Monday LNN: Riding High Edition
This team is never losing again!
It's a Monday in mid-March, the Ottawa Senators are firmly in a play-off spot and are coming off a satisfying victory over their hated rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. What more could you ask for? A Tuesday night match-up against another hated rival, the Montreal Canadiens, with play-off implications for both teams? Dare I ask for more?
Here are some interesting stories from around the hockey world to chew on while we wait for tomorrow night:
- Alex Adams tries to unpack what's given Ottawa the upper hand on the Toronto Maple Leafs in recent seasons. Hint: the Claude Giroux-Brady Tkachuk-Tim Stützle line has a lot to do with it.
- I do not want to speak too hastily, lest the Sens be struck by some terrible misfortune, but it sure looks like the play-off drought is going to come to an end at long last. In Buffalo, this will mark the 15th consecutive season without play-off hockey. Ryan Clark digs into that a bit for ESPN.
- Speaking of the play-offs, Ottawa would face Florida if they started today. That is the one match-up that I fear, so let's try to avoid that eh?
- For a trade deadline that at first seemed like it would be very quiet, there ended up being a number of important transactions. Sonny Sachdeva sizes up where the Stanley Cup contenders stand after all of the dust has settled. Sonny seems to have forgotten Ottawa on his list for some reason!
- Losing to Ottawa seems to have caused the Maple Leafs to experience some sort of existential crisis about their season. Good.
- There has been a lot of praise (rightly) heaped on Steve Staios and Travis Green for shaping the Sens' ascent up the standings, but none of this would be possible without the steady ownership of Michael Andlauer. In their ranking of all NHL ownership groups, the Athletic has Andlauer at #9. From the piece:
Another brand new owner, Andlauer has done a good job of quickly winning over the Senators fan base in the honeymoon phase.
Ottawa fans have been through a lot given their historically challenging ownership situations, so he has a chance to rewrite franchise history the way few owners can. Especially if he gets a new arena built closer to downtown.
"Historically challenging" is certainly one way of putting it!
- The Ottawa Charge haven't had the most inspiring campaign, but the PWHL continues to show out with large crowds almost everywhere they're playing – including at a showcase game this past weekend in Detroit.
- And last, but not least, Scott Wheeler has an in-depth profile of Jake O'Brien, a 17 year-old who is ripping up the OHL and is poised to be a top pick in the upcoming 2025 NHL Entry Draft. His is a name to watch.
