Sens kick into high gear

 ABOVE: Pierre McGuire is the new VP of Player Development for the Ottawa Senators. The Ottawa Senators are pushing forward in rapid fashion. The first big move of the early summer (is it actually summer yet?) was the surprising hiring of long-time broadcaster and former NHL coach (he won the

Grades improving; this student has potential

 I remember those dreaded days: Getting the sealed envelope with my school’s emblem adorning the front. “Please bring this home for your parents to look at (‘pick apart,’ you mean) and have them sign it and bring it promptly back to your home-room teacher.” The cringe-worthy report card. Twice a

Future looking rosy in Senator land

 The heat was on last week after what appeared in this corner of the page. Maybe a little too harsh? Unsympathetic? Sure. Perhaps. But after another solid week on the ice, the Ottawa Senators surely appear that they’re about to take another step forward. There’s just too much going well

Leafs-Jets setting intriguing tone

 Maybe next year Johnny Senators Hockey Fan will be invested in the realm of baited-breath as well. But for this year? Enjoy what lies ahead . . . regardless. The playoffs loom and for close followers of the all-Canadian division, it promises to be a Christmas-morning-style experience. First off, the

The Ottawa Senators are 20 games away from finishing this shortened 2020-21 season

 The Senators score during the third period in their 3-1 victory over the Flames, March 24. (PHOTO: NHL.COM/SENATORS) The Sens sit eleven points out of the final playoff spot in the North Division currently held by the Montreal Canadiens. It may sound like less than you’d expect given how poorly the

Goalie woes continue, prospects shine, and Karlsson makes news

 ABOVE:  Joey Daccord injured himself in the third period of Wednesday's game against the Canucks. (PHOTO: SPORTSNET.CA) The Ottawa Senators played two games last week, and both were spirited efforts against the Vancouver Canucks. Ottawa played well enough to win each game, but, unfortunately for them, both ended in an overtime loss. Canucks

The underdog Sens come to life against the juggernaut Leafs, once again

 Joey Daccord dreamt of earning his first NHL win for a long time, it didn’t come in a way he could’ve imagined. Starting goaltender Matt Murray was supposed to start Sunday night’s game. It wasn’t until minutes before hitting the ice that Murray warned the backup Daccord that he didn’t

Erik Gudbranson is back home, but the cheers will have to wait

 Photo: Photo by Matt Zambonin, Freestyle Photography, Getty Images Last Thursday, Blackburn Hamlet’s own Erik Gudbranson found twine with a wrist shot from the point – his first goal as a member of the hometown NHL team. Scoring for the Ottawa Senators was a proud moment for Gudbranson, one that he’ll

The Sens have found an identity

 The Ottawa Senators keep sending teams into tailspins. When they made a comeback down 5-1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs two weeks ago, columnist James Mirtle wrote that the Leafs needed a trade to fix the “complacency that kills them.” Last week, two consecutive wins over the Montreal Canadiens ended

Rivalry week did not disappoint

 Here’s how last week shaped-out for the Ottawa Senators: Monday – 6-5 win vs Toronto Wednesday – 2-1 loss vs Toronto Thursday – 7-3 loss vs Toronto Sunday – 3-2 win vs Montreal That’s a two-win week for the Sens – a continuation of their trend in the right direction.

The Sens get a bounce, and “Hoggy” bounces back

 After beating the Montreal Canadiens and snapping a nine-game winless streak two weeks ago, the Ottawa Senators lost their next four games, and almost lost every game last week. Almost. Enter Brady Tkachuk. The Senators began the week with two losses to the Edmonton Oilers, followed by a loss to

After a tough week, Ottawa Senators need to give young players a chance

 Last week was a tough one for the Ottawa Senators, losing all three games versus Winnipeg. They led 3-2 until the last minutes of the game on Tuesday, before allowing an equalizer with 1:17 left, and then losing in overtime. The Senators outshot the Jets 41-28, they deserved to win.

The NHL is back! And what a start to the season it was for the Sens

 Ottawa launched their 2020-21 NHL season with a gift to fans who waited 310 long days to see them play, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 on Friday night. The convincing win was no small feat, as the majority of NHL analysts had pegged the Maple Leafs as the top

Camps open league-wide, prompting questions and answers

 Above: Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk This past Sunday hockey returned across the board in the National Hockey League with the opening of training camps. The Ottawa Senators, one of seven teams to not qualify for the playoffs last season, opened up a few days earlier on Dec. 30th. And so it

Questions and more questions surround NHL’s return

 Uncertainty is the only certainty. Welcome to the current landscape of professional sports. In hockey, the uncertainty surrounding an upcoming season prompts a few questions. Like: What if there is no season? Don’t kid yourself, this is a real possibility. National Hockey League owners have zero appetite to return to

Good and bad: Senators have changed their look

 Above: Alex Galchenyuk Are the Ottawa Senators accelerating, or just blocking the path towards achieving their self-proclaimed rebuilding plan? It’s a little bit of both from this corner. Let’s put it this way, general manager Pierre Dorion was definitely not “sit-tight-and-let-the-process-playout” during this very odd off-season. You likely knew that

Dorion strikes potential gold in NHL off-season

 Touch ‘em all Pierre, you’ll never hit a bigger home run. We’ll see, but early indications indicate Ottawa Senators’ General Manager Pierre Dorion swung for the fences the past two weeks and connected big time. (Hence the bit-of-a-stretch comparable to Tom Cheek’s famous call of Toronto Blue Jay slugger Joe

Senators take business-like approach to draft

 Scratch the thought that this was “one of the biggest nights in franchise history.” I’d argue (and we’ll see in the years to come) that this was THE biggest night in Ottawa Senators’ history. General Manager Pierre Dorion threw out the former line with some aplomb. I think he underestimates

Cards are in Ottawa’s hands . . . sort of

 We’re less than a month away from arguably the biggest 48 hours in Ottawa Senators’ history. The drama, mystery and intrigue will definitely get interesting. Kind of an Agatha Christie novel on blades. Without the murder, of course. For the Senators, general manager Pierre Dorion is easily the most fascinating

Leafs top Canadian club list

 Brian Burke has always remained an interesting hockey icon. Pull-no-punches, tell it like it is. That’s Burkie. He’s a quote machine too. When he was dismissed by the Maple Leafs a few years back, here’s what he quipped: “There's sometimes when you get fired and you see the vultures circling and

NHL gets it right in bright return

 It’s rare that National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman lands any kind of praise from this corner. As rare as the steak my step-mother orders (Hi Marion!). Poor, far-reaching similes aside – kudos for the long-time head of hockey don’t come easy. This is a guy who thought a glowing

Qualifying round highlights summer’s hottest time

 Nothing like a hot August day-and-night to get you set for hockey. I guess fans of the sport will have to take what they can get this year. Such is life under the heavy heft of a pandemic The National Hockey League’s first-ever qualifying round – involving all of Canada’s

Ottawa’s draft pick — Stuetzle or Byfield, who’s your guy?

 Above: Quinton Byfield (Photo:Terry Wilson, OHL images) It’s the biggest question in Ottawa. (Not if the LRT is running, that’s not so much a question as a gamble). Just who the heck is going at No. 2? And furthermore, who the heck is then going at No. 3? The ball’s

Draft lottery awaits, Super A.J. returns, COVID still hitting hard

 A number of thoughts, observances, and opinions as we head towards Friday’s NHL draft lottery. Some of these thoughts are actually salient. Really. Hold tight. Tick-tock on an early Senators’ Christmas Finally, it’s here. There hasn’t been much of anything to get charged up about – for local NHL fans

Canadian teams look to post-season and draft

 Above: Morgon Reilley will return to the Leafs lineup (Courtesy NHLI via Getty Images) It’s lonely at the bottom. The Ottawa Senators – as discussed at great length in this space last week – won’t be taking part in the 24-team slap-and-tickle know as the NHL playoffs later this summer.