FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-Domination. There’s just no better word for it. The Ottawa Senators were the better team on Wednesday night and basically controlled the game from the moment the puck was dropped. Swarming in the offensive zone, structured in the defensive end and transitioning the puck up ice with ease. When this team is firing on all cylinders, like they have been for a couple weeks now, they are a treat to watch. And what’s so amazing about the way this team is playing recently is that it’s not just one line or defence pairing leading the way- it’s a top-to-bottom team effort on a nightly basis.
-Two Head Coaches fired and one set of playoff hopes and dreams dashed. See ya Saturday, Montreal. With a thorough humbling of Vancouver in the series-finale, the Ottawa Senators finished with six of a possible eight points against the desperate Canucks. And while Ottawa has been mostly relegated to the role of the spoiler down the stretch, I’d by lying if I said my mind hasn’t started to drift to the hilarious possibility of…well I won’t say it. But if the Winnipeg Jets can beat the Canadiens on Friday night, the heat on that Montreal team come Saturday will be something to behold. The Canadiens look comfortable in that final playoff spot but when you glance at their upcoming schedule- Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto, Ottawa, Toronto, Toronto, Edmonton, Edmonton. Hmmmmm.
-He leads the team in points with 34. He’s second in goals with 16. He leads the NHL in shots with 201. He’s second in hits with 215. He leads the NHL in fighting majors with seven. Brady Tkachuk does it all. That’s an expression we hear a lot in pro sports but in this case, there’s just no better way to describe how Brady Tkachuk plays the game. And we are just so damn lucky we get to watch him do it on a nightly basis. At the start of the year, there was a lot of debate about who should be the next Captain of the Ottawa Senators. At the time I said ultimately, a Captain shouldn’t be selected. Ideally, one should emerge. Over the last 50 games in a year with ups and downs, Brady Tkachuk has been this team’s leader. Speaking up when things were going poorly and dragging his team into the fight on a nightly basis. When the Sens hit the ice in October and Brady has that big ol’ contract extension in his back pocket, he’ll have that C on his jersey.
-A moment of appreciation for the job DJ Smith has done with this group. While some fans have zeroed in on micro-level lineup decisions and the perception that he wasn’t integrating the kids fast enough, the organization had a plan. DJ was quietly focused on their development as hockey players and on ensuring that they were ready to take on an elevated role when the opportunity came. Maybe with the talent level of this group they would have excelled anyway but there’s no doubt that DJ has everyone on the same page. The players understand their roles and everyone is pulling in the same direction. That’s good coaching. Not everyone agrees with the patient, “earn it” approach that DJ Smith and Pierre Dorion put in place this season but there is no arguing with the results now.
-And now a moment of appreciation for the Montreal Canadiens for handing us Victor Mete for free. What a player. Mete has settled in nicely here in Ottawa and through eight games, certainly looks like a player that can be penciled into next year’s lineup. Good on Pierre Dorion for scooping him up off waivers when the opportunity was there and again, good on DJ Smith for putting him in a position to succeed. That burst of speed he showed on the game’s first goal is just a small sample of what makes him such an intriguing player. Oh and he’s only 22 years of age and already approaching 200 games in the National Hockey League. Imagine just giving up on a guy like that? Woof.
Smith’s Post-Game Comments
Player Interviews
Advanced Stats
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