FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-If you’re not at least having some fun watching the Ottawa Senators, well then you’re probably doing it wrong. Sure, it would be nice to have another save here and a couple more defence pairings there but there is just so much to like about this hockey team right now. Wildly entertaining in every sense of the word. And while there’s obviously still work to do and holes to fill, the progress we all want to see this year is happening before our eyes. And with all the team’s most important players. Winning is what matters most and we’ll get there- but just make sure you find some time to enjoy the ride.
-As wildly entertaining as last night’s game was, it also featured a few too many of the concerning issues that plagued the team for large portions of last season. Below average goaltending and a lack of depth throughout the lineup, at the top of that list. The team’s young forwards plus that defence pairing of Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub are capable of winning games on their own on some nights. But not every night and not usually against a team as deep and as talented as the Washington Capitals. Lots to like about last night’s effort and lots to work on.
-The “what to do about it” is not as straightforward. Help is on the way though. When the likes of Jake Sanderson, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Lassi Thomson and Tyler Kleven make the jump to the NHL, this Senators team is going to be a wagon. Unparalleled success and all that. But in the meantime, DJ Smith has to find ways to get the best out of this current collection of blueliners. Josh Brown had a rough night obviously and Nikita Zaitsev has had a few such nights to start the year. To his credit, Smith clearly recognizes the issue and has tried various combinations with the five defenceman he has at his disposal. There’s no easy solution. Calling up Erik Brannstrom is certainly a move they’ll want to consider but he’s struggled with Belleville, making it kind of difficult for the Senators to justify calling him up now. Plenty of talented prospects are on the way in the next couple seasons but there are likely to be more long nights for this current group. At least against top teams like the Capitals.
-When the Senators locked up Drake Batherson to a long-term contract extension this summer, the hope was that paying him a little more now would pay off down the line and ultimately, the deal would look like a bargain when he hit his prime years. We may not have to wait that long. That $4.9 million a season already looks like a steal and the $2.5 million he’ll make this season looks like it has the potential to be one of the league’s most cost-effective contracts. When Batherson is at his best, he’s a lethal combination of strength, skill and smarts. All of that was on display last night. Three goals, an assist, four shots, three hits and all in just a shade over 20 minutes. He now has six points in six games to start the year.
-Mentioning it here is probably just adding to the narrative but this Tim Stützle talk that has surfaced the last couple games is complete horse-shit and everyone contributing to it can fuck right off. Okay, I feel better now. If officials are actually worried about the idea that they’re being “shown up” then maybe they should consider calling a penalty on the guy who makes a whole production out of the penalty and is openly mocking the call? Stützle is a 19-year old kid displaying a level of skill that few players in the game possess and he’s getting zero respect. And it ain’t right. The kid gets mauled every time he’s on the ice and it’s on the officials to recognize that, even if Garry Galley doesn’t. The best thing Stützle can do is keep his head down, keep doing his thing and soon, he’ll be able to drill guys from behind like Alex Ovechkin does.
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