MacArthur finds game a lot quicker
Winger just back from concussion says he had to ‘manage’ final 10 seconds of shifts
Considering the high stakes, Ottawa Senators winger Clarke MacArthur was sure to be feeling some tension as the puck dropped against the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.
But it would be nothing compared to his emotional return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings.
“This is back to normal, and it’s nice to have a day fully planned out and be on the road, too, with fewer distractions,” he said.
His initial observations upon returning after 18 months?
“The game has got quicker over the last two years … a lot quicker than it looks from watching up top (in the press box), that’s for sure.”
He says he felt fine for the first 25 to 30 seconds of each 40-to45-second shift against Detroit, but “that last 10 seconds … that’s where you have to be smart and manage your ice time.”
He’s also keeping his goals modest for the time being.
“I’ve got to be careful with how high I set the bar right off the top,” he said. “You want to come in and be solid and get better every game as we get closer to the playoffs.”
From a leadership point of view, MacArthur says he tries to “keep it loose,” helping younger teammates from getting overwhelmed with the pressure of big games. MARCHAND SITS: The Bruins’ lineup wasn’t nearly as potent without Brad Marchand, who was slapped with a two-game suspension Thursday morning.
The NHL’s department of player safety used some forceful language — “a forceful spear,” “intentionally drives his stick up and in” and “a history of attacking the lower body of opponents” — in explaining why Marchand received supplemental discipline for jamming his stick into the groin of Tampa Bay’s Jake Dotchin on Tuesday.
The Bruins will also be missing the 39-goal scorer in Saturday’s regular-season finale against Washington, but the NHL missed a chance to send a louder message by extending the suspension into the playoffs … Isn’t it about time the Bruins take the “interim” tag off head coach Bruce Cassidy? The Bruins entered Thursday’s game on a six-game winning streak, with an 18-7-0 record — and an impressive comeback to a playoff spot — under Cassidy. WHITE STAYS OUT: The Senators’ decision to not dress Colin White against the Bruins has raised some eyebrows and has prompted more questions.
Why did the Senators sign him to an entry-level deal earlier this week, burning a year off his contract, if he wasn’t going to play regularly? If the Senators were confident that MacArthur would be able to return, why would they need yet another forward around? Until we hear otherwise, it appears that the threat of White going back to Boston College and perhaps never signing with the Senators worked.
White, who played in Monday’s 5-4 shootout loss to Detroit — missing on the final shootout attempt — says he’s learning plenty from watching.
“Seeing some of the guys in practice, their habits, on and off the ice, there are lots of things I’m picking up,” he said.
White met with family and friends after arriving in Boston on Wednesday, shaking his head about the whirlwind that has taken him from Boston College to Binghamton to Syracuse to St. John’s to Detroit to Ottawa and back home in the past 14 days.
“It has been a crazy couple of weeks, but it was nice to get my feet under me in the NHL. Playing at the Joe (Louis Arena) was pretty cool, for first time, but it was a tough outcome.”
Boucher offered nothing but compliments for White’s performance in his NHL debut, but he kept him on the bench in the third period and overtime, not wanting to expose him to too much, too soon. “He’s real smart, a gritty kid,” said Boucher. “What I saw is a kid not intimidated by the calibre or the pressure.”… Defenceman Thomas Chabot, drafted by the Senators 18th overall in 2015, three spots before White, has been named the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s defenceman of the year and “personality” of the year. Chabot scored 10 goals and 35 assists in 34 games with Saint John during the regular season. He has three goals and seven assists in only four playoff games as Saint John swept its openinground series. While the Senators asked about Chabot’s eligibility to join the team because of the injury toll on the blue-line, they would need five defencemen on the current roster to be injured before being able to recall him. NEIL READY TO GO: Chris Neil, who has been nursing a hand injury since Feb. 26, has been cleared to return. The problem is the club is swimming with extra forwards, or, as Neil puts it, “We’ve got a football team here.” When Zack Smith and Bobby Ryan return, some tough decisions will have to be made.
“I just have to be ready, whenever I’m called upon, and do what I do,” said Neil. “That’s what I’ve done my whole career. Work hard, be physical, be hard on the forecheck.”… Neil played a big role in MacArthur’s return. When the Senators were on their extended road trip last week, Neil and MacArthur teamed up in competitive twoon-two games against Daniel Alfredsson and Shean Donovan. “There was a lot of intensity in our skates, we were going hard,” Neil said. “We did a lot of down-low simulation. Playing against those guys makes you work hard.” … In other news, there is no truth to rumours that Alfredsson and Donovan are coming out of retirement.