FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-That…was…AWESOME. There was a moment in the middle of that chaotic 65 minutes plus shootout where I consciously reminded myself to appreciate what was happening before my eyes. First of all, in the depths of the 300 plus days without Sens hockey, just the sight of a live hockey game seemed impossible. But more recently, in the last three weeks or so, we have seen this Ottawa team undergo a serious transformation. After that ninth straight loss, it felt like every part of the organization was under the microscope. GM, Coach and players- they all had to go. The rebuild was a failure, the usual suspects were quick to declare. And now? Now the Ottawa Senators look like a team that can go toe to toe with anyone in the division. Four wins in their last six games, 3rd in the NHL in shots per game, out of the league’s basement and very slowly fighting their way back into the mix in the North Division. Now just five points back of the 6th place Canucks with two games in hand. And with three games coming up against the Flames, 5th place is within their grasp too.
-That was some old school hockey shit from Brady Tkachuk on Tuesday night. As DJ Smith put it, he “dragged the team into battle” and simply refused to be denied. Possibly his best game as an Ottawa Senator. A goal, a fight, a broken tooth and another clutch goal in the third period. Forget a Gordie Howe hat trick, we’ll call that one a Brady Tkachuk hat trick. Tkachuk seems to be finding another gear in his game right now and it’s almost like he’s forcing his teammates to try and keep up. Before this season, I mentioned that Captains are selected, they emerge. The next Captain of the Ottawa Senators is emerging before our eyes right now.
-It’s not often you get to lose to the Montreal Canadiens and beat the Montreal Canadiens in the same night but that’s sort of how this one felt. Every time a team scores a late and devastating goal like the one the Habs appeared to score last night, my mind immediately goes to, “any chance this can be waved off?!”. Denial, I guess. Except in this instance, there was good reason. Despite the tears flowing from Brendan Gallagher in the post-game interview, this seemed like pretty clear goalie interference. It’s true that there should be a known amount of time a goalie has to reset in situations like that but also, the officials should have called goalie interference at the time. Habs fans suggest there is an anti-Montreal and pro-Ottawa conspiracy down at NHL HQ in TORONTO (?!?!) but I think they got the call right here.
-If there is one important thing to keep in mind during this rebuild and the next couple years in particular, it’s the fact that player development is anything but a linear process. What works for some prospects won’t work for other guys and the timelines are different for everyone. There are guys that can be thrown right into an NHL lineup and thrive, like a Tim Stützle for example, and then for other guys it just takes more time. Nick Paul is a great example of that. It doesn’t always click for guys right away and in some cases, it’s a progression that plays out over multiple seasons. The organization’s patience and Paul’s perseverance is really paying off now. Paul has quietly been one of Ottawa’s most consistent and reliable forwards though the first half of the season.
-After the Philip Danault spear to the throat of Tim Stützle and DJ Smith’s decision to keep Micheal Haley in the lineup, there was a lot of talk about the value of an enforcer and the purpose of fighting in hockey. It’s one of those ongoing debates where neither side really seems willing to listen to the other. While fighting has declined steadily over the years (although it’s up this year), players are unanimous in their belief that it still has a place in the game. And really, that should be the beginning and the end of the debate. If the people playing the game say it matters, then it matters. In the end, Haley wasn’t really a factor and it was Brady Tkachuk that settled a score, only it was one from a couple games ago. His roommate seemed to appreciate the gesture.
Smith’s Post-Game Comments
Player Interviews
Advanced Stats
Boxscore
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