Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down: Gudbranson Sinks Senators

The Ottawa Senators dropped a 3-1 decision to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night. Despite the lethargic start and ultimate result, the news wasn’t all bad in this game. Here are tonight’s thumbs:

Thumb Up: Joey is A-OKJoey Daccord was, in a word, phenomenal for the Ottawa Senators tonight. His athleticism and sound positioning combined to create a performance that was a true joy to watch. It was as comfortable as I’ve felt watching a Senators goalie all year. Stopping 30 of 32 shots on the evening, Daccord certainly earned himself another start or two… and potentially more.

Thumbs Down: The Post Snaps Drake Batherson’s StreakSitting tied for the longest goal scoring streak in franchise history, Drake Batherson missed a sole spot in the record books by only a matter of inches. He rang the puck off the post on a first-period power play.

Thumbs Up: The Early Power Play WorkEven though it didn’t manage to convert, that aforementioned power play was a thing of beauty. The first unit works so well together, and is full of creative offensive players who all have a nose for the net. It deserved a better result than 0/3 on the stat line, especially during the four-minute power play in the first.

Thumbs Up: Artem Zub, the Best Player Nobody Knew AboutOnce again, Artem Zub went about his business in a stunningly effective way. His ability to limit quality chances for the opposition, all while moving the puck in the right direction for his team, is something so unique to this Ottawa blue line’s right side. Seeing him rewarded with the team’s lone goal tonight was just deserts for yet another high-end performance. Zub may not be the best player in the NHL, but he’s almost certainly the best player in the NHL among those that virtually nobody had heard of before this season.

Thumbs Down: Erik Gudbranson’s… Whatever that WasIf DJ Smith’s rule is that players like Erik Brannstrom, Christian Wolanin, and Logan Brown are going to pay the price for mistakes, he needs to apply that rule consistently. And, if he’s going to apply it consistently, Erik Gudbranson should spend time in the press box after this game. It’s almost always hyperbolic to pin an NHL loss on a single player… but this case might be the exception. Gudbranson blowing his positioning on Brendan Gallagher’s power play goal, and taking a four-minute high-sticking penalty in the process, might be one of the worst sequences I’ve ever seen from a defenceman. It’s the sequence that cost Ottawa this game.

Thumbs Down: FatigueThree games in four nights, with travel involved. It showed in the form of fatigue, especially in the first period.

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Though they may be tired, the Senators won’t have much of an opportunity to rest. They are scheduled to take on the Calgary Flames this Thursday.

As always, thanks for reading.