A big reason for Sunday's victory was the continued success of the power play while Filip Gustavsson was excellent in the Senators goal, as Three Thoughts examines.
Tierney dominates power play
Chris Tierney's three goals this season may not be making any highlight reels, but that doesn't matter.
The 27-year-old had a pair of power play goals Sunday, the first of which was a thin delicate tip and the second that saw the puck come off the heel of his stick and then rise up the shaft on his follow through and went over the shoulder of Anton Khudobin.
This all after his goal on opening night hit his right skate and went in.
"It's a nice way to start for sure," Tierney said. "It's even nicer when you [win] the first two out of three. I'm trying to do whatever I can do to help the team win and [I got] a couple of good bounces, but they say if you go to the net you're going to get bounces."
The Sens power play itself has been on a tear to start the season with a man advantage goal in each of the team's first three games. All-in-all, the Senators are converting at a 44.4 per cent success rate after going 4-for-9.
"We've really honing in our special teams to start the year," Tierney said. "We're doing extra reps and extra video and it's something we want to key in on and have our power play get off to a good start so it's nice to be able to get off to a hot start."
Gus wins first start of season
It's like he never left.
After a phenomenal nine-game NHL stint last year, where Filip Gustavsson went 5-1-2 with a 2.16 GAA and .933 save percentage, he made 32 saves Sunday against Dallas in his first start of 2021-22.
"I just tried to go in with a good feeling and knowing that I can play and let the game come to me," Gustavsson said.
After last year's experience, it showed Gustavsson what to expect at the NHL level. He ultimately was assigned to Belleville after the conclusion of training camp but with Matt Murray on IR, he was recalled immediately and thrust back into NHL action before seeing a second of AHL game time.
"I knew what it took to play at that level and the speed up here so I knew I had to improve my physics and that's what I told my trainer when I went home," Gustavsson said. "I needed to be even better for next season."
Through three games, the Sens have only allowed seven goals, good for a 2.50 GAA and a .937 save percentage.
"Our goalies have played awesome for us so far this year," Tierney said. "It's nice for [Gustavsson] to get in there and have a reliable goalie that you know a big save is coming when you need it.
"It's been great so far for us this year and when your goalies are playing that well you have a feeling that you're going to win and you have a feeling that if the [opposition] get their chances, they're going to be stopped, so it's really encouraging."
Brown notches 100 assists
With three assists Sunday, Brown reached a personal milestone by registering 100 NHL assists.
It was the third time Brown has tallied three assists in a game and the first time since Dec. 18, 2018.
"It's big," Brown said of the landmark. "Obviously, you want to have personal accolades and when it comes on the night of a win it makes it feel even better."
Brown has 80 NHL goals, including a career best 21 in 2020-21, in 383 games and in 130 games with the Senators, averages a point every 0.62 contests.
