FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-There’s a thing that happens sometimes during playoff games where looking away from the game clock becomes impossible. Where you can see every second ticking down and at times tick up, or so it would seem. This was the second game of the regular season in a year where expectations are as low as they’ve been in year, and I found myself doing a little bit of that playoff-style clock watching. It started at about the three minute mark and lasted approximately one eternity. Not sure I realized just how badly my soul needed that win last night. It doesn’t get much better than a Saturday night win over the Leafs.
-In the depths of our summer despair, it was sort of difficult to imagine a night like that. A group of 18 skaters and a goalie grinding out a tough road win against a Toronto Maple Leaf team considered by some to be a Stanley Cup contender. Through two games, it’s pretty clear that this Senators team doesn’t give a fook what the experts think. While there were times where the Senators spent more time than they’d like in their own end of the rink, the Senators actually did a great job of limiting second and third chance opportunities and avoiding the big defensive breakdowns that sort of became their trademark last year. They’ll still want to find ways to cut down on the shots against but I thought they defended pretty well last night and deserved to win that game.
-It’s one thing to score highlight reel goals in the NHL but when a player can make it look as easy as Thomas Chabot did last night, well that’s when you know he has star potential. Watching Chabot effortlessly dangle his way to a two-goal night reminded me of those YouTube videos we used to watch of Chabot when he was ripping it up in the QMJHL. You remember them, don’t you? Naysayers would always remind us how easy things were in the Q. Then Chabot started doing the same thing at the World Juniors. And now he’s doing it against NHL defenceman. Or close to it anyway because I have no idea who that Leaf defender was he walked on his second of the night.
-Certainly seems like Guy Boucher has stumbled on a pairing that works in Thomas Chabot and Dylan DeMelo. Chabot was the star last night but his partner DeMelo had a hell of a game too. It was DeMelo that opened the scoring for the Senators and it seemed like every time those two were on the ice, the puck was in Toronto’s end of the rink. Both guys finished the game with an impressive +4 rating and not surprisingly, it sounds like Boucher plans to leave them together for the next little while. And speaking of players acquired in that fleecing of the San Jose Sharks (which one, right?), I really liked Chris Tierney and Mikkel Boedker last night.
-So uh Max Lajoie is a freak. And I say that in the nicest way possible. Obviously it’s only been two games and there are almost certainly going to be ups and downs throughout his rookie season but his transition into the NHL has been nothing short of remarkable. At just 20 years of age, he has the look of a 10 year veteran. He plays with a confidence and poise well beyond his years and it was on full display again last night. It’s hard to know exactly what his ceiling is as a player but his performance through two games has been sort of jaw dropping. Lajoie logged 18:53 in his first game in the NHL and followed that up with a solid 21:56 last night. That’s a whole lot of steak for a baby.
-Bonus Thought- Zack Smith is better than a point a game player. Thomas Chabot is on pace for 164 points this year. The Ottawa Senators are tied for first in the Eastern Conference. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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