Sens 3 - Pens 0
September 24, 2005
The Dominator was in great form as he shutdown the Penguins for 33 minutes and helped lead the Sens to a 3-0 win. I was extremely impressed with how well Hasek played. He showed no signs of rust as he made key save after save during the multitude of penalties the Senators took early in the game.
As good as Hasek was in goal, the offense could best be described as hesitant. I think the players are still adjusting to the new rules and the warm arena certainly didn’t help ice conditions. Lots of trouble puck handling and passing, but both teams maintained a high intensity. Lots of clean hits and for the first time in ages I did not see a single player go water skiiing with a hook on an opponent.
Great performances for the Sens:
Hasek - Already mentioned how good he looked in goal. I also should mention that I saw him play the puck in the no-no zone on several occasions without getting a penalty. Seemed like he realized it after he was in the corners and would sheepishly return to net. Refs gave him a break.
Heatley! What a great trade that was. Dany flashed moments of brilliance and his goal was the fastest one timer I’ve ever seen in the arena. Give him, Spezza, and Bochenski a few more weeks to gel and they will be a formidable line.
Chara - Lots of talk before the season about how the big man will do with the cut down on obstruction. I didn’t agree with those nay-sayers and Chara’s play backed me up. He handled the puck smoothly, got off a lot of shots, handled the point on the power play well, and even wore the C to boot.
Neil - Love this guy. Tough as nails and a good skater too. He’s one enforcer that won’t lose any minutes with the new rules.
Bubble Boys - Kelly and Hamel continued to make strong cases for why they should make the NHL. Great hustle by both. Kelly is an absolute pest on the PK and stole the puck several times.
Steve Martins - I’m so glad he’ll be back in Bingo this season. He showed us again what a spark plug he can be. Great hustle and nice checks. Plus it was comical to see him next to Chara. I think Chara’s stick is taller than Martins.
It’s too bad the Pens didn’t bring more vets, but it was still an exciting game. The pace of the game was pretty fast, but the game wasn’t more wide open. No big break aways. Was just nice to see very little clutching and grabbing and more hits. As the players adjust their game, the pace should pick up. This is going to be one exciting season.
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