Stuetzle adjusting to NHL just fine
German already giving Ottawa hockey fans reason to be excited about team's future
Tim Stuetzle can check another goal off his list.
Friday night, before his first career NHL game, the German rookie celebrated his 19th birthday by doing a solo rookie lap to start warm-up at Canadian Tire Centre before a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs — a moment he won't soon forget.
Then, on Saturday night in the same building, Stuetzle followed up by scoring his first career goal in the Sens' 3-2 loss to the Leafs,
Now, Ottawa's top pick in the 2020 NHL Draft can concentrate on just settling into his new home with his teammates.
“It was definitely a great feeling,” said Stuetzle, who added the only way it could have been better is if the Senators had come back to win. “It's something I won't ever forget and it was awesome being there.”
Stuetzle has looked comfortable in his first two games with the Senators and has come as advertised. The goal against the Leafs was a thing of beauty as he waited patiently for the puck to land on the ice and one-timed it past Toronto goalie Jack Campbell at 11:44 of the third period.
“(The puck) was kind of flat,” said Stuetzle “(Coach) D.J. (Smith) had told us to bring more pucks to the net. I hit it very good.”
Even Campbell was impressed with the skill Stuetzle showed.
“The only thing I can think of, other than to say I should have had it, was I want to shake his hand,” said Campbell. “That was a heck of a play. What a young talent. It's good for the league.”
Of course, Campbell wasn't alone in thinking that. If there had been fans in the building, the goal would have had them leaping out of their seats. There hasn't been this kind of excitement surrounding an Ottawa draft pick since Jason Spezza was selected second overall in 2001.
Stuetzle was the third-youngest player in franchise history to score his first goal for the Senators. He joined a group that included Alexandre Daigle and the late Pavol Demitra, who both notched their first NHL goals as 18-year-olds on Oct. 9, 1993 in a 7-5 road loss to the St. Louis Blues. Daigle scored twice that night and had an assist.
At least the pressure to score his first goal is over for Stuetzle, who is still adjusting to life in a new country and new city. He got an early taste of Canada at the world junior championship in Edmonton, where he was a standout with Team Germany.
“It's tough to come in here, a bunch of new people and only have a few practices and go in to play the Toronto Maple Leafs,” said Smith. “To come out of two games with a goal, get a goal under your belt and he's just learning the systems. He's going to be a really good player.
“You could see his speed, and
it's great he gets that (goal) and I think you're going to see more and more of that as the year goes on.”
The Senators had Sunday off and will return to the ice Monday to prepare for three straight games against the Winnipeg
Jets, beginning Tuesday night in Ottawa.
As time passes, Stuetzle will get more comfortable. Making the jump from playing with Mannheim in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) will take time. That's why this shortened 56-game schedule might be the perfect way for Stuetzle to settle in.
“I had more confidence for sure,” Stuetzle said when asked about the difference between his first two games. “I felt better in making that play (on the goal). I'm a creative player so I want to have the puck and make plays. I thought today I played with more confidence and it worked out pretty good.
“I have some (mistakes) to work on, especially in the (defensive) zone getting the pucks out, there's a lot of work to do. I try to pick up as much as I can. Everything went very fast right after the world juniors so there's been a lot of stuff to learn. I tried to get as much as I can and learn from the veterans.”
Let's make this clear — the Senators don't need Stuetzle to carry the team, they just need him to help the Senators work toward more success.
General manager Pierre Dorion, assistant GM Peter MacTavish, Smith and the rest of the hockey operations staff brought in veteran players to try to take some of the pressure off the youngsters.
Everybody has the sense Stuetzle will be a star in the NHL and he'll get just the right amount of time and opportunity to make sure that's the case.
If his confidence has already grown after one game, it should only continue to go in that direction. There will be difficult stretches where Stuetzle will struggle to score goals, but guys like Derek Stepan, Evgenii Dadonov, Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot and Erik Gudbranson will be able to help him deal with any struggles he's having.
It will take time for Stuetzle to become a consistent NHL player, but Senators fans have to be excited about the flashes of brilliance they have seen already.
Everything went very fast right after the world juniors so there's been a lot of stuff to learn.