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Forsberg and Jensen Lead the Way in Shutout Win

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Ridly Greig's first game back after injury included a power play goal in the Senators 4-0 win Ottawa Senators (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

Given the Senators road struggles a season ago, it’s certainly nice to see them make their first ever trip to Utah and come away with a 4-0 win. It was an ugly first ten minutes before the Senators came to life in a big way. They scored four goals in just over eight minutes of playing time to end Connor Ingram’s night. In the end, that stretch was too much for Utah to overcome. The Hockey Club had a strong second, but they couldn’t find their way back in this one, and the Senators came back for a solid third period to close it out. Let’s dive into the details.



READ MORE: Getting to Know Travis Green

Anton Forsberg Comes Up Big with Shutout

A tough start to a road game is nothing unusual, for the Senators or any team. In those cases, it’s often up to the goalie to bail his team out. In tonight’s game, Utah came out hard, but Forsberg shut the door. He made three saves in the first minute of the game, and eight before the Sens opened the scoring around 12 minutes into the game.

In total, Forsberg made 31 saves on the night for his first shutout of the season. This is exactly what the Senators need from Forsberg! Utah also came out hard in the second, but Forsberg once again looked great. He was seeing the puck all night long, and he was moving great from side to side. After giving up 10 goals in his first three starts of the season, it was awesome to have him be a big contributor to the team’s win tonight. For his career, that is shutout number six for Forsberg, all coming with the Senators.

Nick Jensen, the Offensive Defenseman?

I just finished up an article about how the new Senators have played through their first few games. This was part of what I wrote about Jensen: “He works hard and understands his role- keep it simple and allow Chabot to be the offensive minded player in the duo.” Well, so much for that, at least for one game.

What a great stretch Jensen had in the second half of the first period. He led the rush on the Sens first goal, making a nice pass to Norris who fed it to Batherson for a beauty. Then, he had a phenomenal shift. It started with an offensive chance, then he was back to defend the other way, then he took the puck back up the ice, and it ended with him feeding Giroux for a sweet goal. The rest of the game was fine for Jensen, but that stretch to end the first period was fantastic

Welcome Back, Ridly Greig

In Greig’s first game since the Senator loss to the Canadiens, he managed a big power play goal, his first of the season, to make the game 3-0. He really does add a unique style of player to the Senators lineup. He had a big hit which predictably upset some Utah players. Greig plays with plenty of speed and has pretty soft hands in tight areas. He can play in all situations, and he’s an absolute pest. It’s hard to remember the Senators ever having a player quite like him. If he can continue to progress as an offensive player, while still meddling in the opponent’s business as he likes to do, he will surely become a fan favourite.

Additional Notes

I couldn’t help but think back to a game last year against the Arizona Coyotes (so, a lot of the same players from tonight’s Utah team). It was Jacques Martin’s first game back as head coach. The Sens went up 3-0 after the first. Then, it all fell apart. They gave up four straight to lose in regulation. Perhaps this year’s Ottawa Senators have learned from their mistakes.

That’s three straight games with a goal for Brady Tkachuk, who is somewhat quietly off to a fantastic start with eight points in six games. He’s recorded at least one point in every game.

I’ve been pleading for Chabot to play with more aggression in the defensive zone. He did so tonight, using his stick and size to try to take away space from the opponents. When he ended up taking a cross-checking penalty in front of his own night, I’d be the last guy to complain about that. I liked the physicality. Sometimes, it just so happens to come against a weaker player like Yamamoto who goes down easy.

Next up for the Senators, a road game against the Vegas Golden Knights, this Friday at 6pm. It will be time to once again say hello to Mark Stone.

 

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