Maybe it was just a matter of finding the right combinations.
Guy Boucher has tried a lot of different lineups so far this season, but I think this might be the first time he has attempted the Stone - Brassard - Hoffman and Dzingel - Turris - Ryan permutation. It is working at the moment and he might have found the right look.
Two games in a row, with the Senators finally showing life offensively against two of the leagues best goalies.
Ottawa scored on consecutive shots in the third period to break open what was a 1-1 tie, and did a good job of shutting things down en route to a 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins.
There were two goals of absolute beauty, both set up by guys who are usually counted on more for scoring goals than setting them up. Both involved slick passes through the middle of the ice as well as some nice finish. Mike Hoffman set up Mark Stone with a nice saucer pass and then Stone deke to tie the game in the second. Kyle Turris picked off an errant David Krejci pass and completed a sweet give and go with Bobby Ryan for his ninth goal of the season as the Senators got goals from both of its top two lines.
Those goals sandwiched a dirty one, from Chris Wideman as his long shot bounced off a Bruin leg and past Tuukka Rask, the one that broke the tie and turned out to be the game winner.
The Bruins opened the scoring (the ninth straight game where the Senators have allowed the game's first goal), when David Pastrnak fired a loose puck past Craig Anderson from in tight after the Ottawa goalie lost track of it in traffic while the Bruins were on the power play, but that was the lone blemish on Anderson's game, and he got support as the Bruins managed just 20 shots on goal while his teammates blocked 18 shot attempts.
Anyone who still hangs onto the "Erik Karlsson can't play defense" adage is simply living in a dream world and has not watched him play over the last couple of seasons. He played almost the entire final two minutes in his own end (albeit his icing the puck resulted in the inability to change and thus the extended Bruins' pressure), and blocked at least two shots in that stretch, bringing his game total to eight, and putting him well into first place in the league in that category. Karlsson's effectiveness can no longer solely be measured on his offensive output. Part of that can be credited to Boucher's system but this is a trend that started well before the new Senators' coach was put behind the bench, although you have to hold your breath for a second with each of those blocks that it doesn't hit him in the wrong spot and cause an injury to the one guy they can't afford to lose for any length of time.
So that makes it two straight wins, against divisional opponents and top end goaltenders in Carey Price and Tuukka Rask. One at home and one away. And finally some signs of offensive players breaking out of their respective slumps.
Two games does not make a season, but aside from the Nashville games this has been a pretty successful month, where even the games they lost they could have gone the other way. Not every game can be perfect, and they went through a ridiculous dry spell offensively, but they actually got through it pretty well unscated and maybe finally things are turning around and that can only mean good things for the Senators.
Up next is a back to back on the weekend, hosting the Hurricanes on Saturday and visiting the Rangers on Sunday.