FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-After an ugly Western swing, it was hard to know what to expect from the Senators last night. The first game after a long road trip has a tendency to be a tough one for the home team for whatever reason but that certainly wasn’t the case here For a brief moment at the start of the second period, it looked like this one might get away from the Sens but two goals in 2:12, including a couple beauties by Mark Borowiecki and Jean Gabriel Pageau, righted the ship for Ottawa and they would never look back from there. The Senators still sit in 31st overall but last night was a good reminder there are some other pretty dreadful hockey teams out there. Detroit has now dropped six in a row.
-Hats off to the Ottawa penalty kill. DJ Smith has pointed to it as an area of strength throughout the first nine games of the season and they were at their best last night against the Red Wings. After killing off all five Red Wing power plays, the Senators now sit 13th overall in the NHL with an 82.5% success rate. Jean Gabriel Pageau’s shorthanded goal was Ottawa’s 3rd of the season (2nd in the NHL in that category) which also happens to be two more goals than they’ve scored on the power play. Yikes. Jack Capuano has done a great job reworking what was previously discussed in the back seat of ubers all across North America. They are so much more aggressive in their own end, forcing the puck carrier at every opportunity and creating plenty of turnovers in the process. It’s also nice to see the forwards occasionally looking to make plays while down a man rather than just throwing it down the ice right away.
-You are forgiven if this game had your mind drifting to the 2017 playoff run. First, Jean Gabriel Pageau scored a goal that looked an awful lot like goal number four in that legendary game against the New York Rangers. Still waiting to confirm if he had his eyes open this time. And while it may not have been quite as impressive, that Thomas Chabot to Anthony Duclair goal brought back memories of Erik Karlsson to Derick Brassard against the Boston Bruins. Annnnd now I’m watching a montage of that magical run and I’m pretty sure someone is cutting onions in the kitchen.
-Nick Paul certainly looks like a player that has seen just about enough of Belleville, Ontario. Paul came up short in his bid to crack the team out of Training Camp but he has been making the most of his opportunity during this recent call-up. And with a couple injuries up front, he has picked a perfect time to make his mark. Paul was noticeable just about every time he was on the ice last night, forcing turnovers and making plays with a purpose in the offensive zone. It’s hard to recall a game where Paul had the puck on his stick as often as he did last night. In fact, I’m not sure he had the puck on his stick that much in all the other games combined. It just goes to show you what a little confidence can do for a player. At 24 years of age, maybe Nick Paul is finally starting to put it all together.
-How about a moment to acknowledge the incredible play of Anders Nilsson so far this season? In recent years, the Senators fans have come to expect a huge drop off in play the season after a goalie signs his contract extension but that certainly hasn’t been the case so far for Nilsson. Through four starts, he has posted a remarkable .935 sv%, good enough for 6th in the NHL. In his 28 games with the Senators overall, his save percentage is a more than adequate .918%. It’s going to be interesting to see how DJ Smith handles the goaltending situation going forward and particularly, in the next couple games. The Senators have games on Friday and Sunday before taking six days off. Normally you’d want to split those starts to keep both guys fresh but you have to go back to Nilsson on Friday. And if he plays well again, he should probably get that Sunday game too.
Smith’s Post-Game Comments
Player Interviews
Advanced Stats
Boxscore
Loading …Next up- vs. Islanders (Friday), vs. Sharks (Sunday), @ Bruins (Saturday)
