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Tkachuk Gets the Last Laugh

November 21, 2019, 3:03 PM ET [21 Comments]
Michael Stuart
Ottawa Senators Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Ottawa Senators played in Montreal last night, beating the Canadiens by a score of 2-1 in overtime. Montreal dominated the game from start to finish, but was stifled by stellar goaltending from Craig Anderson. It’s a story the Senators have seen time and time again this year, and one that has resulted in them sitting above teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning and San Jose Sharks in the standings.

Here are the thumbs from last night’s game:

Thumbs Up: Brady Tkachuk Gets the Last Laugh

After being selected third and fourth overall by Canadian teams in 2018, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Brady Tkachuk are forever linked in the minds of most fans of these teams. Whenever the two face each other, it provides for a really interesting case study.

Any casual observer could tell you that it’s been a struggle for Kotkaniemi in Montreal this year. He’s tallied a total of 3 points in 15 games to start the year, with equally ugly underlying numbers to match. While Tkachuk has had his ups and downs without Mark Stone by his side, the Senators’ power forward has shown more than enough this year to suggest that his rookie success wasn’t a fluke or accident.

The unfortunate thing for Kotkaniemi is that he actually played a really solid game last night. The Canadiens controlled the play when he was on the ice, and peppered Craig Anderson with high-quality scoring chances. What was his reward for all that good work? Zero points, and the distinct pleasure of watching Brady Tkachuk score the overtime game-winning goal:


Tkachuk had an otherwise quiet and underwhelming night compared to Kotkaniemi, but what will be remembered is the fact that the Senator started and finished the play that ended the game.

Thumbs Up: Craig Anderson
You will struggle to find many guys who are easier to cheer for than Craig Anderson. So, when he has a good night, it’s always nice to see. Despite generating nearly three expected goals at five-on-five per Natural Stat Trick, the Canadiens failed to beat the Senators goaltender at even-strength. A single power play marker was all that Montreal could muster on a night when they fired 36 shots on goal.

With that performance, Anderson’s save percentage on the year is now once again north of .900. If he can provide reliable spot duty to keep Anders Nilsson fresh and rested, it would be a major positive for this team.

Thumbs Up: JG Pageau Scores Again.
Laugh. Out. Loud. It’s just crazy at this point:


There’s still plenty of time for him to pot a few more, too.

Thumbs Down: Namestnikov’s Injury
He’s cooled down since his scorching start as a Senator, but Vladislav Namestnikov remains a big part of this team. He was injured early on in yesterday’s game, in a scary collision that saw him slam into the boards with tremendous force:


There hasn’t been any formal update on the injury as of yet.

Thumbs Up: Humor


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The Senators return to the Canadian Tire Centre tomorrow for a matchup against the still-bad New York Rangers.

As always, thanks for reading.
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