We’re now firmly in the part of the season where the Ottawa Senators don’t have a lot to gain from wins, at least if you’re looking at the standings. Everyone knows that they’re going to finish last in the division, the playoffs are almost completely out of reach, and I don’t think anyone in the fanbase is especially upset about it. The Sens are one of the only teams in the league already out of the playoff race, and that means it’s a whole lot of fun to mess with the teams still in the race. This is basically our brand right now.
The Calgary Flames went into this game desperately clinging to their last little bit of hope for a playoff spot, already in a funk and in dire need of a win to set things right. Past versions of the Ottawa Senators may have laid down and let the Flames walk all over them, serving as a confidence booster and a free spot on a bingo card. But not this one. No, this version of the Sens is all about causing problems for your team, even if it doesn’t exactly help us either.
Just don’t think too hard about who Calgary was trying to catch.
Ottawa had a good start to the game, forcing the Flames’ goaltender to make a few good stops before most fans had even finished eating dinner and sat down to watch. The play was high-paced and fun, and it was clear that the Sens were pushing for a goal right from the start – a nice change from what we’ve gotten used to. The Flames picked up the pace about seven minutes in, but Gustavsson turned them away.
Unfortunately, the Sens went to the penalty kill just under halfway through the period, when Colin White went to the box for boarding. The Flames failed to record a single shot on goal on the powerplay, but kept the momentum going after the two minutes had expired, with a few dangerous shots on goal.
There was a lot more back and forth after that, both teams looking amazing but failing to score despite several good chances. There were hardly any whistles at all during the first period. It’s like they were trying to embarrass the NHL by ending the game as soon as possible.
Dadonov got a breakaway with about three minutes left in the period, and while Dadonov didn’t score on the play, Brady Tkachuk did what he does best, by which I mean he drew an interference penalty while crashing into the net. The Senators headed to their first powerplay of the game. Unfortunately, the powerplay yielded no results, and the period ended tied at 0, only 30 minutes after puck drop.
The second period started with an interesting off-ice development: Kyle Dubas was in the building, presumably because he’s such a big Sens fan that he had to take the opportunity to attend a game for free.
Anyways, both teams started the second as well as they had ended the first. The play was fast and exciting, interrupted by very few whistles, but once again, neither team quite managed to get on the board.
Halfway through the game, Calgary got called for tripping. Ottawa actually spent quite a lot of time with the net empty, because we hate whistles in this game. The Sens failed to score with the empty net or on the powerplay, though, and very nearly gave up a shorthanded goal right at the end.
Just as it was starting to feel like a goal would never be scored, Mark Giordano got past Gustavsson to make the score 1-0 Calgary.
Despite the best efforts of the Norris line, Ottawa did not manage to even the score before the end of the second frame. Calgary for a powerplay right at the end, when Nikita Zaitsev went off for interference. The Flames did not score on the powerplay, though, at the Sens went into the second intermission down by just one goal.
The Senators started the third period on the penalty kill. Gustavsson was forced to make a really nice save early on, but Ottawa killed off the penalty.
Josh Norris evened the score just under five minutes in, one-timing an excellent pass from behind the net from Evgenii Dadonov. 1-1.
I don’t know what was up with these two teams tonight, but they were still buzzing, even in the third. Ottawa was now buzzing a lot more than Calgary was, though. At one point, Zub stayed on long enough that the broadcast put up a clock for his shift, which is really all I ever wanted out of this season. A Julia Robillard sighting immediately preceded an extended period of straight up dominance from the Senators, which ultimately resulted in a Tierney goal to put the Sens ahead. The goal came off a great rebound from a Chabot shot from the point, and it was well deserved after that amazing shift – probably the Sens’ best even-strength shift in recent memory. 2-1 Ottawa.
Ottawa went to the powerplay right at the end of the game when Tim Stützle was cross-checked in the neck.
Unfortunately, the powerplay ended early when Brady Tkachuk got called for interference. Not even the fun kind, either: I would’ve tolerated a penalty if he was, say, beating up the person who had just cross-checked his best friend in the neck, but alas, this was just a silly penalty. It was bad timing, and the refs had missed a few other things before that, but thankfully Nikita Zaitsev stopped the Flames from starting a comeback with an empty net goal to make the score 3-1 Ottawa.
The final buzzer sounded, “SICKO MODE” played at the Canadian Tire Centre while the Flames walked out in shame, and the Ottawa Senators continued to absolutely own the Calgary Flames for reasons I still do not understand.
Notable Performances
This was a full team effort, but don’t downplay the contributions of Filip Gustavsson. He was really solid in net tonight, and earned a well-deserve first star of the game. The future of the Sens’ goaltending might actually be looking pretty bright.
Chris Tierney has been playing with some pretty good linemates lately, but I did think he held his own tonight, and obviously he scored the GWG.
Nikita Zaitsev was noticeable all night, and it was nice to see him get the empty netter at the end.
Zub is quickly replacing Mark Stone as the player I always throw on these lists because it’s always a safe bet that he had a good game. He is such a treat to watch.
NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.
Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.
The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.
Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.
The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.
O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.
After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
NEW YORK – Florida Panthers centre Sam Reinhart was named NHL first star of the week on Monday after leading all players with nine points over four games last week.
Reinhart had four goals, five assists and a plus-seven rating to help the Stanley Cup champions post a 3-0-1 record on the week and move into first place in the Atlantic Division.
New York Rangers left-winger Artemi Panarin took the second star and Minnesota Wild goaltenderFilip Gustavsson was the third star.
Panarin had eight points (4-4) over three games.
Gustavsson became the 15th goalie in NHL history to score a goal and had a 1.00 goals-against average and .962 save percentage over a pair of victories.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson won’t finish the season as Cleveland’s starting quarterback for the second straight year.
He’s injured again, and the Browns have new problems.
Watson ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati, collapsing as he began to run and leading some Browns fans to cheer while the divisive QB laid on the ground writhing in pain.
The team feared Watson’s year was over and tests done Monday confirmed the rupture. The Browns said Watson will have surgery and miss the rest of the season but “a full recovery is expected.”
It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year after just six starts.
The 29-year-old went down Sunday without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson crumpled to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.
He immediately put his hands on his helmet, clearly aware of the severity of an injury similar to the one Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sustained last year.
As he was being assisted by the team’s medical staff and backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson grabbed a ball to begin warming up, there was some derisive cheers and boos from the stands in Huntington Bank Field.
Cleveland fans have been split over Watson, who has been accused of being sexually inappropriate with women.
The reaction didn’t sit well with several Watson’s teammates, including star end Myles Garrett, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, who was appalled by the fans’ behavior.
“We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall. To be season-altering, career-altering injury,” Garrett said. “Man’s not perfect. He doesn’t need to be. None of us are expected to be perfect. Can’t judge him for what he does off the field or on the field because I can’t throw stones for my glass house.
“Ultimately everyone’s human and they’re disappointed just like we are, but we have to be better than that as people. There’s levels to this. At the end of the day, it’s just a game and you don’t boo anybody being injured and you don’t celebrate anyone’s downfall.”
Backup quarterback Jameis Winston also admonished the uncomfortable celebration.
“I am very upset with the reaction to a man that has had the world against him for the past four years, and he put his body and life on the line for this city every single day,” he said. “The way I was raised, I will never pull on a man when he’s down, but I will be the person to lift him up.
“I know you love this game. When I first got here, I knew these were some amazing fans, but Deshaun was treated badly and now he has to overcome another obstacle. So I’m going to support him, I’m going to lift him up and I’m going to be there for him.”
The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s tumultuous time with the Browns.
Cleveland traded three first-round draft picks and five overall to Houston in 2022 to get him, with owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam approving the team giving Watson a fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million contract.
With a solid roster, the Browns were desperate to find a QB who could help them compete against the top AFC teams.
The Browns had moved on from Baker Mayfield despite drafting him No. 1 overall in 2018 and making the playoffs two seasons later.
But Watson has not played up to expectations — fans have been pushing for him to be benched this season — and Cleveland’s move to get him has been labeled an abject failure with the team still on the hook to pay him $46 million in each of the next two seasons.
Watson’s arrival in Cleveland also came amid accusations by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Texans. Two grand juries declined to indict him and he has settled civil lawsuits in all but one of the cases.
Watson was suspended by the NFL for his first 11 games and fined $5 million for violating the league’s personal conduct policy before he took his first snap with the Browns. The long layoff — he sat out the 2021 season in a contract dispute — led to struggles once he got on the field, and Watson made just six starts last season before hurting his shoulder.
Cleveland signed veteran Joe Flacco, who went 4-1 as a starter and led the Browns to the playoffs.
Before Watson got hurt this year, he didn’t play much better. He was one of the league’s lowest-rated passers for a Cleveland team that hasn’t scored 20 points in a game and is back in search of a franchise QB.
