Ottawa Senators: Sens Silence The Toronto Maple Leafs

First Line Offense And Differing Systems

Arguably the best game of the season for this opening line. Combining for nine points between them.  Mark Stone is coming into his own, contributing five points (4 assists and 1 goal). Eclipsing their Toronto counterparts whose first line of Leivo, Kadri, Komarov who notched three points between them. Exciting to watch and the chemistry seems to be cemented as we approach the stretch toward the playoffs.

One thing is for sure, when Ottawa play like a team, they are irresistible. Bar Karlsson, there are no out-and-out superstars on that Sens team. As a result, they have to work hard as a team.  The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and it showed last night. Mitch Marner’s linemates of Tyler Bozak and James Van Riesmdyk where invisible without him.

Individual talent is exciting, no doubt about that. Faced against a team who is well drilled and organised, it cannot flourish. Look no further than their first meeting of the season, Auston Matthews scores four goals and rightly takes the headlines. Yet, Ottawa win the game and take two points.