FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-Considering this was a pretty tough back to back against a well rested team, I thought the Senators actually played pretty well. The first period was a little ragged but they dominated the second and had some good chances to tie the game in the first half of the third. Henrik Lundqvist is one of the top goalies in the game for a reason and made big saves when he had to. You could sort of see the Senators run out of gas in that final period though especially once the Rangers got that third goal.
-I’m still in complete awe that Kyle Turris was able to play last night. And it’s not like he played in a reduced role either as he again ended up playing more than 20 minutes. The analysts commented a couple times that he seemed to me favouring the leg but I really didn’t see it. I thought he looked fine. I suspect his arm injury is the bigger issue at this point. Turris has now played in 288 straight games.
-I try my best not to blame the officials for Sens’ losses but I can always make an exception when it’s Tim Peel. His prolonged personal grudge against the Senators has clearly carried over into this season and was on full display in that third period. His decision to not call the hit from behind on Methot and instead give the Senators bench a penalty for ‘abusive language’ set the tone in this one. Each team ended up with only two power plays. The New York Rangers scored on both of theirs and that was the difference in the hockey game.
-Dave Cameron was juggling the hell out of the forward lines in that third period and most of the moves he was making didn’t really make much sense. Zack Smith, who has actually played quite well this season, bounced around the top two lines for most of the game in what I assume was a match up related decision. Whatever the reason, the Senators just didn’t really have much flow on offence and I think the line juggling may have had something to do with it. Also, Shane Prince has to start playing more and deserves a little more slack in the team’s top six forwards. He’s looked pretty good on the fourth line and could add a spark to that second line.
-I don’t want to sound overly dramatic here but I am officially done with Jared Cowen. And not in the sense that I think he’s terrible and a lost cause, I just don’t care anymore. I don’t blame him for last night’s loss or for the team’s struggles this year and for what it’s worth, I do think he has been better at times this season. I’m just so tired of talking about him, tired of reading the back and forth between fans over him, tired of caring about whether or not he can still develop into anything more than a third pairing defenceman. The GM called him out in the media, the Coach ripped him in front of the team, and close to 40% of the in-game comments on the site are about him. It’s just far too much time being dedicated to a player of his caliber. He is what he is. This is his ceiling. This is Jared Cowen. Consider this my official resignation from the discussion about Jared frigging Cowen.
