What A Difference A Week Makes For The Senators

It was only a week ago Saturday the Ottawa Senators were embarrassed on home ice, losing a 5-1 decision to the Winnipeg Jets. It was their fourth loss in five games.

The normally talkative Claude Giroux was at a loss for words, “And tonight back to back, either you have legs or not, doesn’t matter. You’ve got to play your best.”

While, a frustrated D.J. Smith pledged to shuffle his lineup, “We’re going to put a worker on every line.”

Adding insult to literally injury, centre Josh Norris who was playing his third game after missing 38 due to a shoulder injury, re-aggravated that same shoulder.

The Senators announced Monday, Norris will undergo season-ending surgery with a recovery period of four to six months.

With Norris out of the lineup, the Senators’ head coach’s job got a little bit tougher, but then Ridly Greig entered the conversation.

It was widely thought, Belleville Senators’ All Star representative and leading point-getter Egor Sokolov would receive the call.  Days prior in a radio interview, Senators’ general manager Pierre Dorion mentioned he’d like to have the forward play five to 10 games with the parent club at some point this season.

However, it was Greig who received the promotion Monday.

Fresh off a 2021-22 campaign where he posted big numbers, 26 goals and 37 assists in only 39 games for the Western League Brandon Wheat Kings, Greig followed up with 12 goals, 11 assists in 28 games for the Senators’ American League affiliate.

Who knew Greig was the infusion the team needed?

The energetic centre who plays a similar style to former Senator now Islanders centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau, albeit with arguably better hands, registered one assist, peppering eight shots on goal playing on a line between wingers Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux.

Greig tied a record for most shots on goal in their NHL debut in a 2-1 victory over Pageau’s Islanders.

The team rode this momentum to back-to-back victories over arch-rivals Toronto and Montreal, outscoring them 11-2 in the process, climbing back to the .500 mark.

The Senators’ 2020 28th overall Entry Draft selection earned a second assist Saturday on Giroux’s marker, earning the respect of the veteran and his coach.

“I think Ridly is obviously competitive and also knows how play the game. But he’s fast, and he can drive. He knows how to drive to the net and make space for those guys. He’s a First Round (draft pick), just a general player, and then Giroux talks to him. And it’s easy, if anyone is struggling, you put them on with “G” and he’s able to talk them through the game. He’s been through everything, the ups and downs.  Even when (Shane) Pinto was struggling, with “G,” he plays well. You know there’s obviously chemistry there. And with him and “cat” (DeBrincat) they’re talking to the kid and making like a stress-free environment, and the kid is having success,” Smith said postgame Saturday.

The 20-yearold must be a good listener as Giroux made light of Greig being a quiet guy, but his actions are displayed on the ice, “Not by communicating, because he doesn’t really talk. But to be serious, he’s fun to play with. He competes.”

Giroux himself is riding a hot streak. Notching four goals and three assists in the Senators’ three wins.

The 35-year-old is playing like he’s 25 since signing a three-year deal with his hometown club during the offseason.

Giroux is producing at slightly under a point per game, (47 points in 49 games). And his 19 goals are only two shy of last season’s total scored in 75 games.

Smith noted, “He’s (Giroux) playing as good as I’ve seen a play. He’s playing off the cycle. He’s blocking shots. He’s winning faceoffs for us on the penalty kill. He’s making plays and you can’t ask for much more from from a veteran player.”

Another reason for the Senators’ success this week was the play of goalie Anton Forsberg.

Halfway into the game Wednesday with the Islanders pressing, Cam Talbot sustained a lower-body injury. Forsberg allowed only one goal coming in cold, to aid in backstopping their one-goal victory.

Forsberg has saved 80 of 83 opposition shots in the three games.

The Senators possess the league’s third-best power play, but rank near the bottom among scoring at even strength. With freshly balanced lines, the squad outscored their opponents 9-2 playing five-on-five.

“For sure our speed off the puck is way better. Our forechecks have been good. Putting pressure on the team’s defense has been better. And we’re spending less time on our zone, you know, our special teams have been faitly solid all year. So it’s our five-on-five play that had to get better, and it’s been better of late.” explained Smith.

Defenseman Nick Holden just said they’re playing a smart game.

“I just think the consistency that we’re playing North we’re moving pucks forward. We’re skating, putting pucks in places that we couldn’t get them back instead of just kind of chipping it to their goalie to where there d get it and break out easy. So think just talk placement. Puck management probably was better.”

The Senators have another opportunity to get on the plus side of .500 Tuesday at the Bell Centre when they complete a back-to-back with the Canadiens in their final game prior to the All-Star and extended break.