Top rookie Norris not getting ahead of himself

If Josh Norris had paid a visit to the NHL.com statistics page on Saturday morning, he would have seen his face staring back at him.

With three goals and seven assists in the Ottawa Senators opening 19 games, Norris was tied with Chicago’s Pius Suter for the rookie scoring lead.

Only one point behind, with five goals and four assists in 16 games, was Tim Stuetzle, who just happens be sharing a house with Norris and Senators scoring leader Brady Tkachuk.

While it’s the ultimate rarity to have a pair of rookie roommates in early contention for the Calder Trophy, Norris insists he’s not preoccupied with the goals and assists totals.

“That’s just something extra that comes along with it, if you play well,” Norris said after extending his Saturday morning practice at Canadian Tire Centre an extra 20 minutes due to a spirited shootout competition. “Timmy has been playing some great hockey lately. He is going to be a really special player and I love watching him. But like I said, (the points) are just a product of the work you put in every day, trying to get better.”

The Senators, who return to action Sunday at CTC against the Montreal Canadiens following a fivegame road trip, have limped through their opening 19 games, winning only four of them. They’ve yielded an NHL-high 78 goals against, including Thursday’s 7-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where defenceman Thomas Chabot’s absence due to an upper body injury hit the team hard.

Some long nights were expected while routinely dressing one of the NHL’s youngest line-ups, but ultimately, according to Smith, the only numbers that matter are the ones that end up in the victory column.

“That’s great to have guys at the top of the (statistics), but I think it’s about winning,” said Smith.

“Those guys, by getting points, are going to help us win. I think that’s one thing you can measure this season by, the development of these guys. And not only is it seeing what they do points wise, but there are a lot of older players in that (dressing) room that are here, helping them out on a day to day basis, to adjust and get better. A lot of things go into it.”

Typically, the biggest adjustment for first year players in the NHL is staying confident. Struggles and inconsistencies are normal.

Alexis Lafrenière, drafted first overall by the New York Rangers in October’s draft, has one goal and no assists in his first 15 games, trying to find his way in the big leagues.

The way Norris sees it, there are countless ways to keep growing as a player, even when the puck isn’t going into the net.

“I think maybe you’ve seen over the last six or seven games, my faceoffs have been a lot better,” said Norris. “It’s just little things like that, to have a base. So, maybe if one night, you’re not feeling your best, you’ve still got to be able to contribute something to the table.”