FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-It was precisely two games ago that the Ottawa Senators looked ready to fold up shop for the season. Following an ugly loss to the Edmonton Oilers on home ice, the conversation had almost entirely shifted towards draft positioning in June. My what a difference a couple games can make. Back to back blowout wins and suddenly, the Sens have life. The hole is deep but it looks like these Senators are ready to go down swinging again. You get the sense these next couple weeks are going to decide their season.
-The biggest difference in these last two games is the sudden chemistry up front. Getting Kyle Turris back was huge but so too was the unexpected arrival of Jean Gabriel Pageau- the second line centre. Pageau has looked great on that line with Zack Smith and Mark Stone and has given Dave Cameron two dangerous scoring lines. It’s also leading to some more favourable match ups for Mika Zibanejad as a third line centre.
-During last season’s improbable run, it was the hot hand of Mark Stone that led the way. So it’s appropriate that with his team in another deep hole in the second half, Mark Stone has come to life. He now has 8 points in his last 4 games and looks an awful lot like the player that set the league ablaze in the second half of last year. He had a shift in the second period last night leading up to his second goal that was out of this world. When Stone’s confidence is high, he’s as dangerous a forward as you’ll find.
-Mentioned it on Twitter during the second period of last night’s game but I really like what I’ve seen from Cody Ceci the last month or so. The underlying numbers may not show it yet but the ol’ eyeball test is showing me a player starting to play with a ton of confidence. He’s using his skating ability to jump into the play at opportune times and giving the Sens a much-needed threat other than Erik Karlsson on the back end. Not sure what the Coaching staff has been saying to this guy the last little while but it’s working. Ceci has 8 points in his last 10 games.
-You know things are going well when I get to the final thought and I still have a handful of players to acknowledge. Much has been made about Zack Smith playing “out of position” on that second line but I thought he was one of the best players on the ice last night. Shane Prince is finally off that fourth line and showing the Coaches he’s ready for more responsibility. You get the sense that goals are about to start coming in bunches for him. That was without doubt the best game Alex Chiasson has played in months. Ton of confidence with the puck on his stick. And finally, Ryan Dzingel. I need to see more. His combination of speed and skill is certainly intriguing.
