FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-Certainly one of Ottawa’s most convincing wins of the season. It was a relatively close game through the first 40 minutes but the Senators seemed to find another gear in that third period. In a season where so much has gone wrong, it was nice to see the Senators finally end up on the right side of a blowout. A big win like this should be great for the team’s confidence.
-This one had to feel good for Robin Lehner. The last month or so has been a nightmare for Lehner but he was strong in this one, especially in the second period when the Coyotes carried the play at times. Ottawa gave up 16 shots in the middle frame and Lehner stood tall. Craig Anderson is eligible to come back as early as Tuesday but even with a healthy Anderson, Lehner should see more starts in the last couple months of the season.
-As if the Marc Methot negotiations weren’t tough enough, now he’s a point producer too. Methot picked up three assists (a career high) and was named the game’s first star. We’ve been saying this a lot lately but it’s pretty clear this is a different hockey team with Methot in the line up. I mentioned it on Twitter but I think this team would be fighting for a playoff spot had Methot been healthy all season.
-Full day off for the Senators today but there will be plenty to work on when they return to the practice ice tomorrow morning. Power play might be a good place to start. Cameron was quite clearly frustrated with his team’s effort with the man advantage and showed it by putting Condra-Pageau-Neil out there a couple times.
-And lastly, thanks to everyone that took the time to vote in this year’s Faces Magazine Awards. I’ve had a lot of fun running this site over the last 5 years but it hasn’t always been easy. Being recognized for all the hard work that goes into this site was pretty cool. It goes without saying but SensChirp would be nothing without the ongoing support and participation from the community we’ve developed over the years. Thanks everyone!
