Our Three Stars of Week 2: Namestnikov, Tkachuk, Ryan
The newest acquisition made his mark this week.
If you put money on the Ottawa Senators to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning, then congratulations, because it was a great Thanksgiving weekend for you.
It really was a solid week, all in all, for the Ottawa Senators. They offered up a damn good fight against the defending champion St. Louis Blues, and put together a fairly dominant victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. It couldn’t have happened without some great performances, so let’s recognize them, shall we?
Here are the Ottawa Senators’ Three Stars of Week 2:
Three Stars:
- Vladislav Namestnikov - Acquired from the New York Rangers last Monday night, it was tough to say what the Sens were going to get out of Namestnikov. It’s only been two games, so the jury is definitely still out, but so far so good for the young Russian. Namestnikov tallied an assist against the Blues, and found the back of the net twice as part of a three-point effort against the Lightning. Secondary scoring has eluded Ottawa for a couple of years, so any newcomer providing that will be a solid acquisition.
- Brady Tkachuk - Though he was held pointless against the Blues, our boy notched an assist against the Lightning. Tkachuk currently is tied for second on the team in points, and is making an impact on and off the scoreboard. He’s creating chances in the offensive zone, and is a vital part of the newfound Ottawa energy. Brady will likely be a recurring star on these weekly lists.
- Bobby Ryan - Is BFR set to have a career season? Perhaps not, but he’s looked impressive to start the young season. Ryan had an assist in each of the two games this week, and looks like he has an extra spring in his step to start the year. His contract is his contract, but Ryan’s forecheck is creating offensive chances, and if he can continue to do so, the Senators may win more than just one game this year.
Trending Up:
Colin White had a big goal against the Lightning, and has looked really impressive to start the campaign. Thomas Chabot is settling into his role as number one defense-man nicely, and his pairing with Nikita Zaitsev has been the Senators’ best by miles.
Trending Down:
Vitaly Abramov was reassigned to Belleville on Sunday, even after scoring his first NHL goal against the Blues. He only saw a little under 12mins of total icetime through both games, and it’s likely a trade or two will have to be made before he breaks through as a full-time NHLer.
Who to watch:
Connor Brown had a bit of a slow start to the Tampa game, but ended the day with an assist and a +3 rating. I’d like to see him play more minutes with Tkachuk and White, but Brown looks like he has the makings of an impact player. Erik Brannstrom looked good again, and one has to think it’s only a matter of time before he starts putting up some points.