A few things popped out of our tackle box this week.
Let’s lure up.
Fish on!
CONSISTENCY, SUSTAINABILITY
The two magic words that will determine whether the Ottawa Senators roll towards their first playoff spot in eight years . . . or not.
Pretty simple, eh?
It really is if you put your brain cells to work. Think back to the first half of the season – during the time when Ottawa was truly in ‘challenge’ mode. The team was rich in consistency. Consistent defensive effort and dedication, consistent mature approach to the game on the ice and the game behind the scenes.
Sustainability?
That’s where things get itchy.
Ottawa persistently hanging around the .500 mark should tell you all you need to know about that one. Good all-around effort followed by not-so-good all-around effort. One step forward, one step to the side, another to the back.
As Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman put it earlier this week, while it’s great for the Senators to be on a winning run, do it for the next 20 games. In other words: Prove it.
That doesn’t mean necessarily win the next 20 games (that won’t be happening) but compete consistently as they are doing during this latest streak (three in a row). Successful organizations don’t jerk their fan bases back-and-forth, from winning strings to losing strings.
It’s called maturation; a necessity for landing a post-season position.
TRADE DEADLINE – IS THERE REALLY AN OPTION?
In a word – no.
General Manager Steve Staios broadly hinted earlier this week that his team won’t be heading into the March 8th trade deadline as a seller.
Staios spoke with Postmedia and offered up this – “I’m not only willing but I would be open to adding and doing what we need to do at the right time. Again, I’m watching our depth continue to grow with this group, but I think we’ll find out a little bit more about our group from now until that opportunity comes up.”
Quite honestly, unless Ottawa slips and tumbles down a cliff there is no question the club must be a buyer this year.
Let’s put the cut-off at within five points of a playoff spot come early March.
Is there truly any other option?
Again, no.
The Senators are treading on very shaky ground with their ticket-buyers. We’ve heard lots of ‘they better show me something this year . . . or else.’
A new arena is looking like it’s going to be years and years before reaching fruition so relying on a nice, sparkly shiny thing in the city’s downtown won’t be occurring for the foreseeable future. No saviour there, folks.
The only thing that’s going to bring more bums into more seats is winning, or at the very least the appearance of doing your darndest to win.
Packing it in with another ‘oh well, there’s always next year,’ isn’t going to cut it.
(Besides, if you thought the Brady-Tkachuk-wants-out rumour rumbles were loud this fall and winter . . . give it another 12 months of non-compete).
BRIGHT FUTURE COMING FAST FOR HABS
It’s been an interestingly splendid (now there’s a mouthful) few weeks for a couple of teams that appeared targeted for another playoff-free landing zone in 2024-25.
The Detroit Red Wings were impressing absolutely no one before firing head coach Derek Lalonde and replacing him with the harder-edged Todd McLellan three weeks ago. Since then? Quite impressive as Detroit’s brought itself back squarely into the post-season photograph.
“I think it’s probably starts with practice, with his intensity and how we practice, we’re up and down, we’re moving, there’s a lot of pace. There’s a lot of teaching moments,” said Detroit captain Dylan Larkin.
Meantime and in-between time, the story in Montreal’s been even more eye-opening.
The formerly too-young, too-untested Canadiens are quite simply blazing hot.
Montreal is 10-3 since Dec. 17th.
Montreal is one point back of Ottawa and just two behind Columbus (with a game in hand) for the final wild-card spot.
It’s not just the record that’s wildly impressive. During its run, Montreal has topped the likes of Vegas, Florida, Tampa Bay, Colorado and the surprising Washington Capitals.
It’s a brilliant story.
Leading the charge? Super-rookie Lane Hutson whose 35 points in 43 games is wow-central. Hutson also leads all NHL rookies in ice-time, averaging 22:24 per game. If the 20-year-old nabs the Calder this summer – as Sportsnet pointed out – he’d be the first Canadiens’ skater to win since Ken Dryden back in 1972.
The front office also gets heaps of credit. Management brought in under-valued Alex Carriere and found netminder Jakub Dobas (3-0, 0.97 goals-against average, .959 save percentage) somewhere, somehow.
Like Ottawa, all eyes will be on both Detroit and Montreal to see if sustainability wins out.
OTTAWA SENATORS WEEK AHEAD:
Thursday, Jan. 16: Washington at Ottawa (7 pm)
Saturday, Jan. 18: Boston at Ottawa (3 pm)
Sunday, Jan. 19: Ottawa at New Jersey (1 pm)
Tuesday, Jan. 21: Ottawa at NY Rangers (7 pm)
thegrossgame@yahoo.com