Any time you can take 8 out of 10 points on a 5 game homestand, regardless of the competition, it has to be considered a success.
While the last two opponents weren't exactly the lat 1970's Habs, and there were lulls in each of the games, outscoring opponents 7-0 is pretty impressive.
Craig Anderson notched back to back shutouts for the first time as a Senator, and helped his team wrap up a homestand where they went without a regulation loss (3-0-2). It was a late first period goal by Mika Zibanejad, and an early second period marker from Mike Hoffman (on a nice play by Bobby Ryan that was the difference, putting the Senators up 2-0.
The pop-gun Flyers offense didn't have an answer and Anderson didn't give them much hope the way he was seeing and stopping the puck. Milan Michalek made it 3-0 before the second was out and it was all but over. After looking discombobulated on their first two power play opportunities (1 shot in total), it looked like they were going to go 0 for 3 but Kyle Turris buried one with a second left on their final man advantage to extend the streak with at least 1 power play goal to 7 games.
They also killed off all 4 Flyers power plays, blocked 29 shot attempts (while still allowing 36 shots against), and were more than 60% in the faceoff circle.
Bobby Ryan didn't show much effect from the injury that knocked him out of the game on Thursday, although Kyle Turris is still favoring the wrist that was hurt against the Rangers. It was very noticeable following his goal that it was bothering him, so much that he didn't use it for the hi-five line going down the bench following the goal, instead going cross-body with his left hand.
Jared Cowen made his return to the lineup and had a pretty solid game....if the game didn't involve that pesky black rubber disc. He was physical and made his presence felt with the body but the handful of times he handled the puck it was like a brick on his stick. His 4 hits was balanced by his 4 giveaways.
It was a chippy affair at times, with Alex Chiasson delivering a hit to Scott Laughton (who left the game and didn't return) that the Flyers didn't like and Sam Gagner of all people stepped in to fight Chiasson. And we can see why Chiasson doesn't fight much, as he was pretty unwilling and lost the fight to the much smaller Gagner. That was the first of 3 scraps that saw Chris Neil fight Brandon Manning and Wayne Simmonds and Mark Borowiecki drop the mitts, both in the second period.
Despite allowing 36 shots, I can't think of more than a handful of really good Flyers scoring chances, and only 5 shots that got through from high-danger areas at 5 on 5. Ottawa did a good job of keeping them to the outside and forcing low-percentage shots for which Anderson was equal to the task.
Ottawa does need to work on not allowing the pass to the down-low guy on their penalty kill, because that is going to cost them sooner or later. I know that is their plan and they have to leave someone open, but Simmonds had at least three chances for the stuff play at the side of the net and the Senators were late getting there each time. Fortunately Anderson was there for them on this night, but it has been effective in the past for opposing players (specifically James Neal comes to mind).
So now the Senators take this 5 game point streak and head out on the road to face the even hotter Dallas Stars, who currently lead the league or are tied in points and ROW. They also happen to have two of the top three scorers in the league as well as the only defenseman with as many points as Erik Karlsson in Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg. That will kick off a three game road trip that also visits Denver and the suburbs of Phoenix.