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Monday, November 1, 1999
Scary Halloween for Rhodes
Troubled by injuries and a suspension to winger Kevin Dineen, the Senators had to send out an SOS to Grand Rapids to complete their lineup card last night in their first visit to Phillips Arena.
It shouldn't come as any surprise the Senators scored on their first shot on Rhodes -- traded to Atlanta from Ottawa in the off-season -- and then kept firing on all cylinders in a 6-4 victory over the expansion Thrashers.
With the blue line depleted by the loss of Sami Salo (broken wrist) and Igor Kravchuk (knee), the Senators were forced to dress Patrick Traverse and call-ups Karel Rachunek and Kevin Miller.
Led by three-point nights from captain Shawn McEachern, winger Andreas Dackell and Magnus Arvedson, along with a solid effort by Marian Hossa, the Senators moved one point behind Toronto for first in the East.
"That was just a great team effort," said McEachern, who had a goal and two assists. "Nobody in here is talking about all the talented players who were missing. Instead, we just have guys stepping it up and getting the job done.
"We're just playing well as a team. We've got a great system and that's been the key. Everybody is playing within the system and we're getting chances."
Playing his former team for the first time since being dealt here in June, Rhodes made Senators GM Marshall Johnston look like a genius for not shelling out the $2.8 million Atlanta is paying him this season.
After rookie centre Mike Fisher scored his first NHL goal on the first shot, Rhodes looked troubled. Maybe it was because the Thrashers defence spent most of the night collapsing around him.
"I was nervous," said Rhodes. "I could tell when I laid down for my afternoon nap, because I don't remember sleeping a wink. I tossed and turned. I relaxed a little bit by the time I got to the rink, but it just wasn't my night. I wanted to play well against them."
This performance won't let Rhodes and the hapless Thrashers sleep any easier. By the end, the Senators were just padding the stats and that allowed the Thrashers to make the score respectable.
When the Senators did have a tough time, Patrick Lalime -- who made 31 saves -- stepped up with solid stops. Ottawa had only 23 shots on Rhodes.
"It just seems to me like different guys are stepping it up every night," said Ottawa defenceman Wade Redden. "The line of Arvedson, Hossa and Bonk has always been consistent, but there's been other guys.
"That's what we need right now. We've got a lot of talented guys out of the lineup and we need everybody contributing if we're going to have success.
But the happiest man in the loud dressing room was Fisher. The 19-year-old centre doesn't have to dream of his first NHL goal any more.
"That was just perfect," said Fisher, who plans to put the puck on a plaque.
A perfect start and an even better finish for the Senators.
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