Notching five goals in a single game is impressive enough, but Mario Lemieux's performance was extra special.
Lemieux's five-goal game from New Year's Eve in December 1988 against the New Jersey Devils was voted by fans as the NHL's greatest moment. Super Mario, after all, scored each of his goals in a distinct situation.
Even Strength Shorthanded Power Play Penalty Shot Empty Net
While supporters have often disagreed as to whether the team should play in its current arena in suburban Kanata or in downtown Ottawa, they're currently on the same page about at least one topic: the future plans of Senators owner Eugene Melnyk.
Melnyk denied speculation Friday that he wants to sell the franchise, but left open the possibility of relocating to another city if fans don't turn out in better numbers.
Those statements didn't sit well with the Senators faithful, who successfully got the hashtag #MelnykOut trending on Twitter in Canada as the team played the NHL 100 Classic outdoors in Ottawa.
Eugene Melnyk just threw his fan base under the bus. Perhaps, the same bus you have to take to get to the next bus which takes you to the third bus that takes you to the games. #Senators.
I won't be watching the game today. Could have been fun, but I have no interest in supporting Melnyk's organization. It's a small act, but it's something. #MelnykOut
Not even NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has an explanation for the alarming lack of enthusiasm about the Senators in Ottawa.
The Senators struggled to fill the Canadian Tire Centre during last year's playoff run and that trend has flowed into this season. Ottawa ranks 25th in average attendance, and last among Canadian-based teams, according to ESPN.
"You kind of scratch your head as to why attendance wasn't an issue when the team was competing for conference championships every year in the early 2000s," Daly told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.
"From my perspective, it's a head-shaker that this team isn't doing better from an attendance standpoint and a fan's standpoint ... This is a very competitive team in a hockey market and it's not something we've experienced in Canada in probably 20 years."
Earlier this season, the Senators covered over 1,500 seats in the Canadian Tire Centre to make it easier to reach capacity.
There is widespread belief that a move from suburban Kanata to downtown Ottawa will boost turnout at the gate.
Ottawa is continuing efforts to build a new arena in the city's downtown core. Negotiations are ongoing with the National Capital Commission for the right to build at LeBreton Flats, a neighborhood situated minutes from Parliament Hill.
Mike Babcock is one of the most decorated coaches in the history of the NHL, but for the first time in his stint as the Maple Leafs' bench boss, he's over-coaching.
Toronto's once unstoppable offense has come to a screeching halt in the month of December, with the last four games evidently the low point. During this four-game stretch - all of which have been without the injured Auston Matthews - the Leafs are 1-3 and have scored just four times.
While it's reasonable to expect any team to struggle without their best player - especially when the player is one of the league's best - Matthews' absence isn't the main reason the offense has gone ice cold - Babcock is.
Babcock, like many great coaches, is a former defenseman and has always wanted his teams to prioritize goal prevention first and foremost. But, with a youthful group filled with speed and skill up front and some holes in the back end, the Leafs haven't always played to his liking - even when they've had success.
Over the last four games, Babcock has seemingly pulled out all the stops to get the Leafs to play as defensively as possible, and it's not working. That's not their identity.
For example, the Leafs held a 2-1 lead over the Flyers heading into the third period Tuesday night. Instead of trying to keep the pressure and build on their lead, Babcock had the Leafs sit back, clog the neutral zone, and simply try to "hang on" for 20 minutes. It did not work, as they wound up losing 4-2 and were outplayed in the final frame.
Sure, hindsight is 20/20, but the Leafs have more than enough speed and skill up front to apply pressure with the lead and hem an opponent in their own end for the bulk of a period.
Over the last four games, the team's ability to generate scoring chances has drastically tailed off:
SCF = Scoring Chances For HDSCF = High-Danger Scoring Chances For
Stat (5-on-5)
Season
Last 4 games
SCF per game
24.41
18
HDSCF per game
9.17
5.75
As you can see, they're generating 6.41 less scoring chances for per game, and 3.42 less of the high-danger variety.
SCA = Scoring Chances Against HDSCA = High-Danger Scoring Chances Against
Stat (5-on-5)
Season
Last 4 games
SCA per game
22.08
22
HDSCA per game
8.11
7.5
Even with the defensive mindset, the Buds are still allowing practically the same amount of scoring chances per game.
To make matters worse, Babcock's effort to prioritize defense has gone hand-in-hand with some questionable ice-time distribution. Here's a look at the ice time from their top-nine forwards in the last four games:
Player
ATOI (last 4 games)
Leo Komarov
18:59
Nazem Kadri
18:08
Patrick Marleau
17:36
Zach Hyman
16:53
Mitch Marner
16:53
William Nylander
16:10
Tyler Bozak
16:09
Connor Brown
15:06
James van Riemsdyk
15:01
Leo Komarov is an effective bottom-six checker and a good penalty killer, but he has just one goal and two assists (both secondary) at five-on-five this year. With an even amount of penalties taken and penalties drawn by the team during this stretch, Komarov leading the forwards in ice time is inexcusable.
Meanwhile, phenoms Mitch Marner and William Nylander have played significantly less than Komarov. This doesn't even include Nylander's 8:39-minute night against Pittsburgh, which occurred one game before this sample of data.
It's also worth questioning why van Riemsdyk - the team's leader in goals with 15 - is playing the least amount of minutes among their top-nine forwards.
In order to get the Leafs back on track and keep the team afloat for however long Matthews is out, Babcock needs to give his skilled players more opportunity and freedom to create offense. Sometimes less is more. Less X's and O's, and more "letting the players play" would go a long way in helping the Leafs bust out of this mini-funk they've gotten themselves into.
Liljegren was plucked by the Maple Leafs with the 17th overall pick in last June's draft and is having a respectable first season in North America, having tallied nine points in 17 games with the Leafs' AHL affiliate.
The 18-year-old will make his world juniors debut, but is no stranger to representing his native Sweden, having suited up at the under-18, under-17, and under-16 tournaments over the last three years.
Liljegren was plucked by the Maple Leafs with the 17th overall pick in last June's draft and is having a respectable first season in North America, having tallied nine points in 17 games with the Leafs' AHL affiliate.
The 18-year-old will make his world juniors debut, but is no stranger to representing his native Sweden, having suited up at the under-18, under-17, and under-16 tournaments over the last three years.
OTTAWA -- Different elements will be in play when the Ottawa Senators entertain the Montreal Canadians on Saturday.
Frigid temperatures and the possibility of snow should be among them.
For the first time, Ottawa is playing host to an outdoor game, as NHL100 Classic sets up at TD Place, home of the Canadian Football League Ottawa Redblacks.
In excess of 30,000 fans are expected to brave the coldest weekend of the winter thus far. After practicing on the outdoor rink Friday, players expressed their excitement.
"This is unbelievable," said Senators center Matt Duchene, who circled the date on his calendar after being traded from Colorado a month ago. "You're playing for a Canadian team against a Canadian team in the capital of Canada. This has been a whirlwind for me. This is something I knew was coming. I've really been looking for it."
Not to be forgotten for the Senators, however, is the importance of the game. After a brutal road trip that saw them win just one of seven games and fall deep down the Eastern Conference standings, the Senators defeated the New York Rangers 3-2 in their first game back on Wednesday night.
The win didn't get them any closer than seven points back of the last division playoff spot, with the Canadiens a team they have to pass on their way.
"I don't think the big thing for us is that we're having this type of game," Ottawa coach Guy Boucher said of playing outdoors. "We needed to come back home and we needed it big time. We've been on the road for a month. That was huge. Just to come back, I saw the energy change at home. We had terrific energy, great enthusiasm. It's the same feeling here."
While Craig Anderson will be in goal for the Senators, Carey Price makes his 10th straight start between the pipes for Montreal.
The Canadiens are coming off Thursday's 2-1 overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils that snapped a three-game losing streak.
To get acclimatized, the Canadiens strayed from their normal routine by practicing in Ottawa on Friday.
"The most important thing for us is to get the two points," Habs center Tomas Plekanec told the Montreal Gazette. "These games are different, they're fun, but we have to remember we need points."
Stressing the point was Canadiens coach Claude Julien, an Ottawa native.
"There's no doubt when you're playing outside you're looking at more things than you would in a normal game," Julien told the Gazette. "Weather has an effect on your game plan. The ice was great today and we hope it's the same tomorrow, but if the ice isn't as good and there are certain situations with the weather and the wind, we'll try to keep the game simple.
"You may have to tweak things along the way, but you don't need to overload your players with all these things. But, as a coach, you have to be ready.
"I don't hate these games. These games get a lot of people excited, even the players. There are guys who haven't played an outdoor game yet. A lot of people will tell you it's grown old, but it's an experience. But you have to manage it properly. Guys have to understand that's a big two points."
After netting 50 goals in 15 games through November - the NHL's highest mark - the Leafs have experienced a complete turnaround in the final month of 2017, and continued the trend Friday in a 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
Through seven December games, Toronto ranks 31st with 10 goals for, and it's no coincidence the club has dropped three consecutive decisions with the offense floundering.
Here's a look at some of the Leafs' offensive numbers this month:
November
Stat
December
10-3-1
Record
3-4-0
3.33
Goals per game
1.42
29.7
Shots per game
27
8-for-38 (21%)
Power play
1-for-17 (0.05%)
Of course, Toronto has played the last four games without superstar Auston Matthews, which surely contributes to the lack of offensive punch. Still, with three straight losses in tow, the Leafs will need to find their spark again before playing five of six on the road to close out 2017.
