Senators usher in changing of the guard with win over Bruins

OTTAWA — When was the final time the Ottawa Senators’ subsequent 5 years regarded brighter than the Boston Bruins’ future?

The 2016-17 season, to be precise.

It was the final time the Senators made the playoffs, beating Boston in six video games within the first spherical. On Thursday, Ottawa beat Boston 6-3 for its fifth consecutive win to edge itself into pole place to earn a playoff spot. The 2 groups are headed in reverse instructions.

On the commerce deadline, Senators common supervisor Steve Staios gave a vote of confidence in his workforce by buying Dylan Cozens and Fabian Zetterlund, whereas Boston’s common supervisor Don Sweeney offered, together with buying and selling away the last word Bruin, Brad Marchand.

Prior to now, Boston’s rat would dominate Ottawa; this time Ottawa’s rat took a chokehold of the battle between division rivals. That will be Ridly Greig, who has made an important case to succeed Marchand as the sport’s final pest. Simply ask Toronto or Montreal followers.

Within the first interval, Greig outmuscled a number of Bruins, with linemate Michael Amadio serving to out, to seek out Shane Pinto, who sniped dwelling the opening objective of the sport.

“I believe he is such an efficient participant,” Pinto informed Sportsnet.ca about Greig’s play. “I do not suppose it is solely scoring, however his general sport is tremendous efficient, the way in which he will get beneath a man’s pores and skin. He simply will get it. And I really like enjoying with him, and I simply can’t wait to see what sort of participant he will be within the subsequent 5, six years, when he is in his prime.”

Greig, Pinto and Amadio have been tasked with shutting down prime items by Senators coach Travis Inexperienced, however they’ve additionally produced a ton of offence.  Since their latest inception as a line in opposition to San Jose on March 1, Ottawa has gone 6-0-1 with the trio, combining for 17 factors.

Good groups beat you with their third traces.

“Play in opposition to prime traces, they’re all sensible gamers,” mentioned Inexperienced in regards to the line. “All of them perceive that aspect of the sport, however they’ll additionally create as effectively, which is finally what you need on the match-up line: not solely form of cease the opposite workforce, however hopefully rating a bit of bit as effectively.”

After Ottawa and Boston traded objectives, the trio compelled a Bruins turnover. Greig, along with his caboose parked in entrance of the web, banged dwelling a rebound off a Pinto one-timer, giving Ottawa a commanding 4-1 lead. It was an ideal fruits for the trio: All wonderful puck retrievers who drive to the web and might shoot.

Their line helped chase goalie Jeremy Swayman, who was changed by former Senator Joonas Korpisalo. However even earlier than that, within the first interval, Senators followers chanted “Ullmark’s higher!” In the meanwhile, Ottawa followers are proper. Linus Ullmark has higher numbers when it comes to save share, goals-against common and objectives saved above anticipated. Nonetheless, let’s not get it twisted: Ottawa can be the higher workforce.

One purpose Ottawa has been higher is as a result of with Staios buying Cozens, the Senators have now began to attain at five-on-five. Ottawa was useless final in five-on-five objectives earlier than Cozens arrived, a serious purpose being that second-line centre Josh Norris didn’t generate a lot offence at even power. Norris, who was traded for Cozens, had 12 factors at five-on-five whereas Cozens had 25 earlier than the swap.  

Cozens displayed his effectiveness in opposition to Boston. He prolonged his level streak to the primary 4 video games as a Senator when he gained a battle down low to deflect a Thomas Chabot slapshot that redirected off the boards to Drake Batherson, who scored his second of the sport to say an Ottawa 5-2 lead. It was Cozens’ third five-on-five level as a Senator. It’s a small pattern dimension, however Ottawa now leads the league in objectives at five-on-five for the reason that commerce.

Inexperienced believes the objectives at five-on-five are a regression to the imply.

“Haven’t completed, we’ve created greater than we’ve completed,” mentioned Inexperienced in regards to the lack of objectives at five-on-five.

Ottawa has now scored greater than 4 objectives in six of its final seven video games, due to Cozens’ jolt of offence, and the third line defending and producing. That’s what a profitable method appears like.

Ullmark informed Sportsnet.ca earlier this month that “Profitable is a luxurious.”

It’s additionally a luxurious to have an elite goaltender, which the Senators now have.

After Boston minimize the result in 5-3, Ullmark placed on a present by making the most effective saves you’ll ever see off a cross-seam move to Mason Lohrei that compelled Ullmark to sprawl over with a diving baseball-type glove save. His teammates had been in awe, with Batherson having a front-row seat, throwing his fingers on his head in disbelief.

“He was smiling ear to ear when he acquired up with the puck,” mentioned Batherson about Ullmark’s response.

“Oh, my God, he is such a stud,” mentioned Senators defenceman Tyler Kleven in regards to the save.

Senators’ followers started to belt out “Ullmark, Ullmark!”

Ullmark known as the followers’ reactions, “humbling.”

It’s sweeter for Ullmark when it comes in opposition to the workforce that traded him away. Late within the third, Ullmark tried a goalie objective, however missed an empty web.

“I believed to myself earlier, that it will be enjoyable to get one in opposition to these guys,” mentioned Ullmark.

The Bruins gave it their all, however Ottawa was too good. Outdoors of David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Swayman, there is not a plethora of thrilling stud gamers within the pipeline for Boston. Ottawa has Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, Cozens, Ullmark and others locked up for some time.

Ottawa is seven factors up on Boston within the standings, however the Senators are worlds aside when it comes to their futures. It is perhaps time to get used to Ottawa because the favorite within the matchup for Senators followers.

• One main purpose the Senators have vaulted right into a playoff place is the rise of Sanderson’s offensive sport in tandem with wonderful defensive play. To start the season, Sanderson struggled, enjoying alongside Travis Hamonic when Artem Zub was out and in of the lineup. In November, he informed Sportsnet.ca he wasn’t joyful along with his sport nevertheless it motivated Sanderson to enhance his sport mid-season.

“Felt like in the beginning of the yr, I wasn’t shifting my ft quite a bit, and felt a bit of slower, actually,” Sanderson informed Sportsnet.ca.

In his first 27 video games, Sanderson had 14 factors, and 11 had been on the ability play. Sanderson wasn’t joyful. In December, he began working with abilities coach Jonathan Sigalet.

“I felt like there was a time in November/December the place I simply wasn’t actually feeling like myself,” Sanderson informed Sportsnet.ca. “And, actually, I wasn’t actually having enjoyable with the sport. We had been dropping and that did not assist at the moment. However (Sigalet) actually sparked a brand new love for the sport.”

Since Dec. 11, Sanderson has 31 factors in 37 video games. What has he labored on with Sigalet?

“Creating extra possibilities and being extra of a shooter menace,” mentioned Sanderson.

Particularly, since Jan. 22, Sanderson is behind solely Cale Makar in factors by a defenceman.

“I really feel fairly good with my sport proper now,” he mentioned. “I really feel like I am skating actually good proper now too, and I really feel like simply creating extra possibilities for myself.”

Towards Washington, Sanderson slithered via the defence to seek out Pinto for a objective that began a comeback. Towards Detroit, he made a tremendous learn to outweigh Cam Talbot to seek out Cozens, who scored right into a wide-open cage. These had been performs Sanderson wasn’t making earlier within the season and his profession.

Tim Stutzle is a believer.

“He’s going to be legit. Like a top-two defenceman on the earth. If he’s not already,” mentioned Stutzle.

Sanderson is on tempo for probably the most factors by a Senators defenceman since Erik Karlsson and he’s solely 22 years previous; 85 is morphing into 65.

• Tkachuk didn’t end the sport for the Senators. Inexperienced mentioned he tweaked his hip however anticipated him to play Saturday. One thing to look at.

Ottawa has not misplaced a sport in regulation when its prime 9 forwards and prime 4 defenceman had been absolutely wholesome since Jan. 9. Sure, that’s proper. Both Norris, Pinto, Tkachuk, Sanderson or Chabot didn’t play a full sport attributable to damage in any of the Senators’ seven regulation losses since Jan. 9.