Saturday, January 30, 2010
It's Nice to be Wrong
It was just a few weeks ago when I tried to put a positive spin on the free-falling Ottawa Senators after a miserable five game losing streak which saw them lose to such world beaters as the Carolina Hurricanes. I still felt they had too much talent to be a bottom feeder in the league, but even I wasn't blind to what was going on in between the pipes and the inconsistent defense the Sens presented each night.But now with nine straight victories setting a new franchise record with their 3-2 win in overtime against the Montreal Canadiens today, it seem that the sky's the limit for the Senators. And it's funny how an errant Mike Fisher snap shot in practice started it all.
Fisher managed to concuss goalie Pascal Leclaire with his shot during practice a few weeks ago, and backup Brian Elliott fell ill to the flu. They had to lean on AHL goalie Mike Brodeur with just one NHL game's experience under his belt for a game against the then-hot New York Rangers. The result? Back to back wins for the rookie Brodeur.
But then he got ill, and Elliott was their only choice as Leclaire was still out. "Here we go again" was probably the collective thought in Ottawa. But all Elliott did for the team was string together seven straight victories and get named NHL #1 star of the week. Maybe seeing how well the AHL Brodeur was playing was the fire under his ass that needed to be lit to finally get his game going.
Where would Ottawa be if Fisher just took a lazy shot on Leclaire that fateful day in Central Park?
And I also want to chime in on rookie defenseman Erik Karlsson while I'm at it. I admit totally, I thought the Sens made a big mistake calling Karlsson back up from the minors after playing a dozen games in Binghamton. He struggled at the start of the season, and I didn't think such a small stint in the minors would do him enough to be NHL ready. But every game he is getting better and better. The offence is starting to come along, sure, but he's playing better defensively and with more confidence which bodes well for a kid who's just 19 years old. He just might turn out to be the next Nicklas Lidstrom if he keeps this up.
Hard to say if how long this well keep last, and more importantly, if they can keep up this play in the playoffs come April. But for now, I'm enjoying the ride as every Sens fan should.
# posted by SBP : 6:00 PM
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