FORMER SHARKS SHOW BITE IN OTTAWA
Senators’ newcomers using their trades as extra motivating factor on the ice
Motivation can come from any number of places.
For Mikkel Boedker, Chris Tierney and Dylan DeMelo, it came from San Jose.
Or more precisely, being traded away from the Sharks has given them more bite in their new home with the Ottawa Senators.
“You never want to get traded and you feel a little left out when you do get traded,” Boedker said Friday, as the surprising Senators prepared for Saturday’s game at home against the equally surprising Montreal Canadiens. “So, you play with a bit of an edge.”
Boedker, acquired from the Sharks in the trade for Mike Hoffman — Hoffman was subsequently flipped to the Florida Panthers — scored his first goal with the Senators in Monday’s 4-1 win over Dallas, finishing off a pretty feed from Matt Duchene. He also has four assists, while averaging 14:54 per game, 1:33 more than he had with the Sharks last season.
“That’s probably one of the things, too. You get a bigger role,” said Boedker, who scored 15 goals, 22 assists last season. “You either thrive in that role or you don’t. So far, I think all three of us have been good. The fans have embraced us and it’s always nice to feel welcome. You just want to play your game and help the team win.”
Without question, the Senators 3-2-1 start has taken away some of the sting from the losses of Hoffman and captain Erik Karlsson.
It’s one thing for Boedker to be associated with the high-scoring, but defensively-challenged Hoffman, who went into Thursday’s game against the Washington Capitals with one goal and one assist in four games.
It’s quite another for Tierney and DeMelo to live with the pressure of being part of the deal for the Senators former captain and two-time Norris Trophy winner. So far, so good.
Tierney, in fact, leads the Senators in scoring, with two goals and six assists. Picking up additional ice time due to Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s Achilles injury, he’s averaging 17:20 per game, 1:20 more than in San Jose, where he played behind a couple of Joes (Thornton and Pavelski) and Logan Couture.
“Everybody made me feel really welcome here,” said Tierney, who will play Saturday on a line with Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel. “The staff, the management, the fans. That made it really easy. I’m feeling better every game. It took a little while to get used to different systems and teammates, but I feel comfortable now.”
Head coach Guy Boucher says Tierney’s personality is starting to show more as the season progresses. “We’re just getting to know him,” Boucher said. “He was a quiet person when he came in, but we’re realizing that he’s a fun guy to have around, with a great sense of humour. He was probably a bit under the radar (in San Jose) because of the big names, but right now, he’s fitting in perfectly for us.”
And then there’s DeMelo, who has opened some eyes with his work at both ends of the rink.
When Boucher employs the traditional lineup of 12 forwards and six defencemen — that will likely be the case Saturday — DeMelo is typically paired with Thomas Chabot.
DeMelo has been on the ice 17:46 each game, a whopping increase from the 14:12 he played with San Jose last season.
He has held his own defensively, but he has also been impressive in helping create offence, with one goal and four assists. For comparison’s sake, Karlsson has no goals and four assists in seven games with the Sharks.
Sooner or later, Karlsson will find his offensive groove in San Jose, displaying his dynamic game for fans in California.
Fortunately for the Senators, things are already going swimmingly for the players they received from the Sharks.
“They were two separate trades for two separate guys,” said Boedker. “I think the expectations to ourselves was just to prove we were good players.”
He was probably a bit under the radar (in San Jose) because of the big names, but right now, he’s fitting in perfectly for us.