Why Florida native Jakob Chychrun is hoping for an Olympic spot . on Team Canada
Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire
As the Arizona Coyotes fight for a playoff spot they re fourth in the West Division, with a one-point lead over the St. Louis Blues defenseman Jakob Chychrun has emerged as one of the team s most important players. The 23-year-old leads Arizona in average ice time (23:09), surpassing captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson as the team s No. 1 defenseman. Chychrun is tied for second on the team in goals (13, including three game winners) and is third in points (31).
The Coyotes always knew Chychrun was capable of this, but watching him flourish has been a treat, especially after a series of injuries hampered the start of his career. Chychrun had shoulder surgery in his draft year, which I kind of struggled to come back from, he said. Then, while training in the summer in 2017 following his first NHL season, he tore the meniscus in his left knee.
The winger with a bullet shot had two goals and an assist, Matt Murray made 23 saves to register his first shutout for the Senators, and Ottawa defeated Montreal 4-0 on Saturday. I remember playing in this building in my rookie year and I was so fired up, Batherson said. This is a team I grew up watching every single game.
Artem Zub and Nikita Zaitsev, into an empty net, also scored for Ottawa (15-26-4), while Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris both assisted on each of Batherson s goals.
The 22-year-old, who trains with fellow Nova Scotia product Sidney Crosby in the off-season, now has 11 points in eight games against the Canadiens in the NHL s pandemic-shortened campaign. The rebuilding Senators improved to 5-3-0 versus Montreal, while three of their six road wins have come at the Bell Centre.
Article content
It’s been a rough season for North Division cellar dwellers Ottawa Senators, but Montreal Canadiens fans likely looked on with a little envy Saturday afternoon as their currently playoff bound team took a disco nap at the Bell Centre in a 4-0 loss to the rebuilding Sens. The winning squad only mustered 15 shots in the win.
So why would Habs fans be a smidge jealous of a team that has no hope of making the playoffs? While the Canadiens tease the imminent introduction of Hobey Baker-winning phenom Cole Caufield to the offensively challenged lineup, the Senators are bursting with young talent and the organization has no qualms about throwing them into the pressure cooker. Case in point: fellow Baker finalist Shane Pinto, a collegiate standout at North Dakota, shouldered a veteran load in his NHL debut Saturday, killing a penalty and taking key defensive zone faceoffs. The Senators may never reach their full potential, but at the very least, they’re letting their yo
Batherson, Murray lead Senators over Canadiens 4-0 yorktonthisweek.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yorktonthisweek.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Canadiens needed a good effort and a crucial win in Saturday’s rematch with the Calgary Flames. They got one of those two things, and fortunately it was the more important two points that erased the gains the Flames had made two nights earlier. Calgary can afford few losses over the final month of the season, and one to the only team they have a shot at catching is a major hit to their chances.
With Montreal still the same six points up, with the same three games in hand they had to start the week, but Cagary down to just 12 games remaining, the Canadiens can afford to rotate some players out of the lineup to rest bodies for the post-season berth that should be in their future. They can’t afford to take their foot off the gas, but they can make a few driver swaps in the pit stops during the marathon finish.