Senators' Stützle points to bright future after dazzling vs. Maple Leafs

A crowd of nearly 19,000 packed the Canadian Tire Centre stands for Saturday’s wildly entertaining game between the visiting Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators. 

For Ottawa fans and their hockey team, this is as close as it will get this spring to having playoff hockey in the building. 

The CTC was loud and mainly blue-and-white in colour, as invading Leaf fans came out to watch Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews in prime form. Those same Leaf fans took notice of a 20-year-old kid on the Senators roster named Tim Stützle, who put on a dazzling performance, scored twice and had the winning goal on his stick in overtime – stopped on a five-hole attempt on Erik Kallgren. 

In his past ten games, the sophomore Stützle has six goals and 15 points; and on the season, 20 goals and 52 points. If there was ever any doubt about how good a player this German product is going to be, there is none now. Stützle is destined for stardom and almost certainly the future No. 1 centre of this team, even though Josh Norris has also been outstanding. 

After the 5-4 OT loss, Senators head coach D. J. Smith found himself in familiar territory, being asked about his young star, who was dancing all night.  

“You know what, you can see he’s playing against the league’s best and he’s not backing down,” Smith said. “Again, he’s the best player out there – one of them – there’s certainly some high end players over there (on the Leafs) but Timmy’s really coming.”

Smith deserves credit for giving Stützle lots of rope this season. The coach was also more or less forced to shift the kid over from the wing position, with so many centres injured. That has paid off and might continue to pay dividends for years to come. 

Stützle exudes confidence. Asked about that aspect of his game, he can’t really explain it. 

“I just try to play my game every day, every night,” he says. “I think it’s working pretty good right now.”

Understatement of the season. 

Veteran Austin Watson, who was playing in his 400th NHL game, says Stützle has done everything right since coming over from Europe to join the NHL at 19. 

 “I can't say enough good things about him,” Watson says. “You know, ever since he’s got here – he’s such a good kid. He’s soaked it all up. Just the maturity in his game. He’s making puck decisions like he’s been in the league for five, six, seven years. He’s being physically hard to play against. He’s hard to play against in his own end, but when he gets the puck he knows he’s the best player on the ice. He knows he’s a difference maker for our team. And he’s confident he can do it for us, and you know, it’s really cool to see. 

“You love to see when guys get rewarded for their hard work. He’s put in a ton of work this year.”

While Stützle still has to clean up a few giveaways – that will come with experience – he has developed an all-around game, and exceeded expectations with 20 goals on a rebuilding team. 

“It’s definitely nice to hit the 20-goal mark, but we wanted to get the win tonight and we didn’t do it, so that sucked,” he says, flatly. 

His second goal was off a brutal giveaway by Ilya Lyubushkin, and the first was on a two-on-one that became a two on the goalie, with Brady Tkachuk and Stützle bearing down on Kallgren.

“I think I had a pretty long shift before so I kind of wanted to just change, but then I saw we had a two on one,” Stützle said. “Yeah, I was ready for the pass. And I maybe wanted to give it back to him, but I saw the net was wide open so I just shot it.” 

Entertaining game, but not for coaches

The game was free-wheeling, which every fan relished. Not so much the coaches. 

“No, we’re not interested in entertaining, but in saying that – the sold out building, the (playoff-type) atmosphere, I mean those are the games we want to play in,” Smith said. “We have the players that should bring the people out. Timmy, Drake (Batherson) and Norris and Chucky, (Thomas) Chabot and these guys, they’re real players. You look at Toronto and how long it took them to get all these guys together. 

“Our guys are younger than them and for me the future is really bright.”

Watson concurred, calling it “the closest thing we’re going to get to a playoff atmosphere this year.” This was Watson’s first experience with Leaf fans in the building, without Covid restrictions limiting numbers. 

A crowd of 18,655 packed the building, the largest gate of the season. To Stützle the crowd atmosphere helps a player rise to an occasion, and even get out of a slump or an off-night. 

“I think every player in every sport plays for the fans, too,” he says. “So, I mean it’s great to have the fans back. It was really terrible last year when we didn’t have any fans in the stands. If you’re having a bad game, there’s no one to get you out of it. We’re really grateful to have them.

Value in playing playoff teams 

While the Senators don’t have a playoff to anticipate this spring, they are finding value in playing teams like Boston, in a fierce 3-2 Sens win last Thursday, and then taking a point from a high octane Leafs team. 

“And they’re playing hard,” Smith says of the Bruins and Leafs. “There have been times when teams have come in and not played well against us, for whatever reason or took the night off and we beat them. Toronto didn’t take the night off, Boston didn’t take the night off. I didn’t look at the sheet to see how many minutes Matthews and Marner played, but it seemed like they were out there every other shift (Matthews played 23:49, Marner 23:09).” 

On facing Matthews and Marner

Defenders must gulp everytime they look up to see Matthews and Marner in gear. 

“It’s hard because they’re so fast,” says Watson, a winger who actually saw his fourth line with Gambrell and Parker Kelly face the trio of Marner, Matthews and Michael Bunting quite often. 

“They hang onto the puck and they’re always moving. You know, Matthews doesn’t look like he’s moving that fast, but he’s flying. Mitch is always going a hundred miles per hour out there. And Bunting is always in the middle of something. So, they’re a really good line, but they’re going to get their chances, their looks, I thought for the most part we did a pretty good job.”

That line still combined for five points and Marner had two goals. Somehow, Gambrell and Watson ended up positive on the night while Kelly was -1. 

Stützle said he relishes the chance to face two offensive stars like Matthews and Marner. 

“Those are guys I love watching every night, I watch their highlights every time,” he says. “They make so many nice plays together. And they play with so much confidence. Those are two guys I try to model my game after, for sure. Playing against them, I think, gives me a huge push.”

Senyshyn called up

At the last minute Saturday, the Sens learned they would not have centre Colin White, who tested positive for COVID-19. Defenceman Victor Mete played wing, sort of. He saw just 2:42 of ice time. 

Centre/wing Zack Senyshyn, recently acquired from the Bruins, was recalled from AHL's Belleville and joined the team for the trip to Seattle and a game against the Kraken Monday night. 

Stützle will play for Germany

Stützle said after the game that he would like to play for his country in the upcoming world championships in Finland, as long as he finishes the season in good health. 

“I would rather play in the playoffs and not end the season, but (want to) just get the year done and keep playing and getting better. Stronger too,” Stützle says. “I already talked to the coach and it’s always a big honour for me to be part of the national team, so if nothing happens, no injuries and everything is good, and the season ends well, I will be there.”

Emotional Watson reaches 100 points in 400th game

Players reach milestones all the time, but it was evident that Watson’s 100th career point in his 400th game meant a lot. The 30-year-old has been through substance abuse rehab and a domestic assault case in his career, and is beyond thankful to have turned his life around.  

“All of it’s really cool,” Watson said. “You sit and take some time and think about it, it’s pretty emotional for me. This game has given me a life that I don’t know if I deserve, but I’m here anyways. I can’t thank the Nashville Predators, the Senators and the league enough to allow me to live out my dreams but also to take care of the personal side of life outside the game as well. 

“I’m full of gratitude today.”