FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-One of the most encouraging things about Ottawa’s recent performance is when they win, and they have done that a lot recently, it’s often difficult to nail down one particular reason for their success. From the crease out, the Senators are just playing really good hockey right now. Everyone is pulling in the same direction, everyone understands their role and everyone is showing up on a nightly basis. It’s just a damn shame it’s almost over. Because this is as good as the Ottawa Senators have looked in years. Even without their top defenceman in the lineup, the Sens controlled the game from start to finish. From the second period on, it was no contest.
-Can you imagine what it’s like to be a fan of the Montreal Canadiens? Dreadful for many reasons but specifically, knowing that they intentionally passed on a player like Brady Tkachuk has to be absolute torture. Especially when the player they drafted instead hasn’t scored in like six months. Tkachuk is the type of franchise-changing player every team is looking for when they step up to the podium on draft day and the Habs just…left him there. And now, it seems like Tkachuk is intent on reminding them of that painful reality as often as possible. One goal, four shots, seven hits. Just another night at the office for Brady Tkachuk.
-It would appear that Erik Brannstrom has officially arrived. It took a little longer than some had hoped and there have been some ups and downs along the way but it looks like he’s here to stay now. Brannstrom was elevated in the lineup in the absence of Thomas Chabot and turned in what was probably his best performance as an Ottawa Senator. He notched a career-high three assists in just a shade over 22 minutes and looked solid in his own end of the rink. That’s the interesting thing about Brannstrom- the defensive side of the game has always pretty steady. He’s not big but he understands the position and where he needs to be. And for a smaller guy, he’s surprisingly effective battling for loose pucks. Meanwhile the offence is a bit of a work in progress but he’s getting there. Confidence is the biggest thing for him because he clearly has all the tools to drive the play on offence. It may not always be flashy but Brannstrom is going to be a damn good NHL defenceman.
-The NHL is in serious trouble of Alex Formenton suddenly learns how to finish. In the history of the Ottawa Senators, it’s hard to recall a better skater than Alex Formenton. Alexandre Daigle could fly. Martin Havlat too. But it really feels like Formenton hits a gear that we just haven’t seen before. When Formenton was breaking into the league, former-Sens Head Coach Guy Boucher compared his straight line speed to Connor McDavid. People laughed at the time but honestly, it’s true. That speed was on display last night on a couple of occasions but his goal was breathtaking. Joel Edmundson is still trying to figure out where the hell he went.
-Shane Pinto is going to score a lot of goals just like that one. There have been plenty of chances in his first nine games in the National Hockey League. And while his first may not have been the highlight reel, coast-to-coast type of goal you dream about it was a good representation of what makes Pinto so effective. Just being in the right spot on the ice. It’s what he does. That line of Stützle-Pinto-Brown was Ottawa’s best last night and could be a good starting point for the Senators next season.
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