Senators deliver Capital punishment
The Ottawa Senators continued to roll on Wednesday night with a 5-2 victory over the sputtering Washington Capitals.
The Ottawa Senators continued to roll on Wednesday night with a 5-2 victory over the sputtering Washington Capitals, who have now dropped seven of their last 10.
Since losing 4-3 to the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 11, the Senators have scored 21 goals, allowed four, and won four games.
With 20 games left, the Senators are still in seventh place in the Eastern Conference but move within one point of sixth-place Pittsburgh and seven ahead of eighth-place Toronto.
Erik Karlsson, with a goal and two assists, Milan Michalek, with two goals, Chris Phillips, and Nick Foligno, into an open net, scored for the Senators.
With 47 assists, Karlsson now has the team record for assists by a defenceman in a season. Norm Maciver had held the record since 1992-93, when he had 46 assists.
With seven points in his last two games, Karlsson was applauded by his teammates.
Jason Spezza even sounded a bit like owner Eugene Melnyk, who predicted on Monday that Karlsson will be one of the greatest defencemen of all time.
“He’s the best offensive defenceman I’ve ever played with, and he’s probably the best in the game right now, offensively,” said Spezza.
“The way he can jump in the rush, he reads the play real well, he’s growing more confident with his shot and just playing good hockey.”
Karlsson didn’t even know Maciver’s record was there to be broken and wasn’t even much interested in it.
“It could be something you look back on after the season,” he said.
“But right now it doesn’t really matter that much. We have 72 points in the standings and that’s what matters. We have to keep getting two points and not give away any.”
John Carlson ruined Craig Anderson’s bid for a shutout at 2:19 of the third period.
Mathieu Perreault made it 4-2 at 9:57 of the third with a painful goal when the puck deflected it off his face.
Tomas Vokoun gave up four goals on 11 shots before being replaced at 12:08 of the second period by Michal Neuvirth. He blanked the Senators the rest of the way.
Karlsson said his play in the last two games is the byproduct of the entire team playing well.
“The last two games we’ve scored 11 goals,” he said.
“Sometimes you’ve just got to be lucky, and I think the whole team has been playing well and I feel pretty good out there.
“Guys are getting in the paint to score the goals and it’s pretty good.”
Karlsson opened the scoring at 9:36 of the first with a shot from the top of the right circle that went through Vokoun’s legs.
Then, five minutes later, Karlsson bounced a home run pass off the right boards to Michalek. He in turn slipped through Washington defenceman Dennis Wideman and then slid a shot through Vokoun’s legs.
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WHY THEY WON:Because they got a big night from three of their top players: Craig Anderson, Erik Karlsson, and Milan Michalek.
STUD: Erik Karlsson. Maybe he will be one of the greatest. After his one-goal, two-assist performance against the Capitals – his second multi-point game in a row – he probably made a few more believers.
DUD: Tomas Vokoun: He didn’t get a lot of help, but he gave up Ottawa’s first four goals on 11 shots before being pull for Michal Neuvirth. That’s poor any way you look at it.
PERSONAL BEST: Milan Michalek’s two goals gave him 27, one more than he has ever scored in an NHL season. He had 26 in 2006-07 in San Jose. After going 12 games without a goal, he now has had four in his last five games.
A great turn around since the west coast trip. The Sens are starting to smell the playoffs. Cut down the give-aways and the playoffs are in reach. Keep getting the early leads.
Go Sens Go!
I can’t say I wasn’t worried a little as the game was coming to an end. The Caps outskated the Sens for the most part at the end… Wonder if Ovi would have made a difference. Anyways, if they let the Bruins outskate them like that on Saturday it’ll be advantage Boston.
The Senators are this year’s version of the proverbial “Cinderella Team.” Keeping this current winning streak going is the top priority right now. Securing a play-off position is a bonus and even if they only go to the first round, this season is still an unqualified success.
Great effort from everybody. That is the key. Comment from a fan in Hamilton.
Jian, here’s hoping you have a team of your own sooner than later. We all know that southern Ontario could easily support another one!
I just hope Murray does not trade any of the 2011 first rounders. Not sure where they need help that bad but I worry that we’ll get a Muckler-type trade…
Murray is NOT Muckler. He has said he will not trade the future for a rental player.
He did the ‘hockey’ trade sending Rundblad for Turris… so any deal he makes would be to bring in a young player that will be with this team going forward.
They know they are still re-building… so Murray is not going to stray from that. Next season two more rookies come into the lineup with Zibanejad & Silfverberg… and probably Stone the year after that.
The Sens need to get more young D… hopefully it comes this draft… or a younger UFA in the offseason.
Back around 2 seasons ago when melnyk didn’t want to let Murray start a rebuild, and Murray was made to bring in guys like kovalev, there was a fan constantly commenting on this site. Hey “bryanmurrayisthecancer” where are you now? What you only have negative things to say when the team is in a low point? You don’t want to contribute anything positive when the team is winning? And how about your name? Does Murray still look like the problem after drafting karlsson 15th overall, trading for Anderson, and hiring Paul Maclean? Admitably his first few coach selections weren’t the best but this is essentially Murray’s team on the ice, that was not the case a few years ago. This youth movement is powered by his draft choices and free agent signings out of NCAA. Bryan Murray was never the problem with this team, but crappy bandwagon hopping fans like you always will be.
Here’s to the positive and ever steady fan that truly loves and deserves this team.
Go Sens! Leaf fans suck!