Danny McCloskey
Make it three in a row for the Ottawa Senators! They took advantage of an injury depleted Florida Panthers team, controlling the play for much of the game on their way to a convincing 5-1 win. This wraps up five straight games at home, where the Senators went an impressive 4-1. Let’s dive into the details.
READ MORE: It’s Time to Rally Around Brady Tkachuk
Thomas Chabot’s Remarkable Return
How Chabot managed to return so quickly from what looked to be a long-term injury is incredible. It was on March 23rd that Chabot left the game against the New York Rangers with a broken arm. Just 17 days later, he was back tonight. He played over 21 minutes of solid hockey. All of a sudden, the Senators beaten down blueline is starting to come back together.
Linus Ullmark’s Strong Stretch
When Ullmark did not play against the Lightning on March 28th, it was fair to worry about his ability to take on a heavy workload. Afterall, he’s never started 50 games in a season. He then followed that up with a dud performance against the Panthers where he was pulled after giving up five first period goals. Since then, though, he’s worked his way back into the good books of the team and the fans.
Tonight marked his sixth straight start. He’s now up to 48 starts on the season, tying his career high from 2022-23 when he won the Vezina. Over his last two starts, he’s stopped 49 of the 52 shots he’s faced. That includes 21 saves on 22 shots tonight. Since returning from a leave of absence in late January, he has gone 13-4-3. His 13 wins are tied for the most in the NHL in that time.
Artem Zub’s Brilliance
Zub doesn’t receive enough praise for how valuable he is to this team. Even I am only giving him his shine after a game where he scored a goal, even though so much of his value comes on the other side of the ice. He’s been a defensive gem all season long, especially when the likes of Chabot and Sanderson were out with injuries. He constantly takes on the other team’s top line, and takes on defensive zone assignments time and time again. Oh, it also helps that he’s set a career high with 29 points this season.
Additional Notes
With his first period goal, Drake Batherson set a career high with his 69th point of the season. Tim Stützle’s 34 goals lead the Senators. He could have 40, though, if he finished more often on his glorious chances. Tonight, he was robbed by Bobrovsky on a clear cut breakaway. Jake Sanderson registered two assists tonight, bringing his point total up to 52. It will be tough, but another five points in the Senators last three games would tie his career high of 57 points, set last season. Keep in mind, he missed 13 games this season.
I was just about done writing my article when Zetterlund went and scored his second goal of the game. Two goals in a game always deserves a mention, so here it is. Zetterlund was very good tonight, scoring goals 15 and 16 on the season. As much as he’s not lived up to the hype after being traded from the Sharks, what a luxury it is to have a player of his level on the fourth line.
Playoff update: The Senators are now up to 94 points. With three games to go, they are three points up on the Red Wings and Islanders. Speaking of the Islanders, that’s who is up next for the Sens. It’ll be an afternoon road game on Saturday.
