Senators Host Islanders, Some Rookie

Early injuries continue, scoring struggles, and a departure, but first.. From the Ottawa Sun, “There are going to be nights where things are going his way and he’s allowed to use his skill in the offensive zone and there are going to be nights where he’s very frustrated where nothing happens for him,” said Senators assistant GM Tim Murray. “That’s biggest thing for a young guy: Consistency. “Certainly, from the circles to the net, he’s as good as anybody. He’s got great hands, a great shot and a great release. He can score on NHL goaltenders as well as he did on junior goaltenders. He won’t get the same amount, but he’s got that great instinct for scoring goals. If you give him any room from the faceoff dot to the net, he’ll make you pay.” That’s why Tavares can expect to see a lot of Ottawa’s shutdown pair of Anton Volchenkov and Chris Phillips. But no fanfare is needed, just focus. Calm focus without hyperbole.