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Wild post 5-4 OT win over Ottawa! Sens need to target Fiala this summer!! |
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In a game full of momentum shifts for the first two periods, Ottawa managed to get themselves back into a game that looked like it might get away from them very early on. Minnesota jumped out to a fast 2-0 lead on their first 7 shots, while Ottawa still had yet to register a shot on goal. Cue Austen Watson, who had a spirited fight with Brandon Duhaime, which really seemed to energize the Sens bench. Ottawa cut the lead in half only 30 seconds after Watson's fight as Nick Paul deflected home a Connor Brown shot. But yet again, the Wild regained that two-goal lead, 3 minutes later, as the Wild lead 3-1 after the first period.
The second period was all Ottawa as they scored three unanswered goals in the first 8 minutes of the period to take a 4-3 lead! But it was HC Dean Evason who gave Ottawa an extra lift after challenging the Sens 2nd goal for a high stick. Ottawa then scored on the ensuing PP due to the nullified challenge by Minnesota. Even though the Wild tied it up at four, Ottawa showed a ton of resiliency in staying the course when things could've got out of control in a hurry.
Unfortunately, a turnover in the offensive zone by Ottawa(why on earth was MDZ out there and not Artem Zub after Chabot had a long shift) led to the OT winner by Minnesota for the 5-4 win. But I'm sure the Sens won't mind taking the one point in the standings considering how the night began.
Naturally, you can credit Filip Gustavsson for keeping the Sens in this game. He stopped 37 of 42 shots on the night. This guy battles so hard in the net, I absolutely love his passion and determination! I still can't believe DJ Smith stated before the game that Gus earned the start tonight. Did he not earn it last night after the Dallas game? It blows me away how NO media member follows up and asks him this type of question.
The line-up changes tonight were questionable at best, but it does sound like Nick Holden was nursing an injury, otherwise, there was no way DJ could justify taking him out of the line-up when Nikita Zaitsev has been an absolute trainwreck on the blueline night in and out. The healthy scratch of Dylan Gambrell was odd, to say the least. In his 2 games as a Senator, he has fit in nicely on the 4th line. Instead, Logan Shaw got to stay in the line-up over Gambrell when it was Pierre Dorion stating after the trade how they needed a player like this to help with all the injuries. I'm thinking Dorion will be having a chat with DJ on why this line-up change happened?
After watching Kevin Fiala of the Wild, I must say I would really like to see Ottawa target him in the off-season. He's an RFA at the end of the year, the Wild are going to have major cap issues with Suter and Parise having bigger buyout payments the next 3 years. At 25 years of age, a guy that can play either wing, he plays the style of game that would fit in nicely with this group of young forwards. This team could use a veteran that still has a lot left in the tank. He is making 5 million in the last year of his deal and with Sanford(2M) and Tierney(3.5M) coming off the books this summer, he would be a great guy to use those dollars on. Offer sheet? Ottawa has the draft picks to do it. Or would the Wild entertain trading him? I would love to hear what Sens fans think of this, thoughts?
Ottawa returns to action on Thursday night when they host Vegas, then TB for a Saturday afternoon tilt to round out the week of action.
I will post the Sens contest ticket winner either Wednesday at my lunch break or after work.
Make sure you enter the other Sens contest, deadline for it is Thursday, Nov. 4th at 7 pm. The link is below.
https://hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=114286
Thanks for reading.
Kevin
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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