FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-A big ol’ snowman just in time for the holiday season! If Saturday’s win over the Tampa Bay Lightning was Ottawa’s best game of the season, well then they took it to another level in a Tuesday night humbling of the league-leading Florida Panthers. The Senators had everything clicking from the moment the puck dropped last night and despite coming into the game with a 14-1-0 record on home ice, the Florida Panthers never stood a chance. Goaltending strong, penalty kill elite, power play buzzin’, depth guys pitching in and a top line that basically can’t be stopped. It’s a tough team to beat when everything is going right.
-For those of you that haven’t been paying attention, that is now wins over the 4th best team in the league, the 12th best team in the league, the 24th best team in the league, the 7th best team in the league and the 1st place team in the league. Five wins in their last six outings and the look of a team that has turned the corner after a dreadful stretch earlier in the season. It’s amazing what some good health, a few practices and a little confidence can do for a hockey team. You can just tell this a different hockey team right now and with a whole lotta games left to be played, they are just gettin’ warmed up.
-Is there a better line in hockey right now than the trio of Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris and Drake Batherson? The answer is, of course, heavens no. Those three are the heartbeat of this team these days and when they’re clicking like they have over the last couple weeks, they are basically capable of winning games on their own. Drake Batherson now has 12 points in his last six games including another four points last night. Josh Norris had three points of his own, bringing him to 6 goals and 8 points in his last six games. Hmm.
-During his first intermission interview, Pierre Dorion talked about the team’s big picture plans for Tim Stützle and the idea that the organization has always had a intended to transition him to centre. Eventually. For some reason, certain people were skeptical of this comment but the organization has been pretty clear about that plan from the moment he was drafted. What is abundantly clear though is he is more than ready for the responsibility that comes with playing centre and actually, it’s bringing the best out of him as a hockey player. Stützle has never looked more dangerous than he has in the last couple weeks and it’s clear that he’s just scratching the surface of his potential as a hockey player.
-We don’t spend nearly enough time praising Austin Watson. You would be hard-pressed to find a guy that cares more about this hockey team than he does, as is regularly displayed through his general willingness to do whatever it takes to win. It’s not always glamorous but he just always finds a way to have an impact on the game. Block a shot, throw a hit, stick up for a teammate and the odd time, pitch in with a goal. Dorion took some heat for the deal at the time but that is a pretty great use of a 4th round draft pick. He has been a perfect fit in the team’s bottom six.
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