East coach experience almost over, Senators anxious for regular season to come
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MONCTON, N.B. — If it’s Friday, the Ottawa Senators must be on the ice in Moncton.
The night before, they were in Gander, Nfld., a colourful 90-minute drive south from the post-card setting of Kraft Hockeyville winner Twillingate, for their spirited 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
Come Saturday, they’ll make the trek 35 minutes northeast up the Atlantic coast to Bouctouche, N.B., to complete the Hockeyville experience and one final exhibition contest against — you guessed it — the Canadiens.
To hear the players talk, they’ve had the time of their lives, but with the notable exception of Maritimer Drake Batherson, they’re more than ready to put the pre-season behind them to get the real thing started, Oct. 13 in Buffalo.
“That was great, it was a lot of fun,” Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said, his voice barely heard above the sounds of the screaming kids behind him following the win in the 1,100-seat Steele Community Centre in Gander.
“It’s just a great atmosphere, a great experience for all of us. Now, we’ve got one more to kind of turn things up finally and (the regular season) is less than a week away. I feel that energy and everyone is excited.”
That line was echoed by alternate captain Thomas Chabot, who relished seeing all the young kids and their once in a lifetime shot at seeing NHL players up close. At this point, he’s satisfied with the way the team has progressed through camp.
“I’ve been there before and it’s fun for the younger guys to prove themselves and play pre-season games, but once you’ve played a few years, you kind of what it to get over. You want to get this thing rolling.”
There are remaining roster decisions to be made, of course. But unlike many previous Senators seasons, most of the tough calls are in the depth positions.
If Parker Kelly and Austin Watson are locked in as fourth line wingers, the remaining question mark is who fills in the middle and who might serve as a 13th forward when the season opens.
Dylan Gambrell, who solidified that position last season by scoring three goals and four assists in 63 games after the Senators were hit hard by injuries, is one option.
Then there’s the well-travelled Derick Brassard, who has said he would love to serve in a role similar to what Jason Spezza played for the Toronto Maple Leafs for the past several seasons. Brassard, attending camp on a professional tryout contract, needs a contract.
Mark Kastelic will also have a say in how it plays out. He’s at the opposite end of his career, young and hungry, with the type of physical edge that might just keep opposition players from taking liberties with the Senators stars.
The roster advantage for the Senators here is that Kastelic can be shipped to Belleville of the American Hockey League without having to clear waivers.
On defence, it would appear that Erik Brannstrom has done enough to stay around on a third defence pairing with Nick Holden. If that happens, veteran Nikita Zaitsev could be placed on waivers. Jacob Bernard-Docker, the Senators 26th overall draft selection in 2018, is also expected to get one more look in Saturday’s pre-season finale.
Somewhere along the line though, an upgrade may be necessary. Defence is a still a concern beyoung top pairing of Chabot and Artem Zub. The rumblings about a trade involving Jacob Chychrun of the Arizona Coyotes remain.
At the top end of the roster, the Senators have showcased plenty of offensive flair through the pre-season.
After coach D.J. Smith tinkered with the top two lines Thursday — Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris flip-flopped spots — he got what he desired, with a little more spark from both units.
Stutzle, playing with Tkachuk and Batherson, had a three-point night, including a penalty shot goal. Batherson, Tkachuk and Claude Giroux, skating with Norris and DeBrincat, also scored.
“Both lines looked good,” said Smith. “There are hard decisions and that’s good for us.”
Giroux and DeBrincat have had an offensive chemistry since camp began, but Smith’s takeaway from the game in Gander was an improved defensive awareness.
“Clearly their hockey sense is elite,” he said. “What I like most about their game was their play away from the puck.”
As much as fans and media make of the line juggling, the players seem content with whatever goes.
The presence of Tkachuk could give Stutzle a little more room to operate.
“He’s a great player and brings something different to the table,” Tkachuk said. “I think we’re all good enough players that we can play with anybody.”
As for the big picture of what has been accomplished through the camp, the captain says the Senators are fine-tuning details.
“Little things like holding on to leads, finishing games, that always gives you confidence, but it’s pre season hockey,” he said. “You just have to carry that confidence going into the season in those situations.”
There is one game to go, but the Senators feel they’ve accomplished what they’ve needed to do finishing up on the east coast.
Batherson, though, isn’t quite ready to say goodbye.
“I wish we could stay in the Maritimes a little longer, actually,” said Batherson, who lives outside Halifax, but has relatives spread out here, there and everywhere in the Atlantic provinces. “It has been great team bonding out here. I always talk about (the atmosphere), but it has been great for them all to see it first hand.”
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