Danny McCloskey
Frustrating is a good word to describe today’s game for the Senators. Against a stingy Minnesota Wild team, the Sens struggled to create offense all game long. The only goal they managed was late in the third as Drake Batherson scored his 31st of the season. The Wild, meanwhile, scored two goals in the first, another in the second and one more in the third to win this game 4-1. Let’s dive into the details.
Cousins & Greig the Standouts
There wasn’t much good in this one for the Senators. While not nearly as sloppy as their 6-3 loss to the Panthers a few days ago, the Sens were simply unable to generate many quality chances. The Wild played a heavy game and were able to control the game along the boards. The two most noticeable Sens were Cousins and Greig. That makes sense since they both have a tenacious style and refuse to back down, all the while getting under the skin of their opponents time and time again. Greig finished the night with six shots and three hits while Cousins had five hits and two Foligno’s yelling at him all game long.
Wild Goalies- What Could Have Been
The Wild came into today giving up 2.84 goals per game, fourth best in the NHL. They have the best save percentage in the NHL at .906. They have the second most shutouts with eight. The frustrating part of all this from the Sens perspective is how this very well could’ve been the Senators duo.
That duo, of course, is Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt. Wallstedt was solid today, saving 33 of the Senators 34 shots, while giving up very few second chances. In 2021, the Senators had the 10th overall pick. Wallstedt was supposed to be picked in that range. The Sens opted to select Tyler Boucher, who has yet to play in the NHL. Wallstedt was then picked 20th by the Wild.
As for Gustavsson, his Senators connection is a little more obvious. He literally spent a few years in the Sens organization, including 27 NHL games with Ottawa. Before the start of the 2022-23 season, he was traded to the Wild for Cam Talbot. Talbot played 36 total games as a Senator, while Gustavsson is closing in on 200 games with the Wild.
Additional Notes
The good news? The Red Wings lost to the lowly Rangers today. More good news? Jake Sanderson played just under 25 minutes in his return from injury today. Tim Stützle picked up an assist late, but that was as quiet a game as you’ll see from him. I wonder if Travis Green might put him and Brady Tkachuk back together soon. The Senators won’t have any time to rest. They’re back at it again tomorrow, taking on a great Carolina Hurricanes team at 5pm. That could very well be a James Reimer game.
