Coming into this one, all the hype was focused on the newly acquired Kyle Turris.
The 22 year old was solid in his Sens debut was but just a part of a strong team effort that produced a convincing 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. With the two points the Sens pull even with the Toronto Maple Leafs and take over the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
You really have to admire the effort Kyle Turris put in tonight, He hustled all over the ice and showed flashes of blazing speed in over 16 minutes of ice time. More importantly, it was a strong play by Turris that led to the eventual game winner by the game's first star, Erik Condra.
Turris went 7 for 9 in the faceoff circle and was a +2. One of those small things you may not notice watching the game on television was the reaction of Turris after his assist. He was clearly exited and linemate Nick Foligno gave him a push and let him lead the team back to the bench to celebrate the goal.
You could tell it was a moment that meant a lot to Turris. After the game Turris mentioned how much he appreciated the support in his Sens debut and said it "felt like home".
On a night where the spotlight was shining directly on Kyle Turris, I thought Jason Spezza played one of his better games of the season. That may seem like an exaggeration on a night where Spezza picked up a single assist but I really thought he was at his puck possession best tonight. By far the best player on the ice.
Wasn't the most entertaining game through 40 minutes but the Sens were clearly the better team. The Sabres are really banged up right now but with this was still an impressive win for the Ottawa Senators. With the win, Ottawa has caught the Toronto Maple Leafs for second place in the Northeast Division.
Not really Senators related but it's interesting to note that David Rundblad was a healthy scratch for the Phoenix Coyotes tonight.
Obviously wasn't all good news for the home side as centre Jesse Winchester left the game with a concussion. He was run from behind by Sabres forward Paul Gaustad on a play that has to be reviewed by Brendan Shanahan.
