By Ken Hawkins (a.k.a. khawk)
After a disastrous end to February, the early March schedule was shaping up to be a pivotal gut-check for this team, and they have certainly delivered with a stellar 6-0-1 record and key wins in regulation time vs. DET, NYR, and BOS. The team is starting to play with a confidence that was sorely lacking in years’ past, and it isn’t just coming from captain Brady Tkachuk. They came out strong in the first period of this game, and effectively dominated the Bruins with a 15-4 shot advantage that led to an early 4-1 lead. BOS showed a lot of tenacity for a team that’s been ripped apart by injuries and trades, but the Senators’ depth and improved defensive play made a comeback unlikely. Doubly so when Linus Ullmark goes and provides a highlight-reel save that may be among the best of the year.
Ullmark Highlight of the Night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe3LHEEba5Q/
OTT 6 - BOS 3 (NHL.com Highlights)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH-kZ_IgUkM/
The Good - Rare is the night when OTT scores 6 goals, but Tkachuk/Stutzle end up with just 2A and are a combined -3. This game was won early by the 2nd/3rd lines, where Batherson led the way with 2G-1A and a team-high 5 hits, Pinto and Greig each put up 1G-1A, and Cozens continued to impress with 1A and a team-best +3. Reliable scoring from multiple lines is critical in the postseason, and the new Cozens-Batherson line in particular is changing the offensive complexion of the team. It was also good to see Kleven score a goal, and Matinpalo record his first NHL point.
The Bad - Winning 5 games in a row will gloss over a lot of problems, but it’s clear there’s still work to be done in terms of defensive zone communication. Ullmark isn’t the best at handling the puck, and it directly led to the Bruins’ second goal which notably switched the momentum of the 2nd period. The third goal was also the direct result of miscommunication between Kleven and Matinpalo. Playoff teams will feast on these kinds of errors. Also, it’s already feeling like Travis Green needs to find a place for Fabian Zetterlund in the top-9, or he may prove to be unwilling to sign a RFA extension in the off-season.
The Ugly - A major question heading into the season was that if the Senators were going to take a playoff spot in the East, which of the existing playoff teams were going to fall out of contention? Well the Bruins have more than answered that question, having now lost all of Marchand, Coyle, DeBrusk, Carlo, Frederic, and Ullmark in the past year. There are still some quality pieces in place, including Pastrnak, McAvoy, Lindholm, and Swayman, but with four 1st round picks and five 2nd round picks in the next 3 drafts, the Bruins have clearly positioned themselves for a rebuilding phase.
This win improves the Senators record to 35-25-5, and they’ve now opened a full 5-point lead on the Blue Jackets and NY Rangers for the 1st Wild Card spot in the East. Next up will be a Saturday night showdown on Hockey Night in Canada vs. their provincial rivals in TOR. It should be a very good litmus test of how they stack up vs. a perennial playoff team who needs the 2 points to keep pace in the hyper-competitive Atlantic Division. Should OTT win that game, they would also pull to within 4 points of both the Maple Leafs and Lightning in the Atlantic Division standings.
What did you think of the Senators’ win vs. the Bruins? Please comment below, and as always thanks for reading!
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»