It's been a pleasant 18, or so, hours for Bryan Murray and Senators Nation.
Coming off of an exciting 6-5 victory over the first place Washington Capitals - a victory which moved the Senators into first place in the Northeast Division - the Senators continued to grab headlines this morning with the re-signing of General Manager Bryan Murray and a trade which will see Matt Cullen shipped to Ottawa for Alexandre Picard and a second round pick in the upcoming draft.
Murray has wasted no time since reaching an extension with his club this morning, first announcing that the Sens have made an offer to impending free agent Anton Volchenkov, and then following it up with the Cullen trade.
Re-signing Volchenkov will be of paramount importance for Ottawa. While there's nothing flashy about the Russian defenseman's game, he is an excellent stay-at-home defenseman who throws his body in front of bodies and shots with unflinching regularity. Last night's game was a prime example, as Volchenkov - named the first star in a 6-5 game in which he had zero points - and long-time defensive partner Chris Phillips limited Alexander Ovechkin to just one shot on net. Volchenkov logged over 27 minutes, registering three hits and 11 blocked shots in the process.
As for the Cullen trade - it makes perfect sense for both teams. Carolina adds a young 24-year old defenseman with adaquate offensive and puck-moving upside, plus a second round pick. They now have four selections in the first two rounds of the 2010 Draft. Ottawa obtains a versatile centerman who has won a Stanley Cup, and will be able to fit in pretty much anywhere up and down the Ottawa lineup. In Carolina, Cullen played a lot of point on the power play, killed penalties, and showed the ability to slot in on a scoring line or on a checking unit...
The more I watch the Tampa Bay Lightning, the more I believe that they could pose a real threat to a top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference come playoff time.
The Bolts, currently with 63 points in 59 games played, sit in a three-way tie for seventh place in the East with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins, thanks in large part to a 7-2-1 record over their last ten games. But their points don't tell the whole story. Tampa Bay is just 2-7 in shootouts, a situation they (thankfully) won't have to deal with in the playoffs if they find their way into the dance.
While it might be easy to dismiss Tampa Bay as a team with little defense, poor goaltending, and a lack of depth up front, their recent play has shown that they are steadily improving their weaknesses.
On the backend, Mike Lundin has been performing excellently in a shutdown role with Mattias Ohlund. 18-year old Victor Hedman continues to steadly improve. In goal, Antreo Niittymaki has pieced together an impressive season, and boasts a .920 save percentage to go along with a 16-9-5 record. When Mike Smith is healthy, he's no slouch in net, either.
Offensively, Steve Downie has turned into a game-changer playing on the top line alongside Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis. His hockey sense (believe it or not, he does have a great mind for the game...might come as a shock seeing how he's, err, crazy?) and ability to play along the boards has complimented Stamkos and St. Louis perfectly. Vincent Lecavalier has also upped his play a bit since the New Year, and could very well finish at a point per game for the season.
A more or two would certainly help their chances. If they could add a solid winger capable of playing in a top-nine role and a veteran defenseman, that would do them a world of good. Will it happen with the uncertainty in the wake of new ownership?
That's yet to be seen.
The Lightning have the necessary star power in the form of St. Louis, Stamkos, and Lecavalier. If their goaltending continues to perform well and their defense continues with their improved play, one Eastern Conference team could have their hands full when the third week in April rolls around.
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