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The Ottawa Senators came up with a huge character win tonight in defeating the Minnesota Wild on home ice by a score of 4-3. Anton Forsberg was outstanding once again in stopping 40 of 43 shots while the return of Thomas Chabot was a huge shot in the arm for the Sens, as he notched two goals while registering 6 SOG. The 9-day break definitely had Chabot re-energized, while playing his 300th career NHL game and this two-goal performance was the 4th of his career.
Ottawa was playing their 10th game in 16 nights so fatigue could've been an excuse, but instead, this team jumped on Minnesota early by grabbing a 2-0 lead. The 2nd goal by Brady Tkachuk was a rather weak goal that Cam Talbot allowed, but when you struggle to score goals as team due to all the injuries, you will take those breaks anytime you can get them. Special teams were huge tonight as the Sens killed all three Wild penalties while notching a PP goal of their own. Tyler Ennis has been solid in all facets of the game and continues to be a huge surprise, even getting 3:30 of TOI on the PP with the absence of Batherson and Norris.
Nick Holden was a beast once again on the blueline and continues to impress. He has even led the blueline with TOI last week in a couple of games while contributing offensively as well, tallying 7pts in his last 10 games, while being a +6. Connor Brown led the forwards in TOI for the 4th straight game while quietly grabbing two assists but his special teams' play both on the PP and PK has been terrific.
Nick Paul did so many of the little things tonight as he seems to do lately, but his faceoff work was outstanding winning 12 of 18 in the dot. He was a part of the aggressive PK by Ottawa tonight, great stick placement, and got in the lanes limiting the Wild's chances.
Unfortunately, Nikita Zaitsev continues to put his blueline partners in horrible positions. Zaitsev makes his problem, someone else's problem by constantly slinging the puck to his partner, regardless of where they are on the ice. The coaching staff keeps rewarding him with top 4 minutes on the blueline, which is absolutely head-scratching, to say the least.
Ottawa is off until Saturday night when they host the Montreal Canadiens before they hit the road for a 5 game road trip. Attendance was better tonight, 7,602 fans after only drawing 5,100 and 5,200 fans respectively for their home games on the weekend with the Boston Bruins and the NY Rangers.
I will be back tomorrow with Sens rumours and an update on what's happening with the BSens down in Belleville.
Thanks for reading.
Kevin