It’s OK for hockey to stop taking itself so seriously, just for a moment.
A standing ovation, please, for Senators head coach Guy Boucher — normally wound so tight he could burn a hole through glass with his visual glare. In the heat of a very intense game versus the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, Boucher captured the sense of occasion by sending 1,000-games celebrant Chris Neil over the boards as his fourth shooter in the shootout.
Some classic second-guessing around town suggests Ottawa may come to rue the single point lost in this game. Truth is, Neil has a good shootout move and should have been used in this capacity long ago.