FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-That one had to feel good for the team and for Guy Boucher. After consecutive disappointing performances against the Flames and Panthers, the Senators answered with one of their most complete efforts of the season. Led by their top players (Stone, Karlsson, Turris, Hoffman), the Senators dictated the pace of this game from the moment the puck dropped. They gave Tampa Bay next to nothing in the way of scoring chances and the power play woke up with a couple key goals. Boucher played down the significance of returning to Tampa Bay all day but you know this one he really wanted.
-If the Senators aren’t careful, they’re going to chase down the Montreal Canadiens for top spot in the Atlantic. Last night’s win combined with Montreal’s regulation loss to the Flyers means the Senators now sit seven points back but with three games in hand. While winning the Division sounds like a good idea on the surface, the possibility of taking on the first Wild Card team, like the Rangers or Penguins for example, seems slightly more dangerous than the 2/3 match up in the Atlantic. Probably getting a little bit ahead of myself though. It’s worth noting that Ottawa and Montreal play three times in a week in the month of March. The Leafs lost too which means the Senators gained a bit of ground on the 9th place team as well.
-Need to see a few more games to know for sure but I get the sense that Guy Boucher may be loosening the reins on Erik Karlsson a little bit. Noticed it against the Panthers the other night and again in this one. He seems way more aggressive and is jumping into the play more often. Two points against the Panthers and then three more last night. Karlsson is at his most dangerous when he’s reading the play in the defensive zone and transitioning the puck quickly, either with a pass or skating the puck out of trouble on his own. We’ve seen a more restrained version of Karlsson for most of this season and the team results have been pretty good. Reality is the Senators have a weapon in Karlsson that nobody else in the league has. They need to find a balance here down the stretch.
-Pretty crazy to think at one point, scouts worried that Mark Stone’s skating was such an issue that it would keep him out of the National Hockey League entirely. And while it was a noticeable weakness early in his career, he’s worked on it. He’s never going to blow anyone away with his speed but I would argue that he’s actually deceptively quick. His stride looks a little laboured at times but he actually gets up and down the ice pretty well. That third Ottawa goal was a great example. He makes a play at one end and is able to transition quickly the other way. Combine deceptive foot speed with a puck-magnet for a stick and the ability to read people’s minds…you have a heck of a hockey player.
-TSN had a few different segments last night addressing Curtis Lazar’s availability. The word is teams are calling the Senators and showing some interest in Lazar. Darren Dreger mentioned that the price is “extremely high”. Quite certain, that in this situation, Dreger means relatively speaking. It doesn’t mean Dorion is expecting a huge return on Lazar but what he’s saying is that while they’re willing to listen to offers, they don’t want to just give him away. That makes sense too. Let it be known that he’s available but set the bar high and see what the offers look like. Can’t imagine anybody is offering much at this point though. Lazar is a restricted free agent at the end of the year.
–Boucher’s Post-Game Comments
–Boxscore
–Advanced Stats
–League Standings
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