Borowiecki’s suspension not enough for Reaves
Apparently, staged fighting is alive and well in the NHL. Hours before Mark Borowiecki made his return to the Senators lineup from a one-game injury absence and three-game suspension for an illegal hit on Golden Knights’ Cody Eakin, I asked Vegas enforcer Ryan Reaves if he felt Borowiecki had paid a stiff enough penalty, or if he was still going to have a word with the Senators defenceman Thursday night. “I guess we’ll see tonight,” said Reaves. Just trying to get an idea where your head is at, I told Reaves. “We’ll see what happens tonight,” he repeated. We saw at 17:28 of the second period, immediately after the Golden Knights made it 3-0. Standing at his right-wing post, Reaves paid attention to the faceoff circle only for a cue. When the puck was dropped, he dangled the glove off his right hand while skating slowly toward Borowiecki, then threw down the left as his invite was being accepted. Now, Borowiecki was playing with an injury that would have had doctors advising him not to fight — probably from beating up Jon Merrill when the Vegas defenceman sought immediate retribution for the Eakin hit. And Reaves is the No. 1 heavyweight in the NHL. But in case you haven’t noticed, Borowiecki doesn’t back down from anyone. Home or away. Before speaking with Reaves, I asked Borowiecki if he thought the Golden Knights would be looking for him with payback in mind. “I’m not sure,” he said. “That’s part of being a grown man. You’ve got to be accountable for your actions on all levels. It is what it is. I get it. There’s always ramifications for your actions, on and off the ice, and I have no issues with that.” What Borowiecki does have issues with is the suspension he received for hitting Eakin in the first place. As he should. And as should anyone who wants hockey to remain a contact sport. It would have been a clean shoulder to pec muscle hit if Eakin had his head up. A large part of what makes Borowiecki so valuable to the otherwise soft Senators is his physical prowess. After back-toback suspensions, was he going to alter his style? “That’s why I’m not going to change,” Borowiecki said. “Ultimately I have no control over how that group (Department Of Player Safety) interprets bodychecks or contentious plays. That’s out of my wheelhouse. Most guys around the league who know me know I’m not out there looking to hurt guys. I take a lot of pride in being a pretty respectful and thoughtful guy off the ice, and it’s not like I flip a switch on the ice. I just try to play hard and competitive.” Meanwhile, you can say this for the Senators: They are improving. In some areas. After allowing an average of 32.3 pucks a period fired toward their net a week and a half earlier in Vegas, they permitted the Golden Knights to take a mere 30 Craig Anderson’s way in the first Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre. Along with being outshot 16-8 in the opening 20 minutes, they were outscored 2-0. Both Vegas goals were on power plays, of which the visitors had just two. That’s significant for a few reasons. The Golden Knights had not scored more than a single power-play goal in one night all season. They had just seven power-play goals in their first 15 games. They had the league’s worst power play, operating at 11.8 per cent. The Senators’ penalty killing, which entered the night ranked 28th, suddenly dipped to 31st. Dead last. Uber drivers listening to the call of Dean Brown and Gord Wilson on TSN1200 were surely starting to line up outside the player’s entrance at CTC. But hey, that’s focusing on one wart. Their overall defensive play, especially in the initial 20 minutes, was grotesque. Borowiecki was asked if the Senators’ visit to Vegas — in which they allowed 53 shots on goal and 97 directed toward the net — is something that stays in one’s mind. “Yeah,” he said. “It’s a game of odds. You give up that many chances, that many looks, the puck is going to start going in the net.” Say this for the Senators: they are improving. The Golden Knights directed only 24 shots at Anderson in the second. No way were they going to reach 97 on this night. And by the 8:01 mark of the third, they made it all the way back from that three-goal deficit, no doubt sparked by their banged up warrior taking on the NHL’s most fearsome fighter.