Senators up-and-down season so far is not a bad thing

Photo credit: NHLI via Getty Images

National Hockey League brain-boxes like to measure the success rate of their hockey club in 10-game segments.

So, here we sit roughly 10 games into the season with lots to mull over.

Here’s a glance at how Canada’s seven teams are faring so far . . . with loads of road yet to cover.

Ottawa

Qualifying this early going as up-and-down can be taken as a positive in the nation’s capital.

After all, this season was presumed to be a completely ‘down’ year with very little ‘up.’

Playing a kind of loosey-goosey, we’ve-got-nothin’-to-lose style, the Senators have been a hoot to watch.

The kids and newcomers have all exceeded expectations to this point (remember though, it’s a long season) while a good majority of the veterans have under-achieved. Craig Anderson’s goals-against average is poor, and he’s allowed some weak ones (although he was a savior Sunday night in Vegas, and the only reason his team made it to overtime).

The team will improve when Brady Tkachuk returns from injury.

Calgary

The Flames – as expected – have also been here-and-there.

Some nights Calgary’s image looks like a contender, others not so much.

There’s plenty of good talent here and much of it of the young variety (Sean Monahan, Johnny ‘Hockey,’ Elias Lindholm, Matthew Tkachuk).

Like Ottawa, this team is not getting great goaltending (Mike Smith: 3.91 GAA, .869 save percentage).

The Flames, however, can thank the suddenly flagging CFL Stampeders for deflecting the focus of sports dissatisfaction in this Alberta city.

Edmonton

Last week in this space it was suggested, not for the first time and not just by me, that the Leon Draisaitls and Jesse Puljujarvis of the Oilers’ world need to help out Connor McDavid.

At times, McDavid is Tom Hanks in Castaway – man on an island, alone.

Draisaitl responded with a big two-goal effort this week in a win over Nashville. Puljujarvi is still trying to find his game.

Goaltender Cam Talbot was a phenom two years ago. Last year was a write-off.

Cue the cliché: If the Oilers have any hope of making the playoffs, Talbot needs to return to form.

Montreal

Wow.

Seriously, wow.

Ten games in and the Habs are 6-2-2. Pre-season predictions had those numbers in reverse.

Montreal wins with pure speed. The Canadiens are easily one of the top skating teams in the league.

Max Domi has been a revelation (11 points, 10 games) and the early rating on the deal with Arizona is ‘steal.’

As well, bad news for the rest of the conference, Carey Price (4-1, 2.13 GAA, .922 save percentage) is back, big time.

Toronto

As advertised, the Leafs score more than George Clooney (. . . Ok, he’s married now so we’re just basing this on past experience, plus I thought the ‘Fonzie’ reference is getting a little dated . . . onward).

A Saturday night shoulder injury to uber-star Auston Matthews is not to the same one he bummed up last season. Still, any time off for the 16-point man will not be good for Toronto.

The Buds showed they can compete with the best with consecutive wins over Winnipeg this past week.

The defence has not been as bad as expected and Freddy Andersen leads the league in wins.

Winnipeg

The Jets remain Canada’s best hope for a Stanley Cup.

Big, swift and talent-rich, Winnipeg has it all.

Mark Scheifele continues to grow, and Kyle Connor’s picked up where he left off last season.

It’s still early but you’d have to think Dustin Byfuglien is in the Norris chat given his play through the first segment (if this keeps up).

Best stat pack? Back-up Laurent Broissoit has a 3-0 record with a 1.68 GAA and .957 save percentage.

Planetary.

Vancouver

This space really, truly appreciates the direction the Canucks are headed:

Youth is served, with a sprinkling of ‘veteran’ to lead the youngsters along.

The future lies with folks like Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat and tantalising 19-year-old Elias Petterson (5^th overall selection, 2017) up front.

There is quality there.

The Canucks have a way to go, after all this is the eat-you-up-and-spit-you-out Western Conference, but the journey should end in a solid result.

News, notes and notions: Good argument centres on which is hockey’s best line. The consensus seems to be its between the Colorado trio of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen and Boston’s dynamic three of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. But for my money, hockey’s best line will always be: “You do that, you go to the box, you know. Two minutes, by yourself, you know, and you feel shame, you know. And then you get free.” . . . Toronto’s Mitchell Marner continues to excel. When Auston Matthews went down with an injury early in Saturday’s win over Winnipeg, it was Marner who carried the mantel as Toronto’s best player. The former London Knight was far and away the Leafs’ top player last season when it counted the most as well – the playoffs . . . Ottawa’s lazy-hazy days of October stop dead when November arrives this week. The Sens have three games in four nights beginning Thursday . . . Word in Pittsburgh is the Pens are over the moon with the play of defenceman Kris Letang. The offensive numbers are there, as expected, but the real joy is over Letang’s defensive play which has taken a significant leap. His past couple of seasons had been less than stellar.

Senators week ahead:

Tuesday, Oct. 30: Ottawa at Arizona (10 pm)

Thursday, Nov. 1: Buffalo at Ottawa (7:30 pm)

Saturday, Nov. 3: Ottawa at Buffalo (2 pm)

Sunday, Nov. 4: Tampa at Ottawa (7 pm)