The National Hockey League can be a funny place sometimes. The Ottawa Senators are, by record, the worst team in the league. For whatever reason, though, they seem to have the uncanny ability to give the best team in the North Division absolute fits. The Senators ultimately lost 2-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on this occasion, but looked like the better team and made the Leafs work extremely hard. Here are tonight’s thumbs:

Thumbs Up: The Perfect Loss
The tangible offence wasn’t there, but this was the kind of loss that most Senators fans can live with on a go-forward basis this season. They looked like the better team against a top-tier opponent, and solidified their position in the first overall pick standings in the process. In the midst of a season that is essentially already lost, it’s hard to ask for much more.

Perhaps the best part of this specific loss was the fact that it was Ottawa’s young players really driving the bus. Do you know who the team’s top three players in five-on-five shot attempt share were tonight, per Natural Stat Trick? Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, and Erik Brannstrom. You were looking at the future, in the present.

Thumbs Up: Erik Brannstrom’s Return
The last paragraph sort of gives this one away; Erik Brannstrom was phenomenal in his return to the lineup. His ability to move his feet is something that many of his counterparts on the Ottawa blue line lack. With his dynamic presence in the lineup, this is a better hockey club. The underlying numbers referenced above were matched by an equally-impressive showing as judged by the eye test.

Thumbs Down: Misusing Talented Young Players
Stapling Tim Stützle and Drake Batherson to Derek Stepan for most of the night didn’t generate much in the results department, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Stepan simply doesn’t have the foot speed to keep up or make plays with those two. I’d be more than interested in seeing Logan Brown take a spin in that spot, if the coaching staff is planning on keeping the rest of the lineup the same.

Thumbs Down: Erik Gudbranson’s Game
Unlike with Brannstrom, the eye test and underlying numbers for Erik Gudbranson didn’t really line up in this game for me. The numbers were… fine. But he looked horrible. His lack of foot speed was so readily apparent on many occasions throughout the game, and it resulted in him getting caught out for numerous ultra-long shifts. Whether he was being beat wide by John Tavares on the rush, or spending more than two minutes on the ice in a single shift, Gudbranson was noticeable for the wrong reasons. It’d be great to see the Senators take Gudbranson out for a game, and instead go with a lineup that includes both Christian Wolanin and Brannstrom.

Thumbs Up: Tierney and Tkachuk Team Up
Brady Tkachuk finished the play for his fifth of the season on Ottawa’s only goal, but it was Chris Tierney who made the play happen with a spectacular low saucer-pass on the rush. With expected goal and shot attempt shares in the 85% range at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick, Tkachuk was more than deserving of the scoresheet success he earned in this game.

Thumbs Up: Matt Murray’s Goaltending
He was really, really good once again. I’m still not at a point where I’m ready to completely forget the early season struggles, but we are moving in the right direction.

Thumbs Up: Disallowed Goals
This game could have been over very early on, had it not been for two disallowed goals. That was the Hockey Gods doing the Senators a favour in a first period that saw them perform as the better team.

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The Senators and Maple Leafs will be right back in action tomorrow night. Maybe Toronto will finally look like the best the North has to offer.

As always, thanks for reading.

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