The Ottawa Senators have won their last two games and are starting to look more like the team fans hoped they would be.
After a promising opening night, the Senators fell flat, finding themselves with a 6-7 record before their recent trip to Boston.
The inter-divisional match-up was a big game for two underwhelming teams looking to get back on track. It was also a big game for Linus Ullmark, who made his first start in TD Garden after spending three seasons with the Bruins.
Both netminders were looking to earn bragging points facing off against their former goalie partner. Ullmark and the Sens came out on top in a 3-2 overtime win.
One of the Senators’ biggest struggles this season has been playing a full 60 minutes, so defeating the Bruins in overtime was a good test of endurance that should help them long-term.
Coming off the high of beating his former teammates, Ullmark was set to experience his first-ever battle of Ontario.
In one of the longest-standing rivalries in hockey, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators were due to face off for the first time this season after Ottawa embarrassed them in the preseason.
If the Senators thought bragging rights were on the line against Boston, they were doubled in this one.
Not only did Ottawa come out with the win on Tuesday, but they shut out the Leafs, Ullmark earning his first goose egg of the season.
This was no doubt an important team win for the Senators, but it was also one of their most complete games of the season.
The biggest improvement with this team over the past few games has been with the defense. It has been no secret that they have struggled to lock down the blue line all season, especially in the absence of Artem Zub.
The shutout against the Leafs was not only a good showing for Ullmark, but the defense finally all looked to be on the same page.
They allowed Toronto little space in the neutral zone and ultimately stopped them from getting a lot of quality scoring chances.
Zub also tallied two assists against Toronto, proving he is a crucial piece to this Senators core and why he was missed so much during his stint on the injured reserve.
The final step for this Ottawa team, and something they have seemingly been working on forever, is discipline.
The Senators just can’t seem to keep out of the penalty box, and although they were better against the Bruins, spending only four minutes at the disadvantage, the emotions of the Battle of Toronto may have got to them as they reverted to their old ways.
Historically, this team spends a lot of time on the penalty kill, which if you want to win games, is less than ideal.
If the Senators can find a way to keep up their gritty play style without putting the other team on the man advantage, they should be in good shape moving forward.
One very positive note is the offense for the Senators.
With Ullmark staying healthy and consistent in the net, and if their defense continues to play how they showed they can against Toronto, Ottawa is scoring enough goals to put themselves in a place to win games.
The Senator’s top line has been doing its job this season. After the first fifteen games, Tim Stutzle (7G, 13A, 20P) is leading the team in points while Brady Tkachuk (8G, 10A, 18P) and Claude Giroux (5G, 7A, 12P) are consistent producers on his side.
Drake Batherson (6G, 9A, 15P) and Josh Norris (6G, 4A, 10P) have also looked promising in this young season. Proving this Senators team, if healthy, may be one of the deeper line-ups they’ve had in a while.
Their next game is against the Flyers who sit two points behind them. The Senators are currently sitting at fourth in their division and eighth in the Eastern Conference, with a very attainable possibility of moving up if they continue to beat teams in their division and win the games they are supposed to.
The season is still young, but if the Sens can find it, they’ll make up some of the early ground they may have lost.
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