Senators continue to defy naysayers
Newcomers shine in convincing 4-1 victory over powerhouse Dallas Stars
In a game featuring a flavour of the Ottawa Senators tomorrow and a fair bit of the Senators from yesteryear, the newcomers played a major role in delivering an impressive 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars Monday.
Rookies Max Lajoie and Brady Tkachuk turned a late second-period deficit into an early third-period lead Monday and the Senators closed out the powerhouse Stars from there. Mikkel Boedker and Zack Smith completed the Senators scoring.
The Senators kept high-scoring Stars stars Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov off the scoresheet.
They also ruined the homecoming for a trio of former Senators stars: centre Jason Spezza, defenceman Marc Methot and goaltender Ben Bishop.
The Senators, who also knocked off the Los Angeles Kings 5-1 on Saturday, are now 3-2-1 on the season.
For all the Senators’ pre-season talk about the rebuilding effort, a fair bit of what’s happened in the opening six games is beyond their wildest dreams.
With 19 seconds remaining in the second, Lajoie stepped over the blue line and banked a shot off Stars defenceman Julius Honka, past a startled Bishop. Lajoie now has four goals and three assists in the first six games of his NHL career, a remarkable development for a defenceman who wasn’t originally expected to make the team.
The Senators carried the momentum from Lajoie’s goal into the third. Tkachuk, stationed in his office on the cusp of the crease, redirected Dylan DeMelo’s pass over Bishop’s shoulder at the 1:27 mark of the third. The line of Tkachuk, Chris Tierney and Mark Stone was solid all night.
Tierney and DeMelo have been bright lights since arriving in the trade for Erik Karlsson.
Boedker provided some insurance, finishing off some hard behind the net work from Matt Duchene to make it 3-1. It was Boedker’s first goal since joining the Senators in the summer trade for Mike Hoffman. Smith put the game out of reach, scoring into an empty net with 1:37 remaining. RED LIGHTS FROM THE BLUE LINE
The early big numbers from the Senators’ defence corps have been shocking. After Lajoie’s goal, the Senators had nine goals from their blue line, more than any other squad. Karlsson’s new team, the San Jose Sharks, were one of nine clubs that entered the week without a goal from any of their defencemen.