GDT: GAME 1 | PANTHERS VS SENATORS | THE ULLMARK ERA BEGINS | Thu Oct 10, 2024, 7PM

[aragorn]

They won a game that last yr they probably would have lost, but due to Ullmark they won. Last yr goaltending was atrocious & this yr we have a former Vezina winner who so far is making a huge difference to this team & will certainly build their confidence in themselves hopefully to take the next big step.

 

[SpezDispenser]

 

[aragorn]

We beat the best team in the NHL last yr, it wasn't a picture perfect win, but who expected us to beat the defending champions? There are things they need to get better at & I assume they will, but that was the best team & they humg in there. Next up a team that didn't make the playoffs that we beat twice in preseason, hopefully they can build on this momentum.

 

[Ladyfan]

From a Bruins fan...Nice win! I love Linus! We have ST next to the Bs backup net minder and he was nice to me.

Good Luck this season. I hope you guys do well!

 

[Alf Silfversson]

I know it's just game one of the year and I'm probably just psyched to watch real hockey, buuuuut I think that's a big win. We need a good start and with a winnable game against the Habs next we could easily be 2-0. Contrast with the Sabres 0-2 start and the task of making the playoffs looks better for us already.

For 94 points:
Sabres after 2 games : 47-33
Sens if they beat Habs: 45-35.

One looks quite a bit more daunting.

Good win for the boys to open. Improve and beat seven shades of shit out of the Scabs and we're on our way.

 

[Frank8]

Most of the playoffs looked like a power play for Florida. Go back and watch how they rolled over the eastern conference.

Go back and watch now the Sens were unable to clear their zone all last season.

 

[Korpse]

Go back and watch now the Sens were unable to clear their zone all last season.

I think the point was that Florida is such a strong forechecking team when and good in possession. When they turn it on and are pushing late in a game, it's hard to turn it around, no matter how strong of a team you are. Once they get you on your heels, they keep coming in waves and it can be vicious cycle. It's why they have had their success. There's room for improvement on Ottawa's end but that's what Florida does to everyone.

 

[DanyHeatley]

Kevin Shattenkirk is available

 

[SensontheRush]

*cough* I'm gonna say it *cough*

Chabot had a great game.

 

[DylanSensFan]

Go back and watch now the Sens were unable to clear their zone all last season.

I watched the game. Go look how the Rangers were unable to clear their zone in the playoffs against Florida, or Boston, or Tampa, or in some case, the Oilers. Florida attacks hard. Our team can learn a lot from them.

 

[DylanSensFan]

for anyone suggesting we didn't deserve to win. Paul Maurice himself says the Senators deserved this win. There was a lot of good in this game and sometimes I think SOME of this fan base is so pessimistic that they immediately go to the negative. I heard it too many times in 2007 from fair weather Senators fans before we made the long playoff run. At that time I listened to most games on the radio because they weren't all televised here in Alberta, nor were streams readily available. Team1200 was full of a lot of people angry at this team then, just as it seems we have a lot of folks being the same now.

This wasn't a perfect win. But our team worked for it. They aren't all going to pretty.

 

[WORLDSTARHIPHOP]

Jensen impressed me, he's exactly what this team needed on the back end. Hopefully this will finally be a win in the pro scouting column after many Ls.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Need to play a team that isn’t Florida to really judge. Last night Linus played great. But we did do a good job at least in the second of keeping them to the perimeter.

 

[trilobyte]

Good game Senators.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

I think we can expect slower starts for giroux at this stage of his career

 

[Ice-Tray]

I really enjoyed that game. Hard to watch us get hemmed in late, but we kept things to the outside, and blocked a ton of shots.

Commitment to doing what it takes to win is something we needed to work on so it’s nice to see.

Our D plays deep need work, and I’d like to see some more urgency by our d to make plays up ice when they have time, but as someone remarked, maybe out of screen forwards were changing.

Ullmark was fantastic.

 

[Tuna99]

Zub was not very good today

I gotta get used to it but I found he and Jenssen play very similar style and they have basically the same number when you’re watching it on an iPad. Zub did have a nice hit in the 3rd period where some cat took a good 10 foot run at him and Zub just stood up Russian and the dude bounced off him and landed flat on his back. Sens took a lot of hits that game and they never backed off, John Torterella would give their effort a F*****’ A+ last night

 

[Tuna99]

Really keyed in on Norris and Kleven last game. Norris was super patient, let the puck come to him defensively and he really dealt with the puck well when he got it. He was mucking and using his body well to shield the puck, I thought he looked good and he got an assist. The line overall looked a bit flat but I think it’s because after they scored 2 they were really focused on playing D.

Kleven looked shaky early but after he hit Reinhardt and caused that cut I thought he looked great, he was assertive, he stayed within himself and he was big. He just went into the corner at times and just bulled his way to the puck and protected it.

Overall I thought the Sens did a really good job of shielding and protecting pucks defensively at times. The Sens had a habit of slowing the game at times down with lobs, freezing pucks with their bodies and just always hounding the puck. Not used to a team controlling game play. I think Ullmark had a lot to do with that, his rebound control was Marty Brodeuresque at times, he made a few rebound passes into the slot right onto our own stick for counter attack. Ullmark might be the best goalie we’ve ever had. Only 1 game but he’s much more calm then Craig Anderson, Andy had that bald guy complex in net, Ullmark is like a chill farmer with a PHD in happiness.

They took a lot of punishment and blocked lots of shots. A real blue collar effort from a team of shooters. Great first game, they were patient and they seemed to all get what the coaching staff wants.

I’m sure after the game Staois, Poulin, Damaoi, Green and the coaching staff were all ecstatic. If the Sens are already this well coached the formula and everything they worked for is a success. It’s only 1 game but to have it all come together so seamlessly with all the changes - chefs kiss to management and the coaching staff and the players.

A New era has begun. Best Sens team ever maybe. Let’s see, but this team has so much room to grow.

 

[Goat Boy]

Just watched the game on catch-up.

That was intense.

The thing that stands out to me about Ullmark is that he clearly thinks the game at another level compared to our recent past goaltenders. The past several seasons have conditioned me into tensing up every time there's a point shot into traffic because of how easily they get tipped or ricochet off an arm or leg into the net past Messrs Murray, Talbot, Korpisalo, &c... Ullmark is something else. It seems 9 times out of 10 he's already moving to where the redirection is going to end up before it even gets redirected, predicting rather than reacting. He doesn't strike me as much more athletic than any other goalie, just smarter. That being said, I do like how his pads seem to be fully flat along the ice every time he kicks them out.

Also, I think the Schedule Gods have favoured the Senators this year by giving them the defending Stanley Cup champs as a home opener. That game felt like a playoff game. Having the first game of the season be an intense battle is so valuable compared to having a snoozer. The intensity with which Florida played in the second and third periods showed the Sens the level of effort that is needed to win. I'm hopeful that this will help establish the mentality they need to get out of the gate harder and faster than they have in previous years. Obviously remains to be seen, but it bodes well.

 

[Tuna99]

Just watched the game on catch-up.

That was intense.

The thing that stands out to me about Ullmark is that he clearly thinks the game at another level compared to our recent past goaltenders. The past several seasons have conditioned me into tensing up every time there's a point shot into traffic because of how easily they get tipped or ricochet off an arm or leg into the net past Messrs Murray, Talbot, Korpisalo, &c... Ullmark is something else. It seems 9 times out of 10 he's already moving to where the redirection is going to end up before it even gets redirected, predicting rather than reacting. He doesn't strike me as much more athletic than any other goalie, just smarter. That being said, I do like how his pads seem to be fully flat along the ice every time he kicks them out.

Also, I think the Schedule Gods have favoured the Senators this year by giving them the defending Stanley Cup champs as a home opener. That game felt like a playoff game. Having the first game of the season be an intense battle is so valuable compared to having a snoozer. The intensity with which Florida played in the second and third periods showed the Sens the level of effort that is needed to win. I'm hopeful that this will help establish the mentality they need to get out of the gate harder and faster than they have in previous years. Obviously remains to be seen, but it bodes well.

I feel like they are going to blow Montreal out. I know Montreal can be annoying but the Sens are all business and when Bobrovsky was shaky early in game 1 the Sens really got after him. I don’t think Montreal’s D can handle the Sens forwards.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

People are praising Ullmark for good reason, but we were not as bad as people say. At all. We took the game to them first half of the game.

Until middle of the second, they had like 14 shots on goal to our 25. They also came to play, it's not like they weren't on their game. They were really on their game.

We did not allow a single odd-man rush all game. And a can barely recall very dangerous chances against. That's tremendously impressive against the high flying Panthers.

The only real thing was how often Hamonic was hemmed in. However, this was against the cup champs. But it is very clear that his legs and his hands are quite behind. This would be ok if he was playing with someone much better than him, but he is playing with a rookie. Kleven was really good, but we can't keep expecting a really good rookie to help bail out a veteran.

I also did see our D at large struggle to move the puck. Hamonic, Chabot, Zub and even Jensen at times. But that should be quickly rectified with more games.

What I did love was the physicality. The panthers tried using speed, and we matched it. They tried using physicality, and we matched it. They tried to activate their D, we activated ours(not as well, and that's where they took over the game in second half).

That was a very impressive win by the Sens. Those are wins we need to make playoffs, where we win and preform solidly against a top team that came to play, while we still also had stuff we could have done better at.

 

[mysens]

On another note....Valet last night had 4 Lamborghini, two Bentleys, two Rolls Royce and a Ferrari that I could see. It was hopping.

 

[Blotto71]

I feel like they are going to blow Montreal out. I know Montreal can be annoying but the Sens are all business and when Bobrovsky was shaky early in game 1 the Sens really got after him. I don’t think Montreal’s D can handle the Sens forwards.

Just DO NOT start Forsberg! I'm not ready for that kind of anxiety yet.

 

[inthewings]

People are praising Ullmark for good reason, but we were not as bad as people say. At all. We took the game to them first half of the game.

Until middle of the second, they had like 14 shots on goal to our 25. They also came to play, it's not like they weren't on their game. They were really on their game.

We did not allow a single odd-man rush all game. And a can barely recall very dangerous chances against. That's tremendously impressive against the high flying Panthers.

The only real thing was how often Hamonic was hemmed in. However, this was against the cup champs. But it is very clear that his legs and his hands are quite behind. This would be ok if he was playing with someone much better than him, but he is playing with a rookie. Kleven was really good, but we can't keep expecting a really good rookie to help bail out a veteran.

I also did see our D at large struggle to move the puck. Hamonic, Chabot, Zub and even Jensen at times. But that should be quickly rectified with more games.

What I did love was the physicality. The panthers tried using speed, and we matched it. They tried using physicality, and we matched it. They tried to activate their D, we activated ours(not as well, and that's where they took over the game in second half).

That was a very impressive win by the Sens. Those are wins we need to make playoffs, where we win and preform solidly against a top team that came to play, while we still also had stuff we could have done better at.

Agreed with all of this. The team played as well or better than any of us could have hoped given that they were playing the best team in the league.

They dominated the 1st. Florida had a lot more possession in the 2nd, but didn’t actually generate much in the way of quality chances. The third was a different animal, but that’s why we have an 8M Vézina winning goalie: to make big saves in stretches like that and win games. And they didn’t give up any odd-man rushes. I don’t remember the last time Ottawa played top opponent and didn’t give up a ton of quality chances in transition.

The only real red flag I saw was that the team only had one pair (Sanderson-Zub) that could consistently exit the zone cleanly. I’m willing to accept that part of that was Florida’s insane forecheck, but I think that will be a bit of a season long problem

 

[GCK]

Fantastic win against the best forecheck in the league.

I am not pleased with poor play; I saw enough of it the past few seasons. Being critical of poor play and wanting the GM and coaching staff to make changes to improve team play is not a bad thing. I want the team to make the playoffs and improvement is required to get there.

Great that we got a win and 2 points. Hope we get many more wins.

Yes I am hard to please, wanting the playoffs.

Florida is a wagon. We looked a hell of a lot better against Florida than perennial playoff team Boston.