The Ottawa Senators took advantage of a still-recovering Vancouver Canucks team last night, shutting them out by a score of 3-0. While Vancouver controlled the shot attempt share by a decent margin, Ottawa received stellar goal from Matt Murray and played more of a quality-over-quantity game themselves. Here are last night’s thumbs:
Thumbs Up: Matt Murray’s Goaltending… Again What more is there to say? He’s been excellent since returning from injury, pitching two shutouts in the four games he’s played. This is as good as he’s looked over a four-game sample as an Ottawa Senators, and perhaps even dating back a couple seasons before his arrival. When the Senators needed him last night, he was there.
I thought Ottawa did a decent job of keeping Vancouver’s super high-quality chances to a minimum, but that’s not to say that the Canucks didn’t break through on a few occasions. Murray was tested with some very dangerous opportunities, including in-tight tips, screened shots, and more. He was full value for the shutout.
Thumbs Up: Benefiting from Questionable Officiating There have been a few nights this season when the Senators have been on the wrong side of the officiating, but that wasn’t the case early in this game. The Senators benefited from some favorable calls in the first period, which allowed them to build the lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Of course, beneficial calls only matter if you’re able to convert – something the Senators have been unable to do on far too many nights this season. Seeing them pot two first period power play goals was really refreshing. The fact that those goals came courtesy of two future (and current, really) cornerstones of the franchise made it even sweeter.
Few players on the Senators’ roster needed a goal more than Tim Stützle, who was able to contort his body in such a way that allowed him to tip the puck home for his eighth of the season. Drake Batherson followed that up later in the period with a fortuitous finish off a Josh Norris feed. The future is here, and the future is now.
Thumbs Up: Connor Brown Scores… Again Empty-net goals count just the same. That’s now 11 goals in his last 12 games. What a run it’s been for Connor Brown.
Thumbs Up: The Penalty Kill This game could have turned out very differently had it not been for the phenomenal work of Matt Murray and the penalty-killing unit. The Canucks went 0-for-4 on their chances, while Ottawa went 2-for-4. That was quite literally the difference in this hockey game. The work of Alex Formenton and Shane Pinto, in particular, was a big part of Ottawa’s success in that department. Speed and tenacity are great assets on the kill, and that’s exactly what those two players bring to the table. Thumbs Up: Thomas Chabot’s Silent Night If you just looked at the stat line, Thomas Chabot’s night wouldn’t immediately jump out to you as anything spectacular; there’s just a whole lot of zeroes. Anyone watching, though, saw a player control the game at both ends of the rink, transition the puck with alarming regularity, and contribute to his team’s success in a lot of quiet ways. I thought he was excellent.
Thumbs Up: Sicko Mode Vancouver came into this game riding high off a two-game win streak over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Commentators out West were even talking about the playoffs again. Is there anything more on brand for the Sens Sickos than immediately crushing those dreams?
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The Senators will see the Canucks again on Saturday.