FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-This game was billed as a battle of basement dwellers and that’s certainly how it looked on the ice. Both the Senators and Panthers have under-achieved this year and both teams looked rough in this one. There was almost zero offensive rhythm and it made for a largely uneventful hockey game and in terms of entertainment value, maybe the worst game of the season. The Panthers were on a back to back so they have an excuse but that was just a disappointing effort from the Senators. They pushed a little bit in the third, outshooting the Panthers by an 18-8 margin, but it was too little too late. Again.
-Now I would never suggest that an NHL Head Coach would actively troll the fan base but it did feel that way at times last night. The narratives that have become so popular during Ottawa’s two month slump were on full display as Guy Boucher played current whipping boy Cody Ceci more than 28 minutes while severely limiting the ice time of fan favourites Freddy Claesson and Thomas Chabot. At the same time, he was reluctant to use the call-ups (surprise, surprise). Despite some strong shifts early on, Chris DiDomenico, Nick Paul and Filip Chlapik all finished with less than ten minutes. Alex Burrows had an A on his jersey.
-Would have been nice to see a little bit more of him but definitely liked what Filip Chlapik brought in his limited ice time. In the first period, his line with Nick Paul and Chris DiDomenico had quality possession and zone time on a couple of their shifts and they had generated some good chances in the third period too. Chlapik’s speed and drive to the net was noticeable every time he was on the ice. Seems like the type of player that could really thrive when surrounded by other skilled players. By all accounts, Chlapik has been the most consistent forward in Belleville this season.
-On a night where there weren’t many positives, Mike Condon was probably the best part of the game for Ottawa. The Senators did a decent job of limiting second and third opportunities but Condon looked quite solid, turning aside 37 of 38 shots. There haven’t been nearly enough nights where the Senators got even average goaltending so it’s noticeable when the goalie makes the saves you expect him to. Anderson has looked better lately (aside from those five quick ones against Minnesota) and now Condon finally had a night with a save percentage north of .900. Step in the right direction.
-After losing two more games in Florida, the Senators stumble into the holiday break. It looked like they might be turning the corner with wins over New York and Montreal but then blown leads against Minnesota and Tampa Bay followed by a listless performance against the Panthers have them right back where they started. If they have any hope of crawling their way back into the playoff picture (this site puts it at about 2.5%), two regulation wins against the Bruins next week is a must. Not that I have to tell this place how bleak things are but to get to the 94 point threshold that will likely be required to make the playoffs, the Senators need to go something like 30-13-5 in their remaining 48 games. Sooooo any good prospects in this year’s draft er?
-Bonus Thought- Lastly, I know we’ve all been a little wrapped up in the drama surrounding the team this season and maybe haven’t taken enough time to recognize the remarkable community we have built here on SensChirp. It will never cease to amaze me that so many of you make this website such a central part of your experience as a hockey fan. So as we approach the New Year, a sincere thank you for reading along in 2017. PS- Norah is getting an NHL Classic Karlsson jersey for Christmas (shhh!). I asked for a new Owner for the Ottawa Senators but that one will have to wait until the New Year. Happy Holidays everyone!
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