FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-After playing the same six hockey teams over and over again for the last 600 days, I have never been so relieved to see the those awful green jerseys of the Dallas Stars. As the Stars found out last night, the Ottawa Senators have come a long way over the last couple years. The other Canadian teams already know that when you play the Sens, you better be ready to work. And especially in their building. From the moment the puck dropped last night, the Senators had everyone buying in and everyone pulling in the same direction. And when that happens, they are tough team to play against. Really think the Senators are going to sneak up on some people this season. And if they keep getting goaltending like they have through the first three games, the playoffs are absolutely within reach.
-Raise your hand if you had Chris Tierney leading the team in goals through the first three games of the season. Yea, me either. Like last year, when he scored three goals in the first four games of the season (and on just three shots), Tierney is off to another hot start. And it’s mostly just a product of being in the right place at the right time. Tierney dealt with some minor injuries at times last year but he looks healthy and ready to go this year. It’s a good thing too because with the injury to Colin White and young centres on the first two lines, the Senators really need Tierney to step up. Or just…stand in the right place, I guess. Tierney is in the final year of his contract and headed to unrestricted free agency this summer.
-He hasn’t scored a goal through the first three games of the season but Tim Stützle has still had a handful of moments that just sort of take your breath away. It’s been a long time since a talent like this rolled through this city and it’s sort of scary to think he’s still just 19 years old. Still a work in progress. He still needs to get bigger, he still needs to make better decisions with the puck in his own end of the rink and he still needs to realize just how good he really is. You get the feeling that as soon as one goes in, the floodgates will open a little bit. Honestly, thought he was gonna miss a long, long time after that vicious second period slash.
-While he didn’t get into either of the weekend games, it sounds like Brady Tkachuk will be ready to rock and roll by Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks. And with Brady ready to return, the conversation about when the Senators plan to announce a Captain is expected to heat up a little bit. While Pierre Dorion and DJ Smith continue to give the impression that the team wants to take their time with an announcement, it’s really not something they need to let linger. Obviously there is some coordination required around the announcement and they want to make sure all the decision-makers (and players are on the same page) but really, the sooner the better. If Brady is the guy, it’s time to stitch that letter on.
-There are a lot of good vibes around this hockey team right now but the attendance issues are pretty quickly going to become the elephant in the room in the Nation’s Capital. When it dips below 10,000 on a regular basis, it’s basically impossible to ignore. The thing is, the post-pandemic live sports environment is very different and getting people back into crowded stadiums is going to be a struggle in a lot of markets. Only in Ottawa, we are starting from a point where it was already trending in the wrong direction. If there’s good news, it really does seem like there is a legitimate buzz around the team again and since last week’s Tkachuk signing, it does feel like the fan base is ready to turn the page and get back to supporting their hockey team. Now, converting that buzz and excitement into ticket sales is the next step.
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