FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-That was big one. Perhaps the biggest one yet. I still won’t dare say the word and with 11 games left to play, they still need to win a bunch more hockey games but that was massive. Coupled with a Montreal loss in Philadelphia, the Senators are now six points up on the team in the second Wild Card and a full seven points clear of the New York Islanders, who currently sit in 9th place in the East. Eight points up on the Columbus Blue Jackets, although Ottawa has played one more game. The Blue Jackets are the team we really need to keep an eye on here, which shouldn’t be difficult with three more head to head match ups. If Columbus could go ahead and lose tonight against the Canucks it would give the Senators a reeeeeeal good opportunity to create some separation on Saturday night.
-There was a moment in the third period, where it felt like things were slipping away, that I found myself really appreciating the difference between this year’s team and the one that took the ice over the last seven seasons. There have been moments over this lengthy post-season drought where it felt like I cared more than the players on the ice. And while my therapist would be quick to remind me that’s more of a me problem, it was frustrating to feel like I was exerting more emotional energy over the Ottawa Senators than the actual Ottawa Senators. I don’t feel that way anymore. These guys want it so friggin’ bad and it’s just so obvious in watching how they respond in those moments when things get tough.
-The Ottawa penalty kill has taken its fair share of criticism this season. It’s not that it’s terrible but there is something about the approach that is quite unpleasing to the eye. When the other team establishes control, they have this unique way of just kind of sitting back rather than chasing the play and it can give the impression that they are sort of just letting the other team do whatever they like. The thing is, Ottawa’s penalty kill won them that last night. The referees gave the Red Wings every opportunity, five opportunities actually, to take over on Thursday but the penalty kill shut the door. Against one of the best power plays in the league too. Linus Ullmark was a huge reason why, making a bunch of massive saves in that first period when the Senators were shorthanded ohhh about half the friggin’ time. Some truly dreadful calls in there too as the Red Wings were flopping all over the ice.
-There was a game earlier this month, with the Deadline just a couple days away, where veteran forward David Perron seemed to kind flip the switch. The early part of Perron’s time in Ottawa was filled with all kinds of adversity and challenges away from the rink but down the stretch, he has very quickly become one of the team’s most important players. For years, we talked about the idea of surrounding the team’s young core with the right kind of veteran leadership. David Perron is that kind of leadership. All the guy does is score big goals at key times. The spark he has given to the team’s second line with Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens makes the Senators an incredibly dangerous team. That line is in some kind of zone right now, dominating on a nightly basis. As a trio, they’ve put up 25 points in their last ten games including seven goals from David Perron in the month of March. Yeeeeesh
-Speaking of off-season acquisitions that got off to kind of quiet starts but are stepping up when the team needs them most, IT’S-A ME, AMADIO. Amadio has bounced around the lineup the last little while but no matter where they put him, he still finds a way to have an impact. That third period goal gave the Senators some much-needed breathing room and while Amadio only played 10:43 last night, those were some hard minutes, with a lot of it spent grinding down the Red Wings in the third period. Amadio is as low maintenance a player as you’ll find and is basically a Coach’s dream. Can play anywhere in the lineup, can kill the hell out of a penalty and is always gonna make the right play. The offence has been an added bonus lately – Amadio is up to 9 goals in his last 20 games. Depth scoring is the difference for this team right now.
-Bonus Thought – I just love Brady Tkachuk so much.
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