Senators look nothing like they did in the first few months of the season. Last night in Montreal, from the moment the puck dropped, they had the appearance of a team that was expecting to win the hockey game. Like, zero doubt. There were times when they let up a bit in the third period but for the most part, this was complete domination by the Senators. Will be interesting to see if they can keep it up against an actual NHL team on Thursday night.
-With last night’s win, the Sens have now secured seven of a possible eight points in their last four games and nine of 12 in their last six. Not exactly red hot just yet but certainly some long-awaited signs of life from a group that has pretty clearly come nowhere close to their potential this season. Buying what the coach is selling is a part of that for sure but it helps that for the first time in what feels like an eternity, they actually have a full linnnn….ya know what, I’m not even gonna say it. Anyway, it’s just nice to have everyone heaaaaaaaaaa…nope nope, not going to say that one either. What I will say is, this is a different hockey team when they are actually the hockey team they intended to be.
-There are a lot of things that can change a team’s fortunes in a hurry but right at the top of that list is competent goaltending. Ottawa’s struggles between the pipes have been a massive factor in the team’s disappointing start but just like the rest of the group, there are signs of life from Joonas Korpisalo. He was rock solid again last night. The Senators didn’t give up much in the first two periods but there were still a handful of saves from the Sens starter that kept them in control. And then when the toilet seats made a wee push in the third period, Korpisalo was at his best, turning aside all sorts of high-danger scoring chances. That’s three straight quality starts for those keeping track at home.
-In a season that has been notably short on feel-good moments, Shane Pinto’s first goal since returning from a 41-game suspension pretty clearly stands out as one of the best. The goal itself was a thing of beauty obviously (Claude Giroux is a freak) but seeing just how much that goal meant to Pinto and to his teammates, who mobbed him at the bench, was pretty special. It goes without saying but we probably have all been massively underestimating the impact of Pinto’s absence during the first half of the season and these last two games have been a good reminder of just how important a player he really is for the Ottawa Senators. They are a different team with Shane Pinto in the lineup.
-Ridly Greig is a special hockey player and he’s going to have his fingerprints all over some big moments for this team in the years ahead. He’s one of those guys you have to watch closely to truly appreciate but he just has this rare of combination of skill, hockey sense and relentless prickishness (sp???) that makes him a nightmare to play against. He’s the kind of guy that you love to play with and that will drive you to the brink of madness playing against. And with 18 points in 33 games, including his first shorthanded goal of his career last night, Greig is showing that he may just be scratching the surface of his offensive potential.
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