FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-Boy it sure was nice to watch Ottawa Senators hockey again. After spending the last six months complaining about all the off-ice missteps of this organization, it was extremely satisfying to log out of Twitter, close-up the comment section and just watch a damn hockey game. As Sens fans, we’ve been through a lot over the last few months so it was great to have a little reminder that one of the best parts about being a hockey fan is the whole watching hockey part.
-No matter how low expectations were coming into this season, once the game is there for the taking, it’s disappointing to not come away with the two points. The Senators put together a solid sixty minute effort but just couldn’t lock it down in the third period. They were actually doing a decent job in the final frame but a Cody Ceci bobble gave Patrick Kane all the opportunity he needed to set up the tying goal. Kane would make them pay in overtime too. One point in the bank is a decent start though. Tied for third in the division! Take that you stinkin’ experts!
-When you’re a professional hockey player making your debut in the league, you would be hard-pressed to dream up a better first period than the one Max Lajoie had last night. For a young defenceman, it’s normal to come into the game with the “just don’t make a mistake” mentality but that certainly wasn’t the case for Lajoie. He was aggressive, he was jumping into the play and ultimately, he was rewarded for it. With his parents and family in attendance, Lajoie picked up a goal and an assist on the night and was named first star in the rink. Not bad at all, kid.
-While the game got off to a bit of a rocky start, you have to think Craig Anderson is happy with the way he played in his first start of the season. A long-shot by Alex DeBrincat and a short-side goal by Jonathan Toews had fans thinking “here we go again!” but he settled in nicely from that point on. 39 saves on 43 Chicago shots and a .907 sv%. Technically that’s fairly average goaltending but Anderson made a number of key stops on a Chicago team that had more than their fair share of opportunities. If the Senators are going to force their way into the playoff conversation this year, they need a big bounce back year from Anderson. Last night was a step in the right direction.
-One thing that is abundantly clear after watching 60 plus minutes of this year’s Ottawa Senators is they are going to be a lot more exciting this year. Young players throughout the line up and a noticeably more up-tempo style. Forwards are more aggressive in the offensive zone and at the same time, seem to be making a conscious effort to fly the defensive zone looking for a stretch pass when the opportunity is there. The first 20 minutes of last night’s game were probably more entertaining than anything we saw from this team all of last year.
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