Of course, it wasn’t going to be easy. While the Ottawa Senators kicked off their four-game homestand by knocking off the Buffalo Sabres Tuesday, they needed to dive in front of pucks in the final seconds – and they received a lucky bounce or two — to preserve a victory which seemed to be well in hand when they led 4-1 in the second period.
Senators goaltender Craig Anderson is off to a fast start this season, and Friday the NHL named him its first star for January.
There were still no answers about Jason Spezza’s status following Wednesday’s game – Ottawa Senators coach Paul MacLean said he didn’t know whether the star centre would be joining the team on the trip to Carolina Thursday – but the 5-1 romp over the Montreal Canadiens did allow the team to breathe a little easier. At least for the time being.
Five games into the season, Marc Methot has looked at home, but he’s not ready to say he has settled into his position alongside Erik Karlsson on the Ottawa Senators defence.
The last time Craig Anderson went home to Florida from -20C temperatures, he was leaving Whitehorse, Yukon, as part of a charity hockey tour with fellow Senators players in November.
In the big picture of Monday’s 4-0 victory, Jakob Silfverberg’s first NHL goal wasn’t vital to the team’s victory – it was the fourth and final goal with 1:04 remaining – but it definitely took some pressure off the rookie Swede. He passed off the credit to Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek for their work on the boards, setting him up.
The Ottawa Senators will stick with No. 1 goalie Craig Anderson when they face the Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Place Monday night.