Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down: Dominant Second Period Secures Sens Victory

March 2, 2021, 12:29 AM ET [47 Comments]
Michael Stuart
Ottawa Senators Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Ottawa Senators are a more competitive team than a lot of people were giving them credit for earlier this season, as evidenced again tonight with their 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. A dominant second period was ultimately enough to push this team over the edge in this game. Here are tonight’s thumbs:

Thumbs Up: Matt Murray’s Goaltending
We got the good version of Matt Murray tonight; he stopped 27 of 28 shots fired his way on the road to victory. The Senators needed Murray to be good in the first period particularly, as they didn’t really get their legs under them until the second. Murray stopping 12 of 12 in the opening frame allowed the Senators to turn on the jets and take over the game in the middle period.

Thumbs Up: Drake Batherson Joins the History Books
With two goals tonight, Drake Batherson joined the Senators history books by extending his scoring streak to six games. Even if his second of the game and ninth of the season was a bit of a freebie, his opening marker was a goal scorer’s goal; it was also a glimpse into the future for this Senators squad. Assisted by Josh Norris and Tim Stützle, the goal came with a wicked (and patient) wrist shot from the high slot. He’s feeling it right now in almost every facet of the game.

And, Batherson’s company in the history books? It’s good:

Thumbs Up: Brady Tkachuk’s Quiet Contributions
On a night that saw big-name Senators like Batherson and Stützle show up on the scoresheet with goals and assists, Brady Tkachuk was somehow kept silent. That shouldn’t distract from the fact that he was really, really good again. It was a classic Brady Tkachuk performance that saw him frustrate and annoy the Flames on almost every shift, all while moving the puck in the right direction for his team.

Thumbs Up: Two Assists for Stützle
Now with five goals and 14 points through 21 games this season, Tim Stützle sits second overall in league rookie scoring. His underwhelming underlying numbers remain a bit of a mystery, but it’s clear that he’s added a dynamic offensive instinct that this team was missing last season.

Thumbs Up: The White Line Rebounds
After a rough outing in their last performance, it was a refreshing return to form for the Nick Paul-Colin White-Evgenii Dadonov line this evening. They were back to their usual tricks of maintaining puck possession and keeping the opposition at bay. Their late-game offensive contributions, which included an empty-net goal from White, were just icing on the cake.

Thumbs Up: Artem Zub’s Penalty Killing Work
It’s a thankless job, but an important one nonetheless. And, at least by my eye, Artem Zub did it really well this evening. His penalty killing work saw the Flames limited both in terms of passing lanes and shooting opportunities, which resulted in successful seconds killed when he was on the ice. His play for this team has been such a revelation.

--

The Senators will be right back at it tomorrow night against the Montreal Canadiens.

As always, thanks for reading.
Join the Discussion: » 47 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Michael Stuart
» Brown, Paul Combine for Canada's Golden Goal at World Championship
» Senators to Select 10th Overall; What Should They Do with the Pick?
» Finding the Right Centerpiece
» Senators Team Awards Ballot
» Melnyk Speaks