Sens Open the Season Right

Before today's game began, the Ottawa Senators took some time to celebrate how far they had come in their past 14 seasons. Ten straight playoff appearances, capped by last year's run up to the Stanley Cup Final. At Scotiabank Place, proudly they raised the Sens' first Eastern Conference banner. If you talk to many of the New Jersey Devils, they'll tell you that it was unbelievable that it didn't come a few years back, when they narrowly knocked us off in game seven of the third round, easily going on to win the Cup.

Now the Sens look primed to take it all the way this season. While not looking like the team that mastered Crosby, Brodeur, and the stacked Sabres in the last playoffs, the Sens have now pulled out two straight wins against the Leafs. Wednesday night in Toronto there was plenty of drama, with Redden getting into two fights, and the Sens trailing in the third. After signing his new deal, Heatley proved Murray's wisdom by scoring the tying goal late in the third, and blitzing in another goal to seal a 4-3 come from behind victory.

In tonight's game, there were a few more scuffles, although Redden didn't wind up in another pair of fights like at the ACC. There was far more nail-biting moments in goal. Steen had a goal waved off when review showed that Blake tore in on Gerber, and in the goal-cam, you can clearly see that the body he layed on Gerber altered the key butterfly stop, lifting up his right leg completely, and providing a perfect view of Steen poking in the puck under it. Later on, review during a commercial break showed that what looked like an amazing pad save by Toskala on Heatley's powerplay shot in fact only kicked the puck out after clearly and fully crossing into the net, finally stopping the Sens' powerplay drought. It was a penalty filled night, with Toronto racking up 26 PIM and Ottawa 20.

While not a flawless game, Ottawa did a great job of stopping many Toronto entries into their zone, quickly clearing the puck out. They were also flawless on the PK, which would have otherwise been their downfall. While the Sens took their victories, fitting of their Eastern Conference banner from last season, they were not entirely cruel to the Leafs. Toronto was allowed to move on with a single point from Wednesday's OT loss, and as a gift to Sundin, he was able to score his 389th goal as a Leaf, tying him for first for career goals by a Leaf player. My favourite moments of the game often involved watching Toskala drift out of the net, only to make it back just in time for some great saves. I believe Toronto fans might borrow from Detroit fans in cheering "STAY IN THE F#%$ING NET!!!" at Tosky.

Tonight's victory was also fitting, in that Ottawa's top paid talent all racked up a pair of points: Alfie scored two goals, including the game-winner, Heatley scored a goal and an assist, and both Spezza and Redden tallied a pair of assists, with Eaves adding the final assist. Maybe there is hope for Redden after all, although his fights from Wednesday and his penalties from tonight, including one for unsportsmanlike conduct, leave a bit more to be desired. Hopefully the hard work from tonight leads to a great game Saturday against the Rangers, who crushed Florida tonight, 5-2, and hopefully there will be fewer giveaways as well.