I wasn't able to watch any of the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, although I caught up on some incredible banter on Twitter, making it the first fun night to be a fan of the team in a very long time. The Senators hung on to win 5-3, and the star of the night was Thomas Chabot aka "Hotsam Batcho" as @bRian5or6 nicknamed him last season.
I can't comment on much that happened during this game, but I can say that it seems like Chabot had a fantastic night, giving fans a reason to get excited. If he can have games like that every so often, Ottawa will have a stud defenseman on their hands. He's just 21 years old, and he will get every opportunity to succeed this season. With two goals and one assist tonight, he now has four points in two games to begin the year.
With 25 points in 63 games as a rookie, he showed that he can score at a decent clip for a defenseman. However, he has room to improve because he was over a point-per-game player in the QMJHL, so I see no reason why he can't end up being a 50-point player. Could that happen this year? It's unlikely considering the talent on the team, but I think he has that kind of ceiling.
His second goal of the night could end up being the best goal of the year on the team, and it was shades of classic Jason Spezza. Plus the Senators Twitter account made sure to capitalize on some good content:
Game winner. pic.twitter.com/jYT11PZmcR
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) October 7, 2018
Then again, his first goal was nothing to scoff at either:
Thomas Chabot off the nice feed from Boedker! 🚨 #GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/2KJxLMMzlv
— Sens Prospects (@SensProspects) October 7, 2018
The Hotsam Batcho meme has caught on quickly too, which indirectly makes him even more lovable:
Hatsam. pic.twitter.com/oabHelaGPq
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) October 7, 2018
I have always been pretty high on Chabot as a player, but it was never a sure-thing that he was going to develop into a top-pairing defenseman. His performance tonight against a very good team is encouraging, and he is a reason to get excited about the future core of the Senators. There have been a ton of things to be negative about regarding the organization, but nights like these make fans remember why they love hockey---getting to see electric players like Chabot.
Plus it's not like "Hotsam Batcho" is his creation or anything, but having inside jokes like that to talk about makes the experience following the team that much more enjoyable. It's something small, but it's entertaining. The fact that Chabot had this performance against Toronto makes it that much sweeter, because wins against them are satisfying no matter how good Ottawa is. Leaf fans expect to destroy the Senators, but Ottawa has actually had their number for the past few seasons.
So at least for this night, there was excitement in the air. The bigger picture still isn't pretty, but Chabot looks like a legitimately great player. I can't wait for his number to get retired and for the banner to say "Batcho 72."