When Bobby Ryan scored 14 minutes into the first period against the Maple Leafs on Saturday, it was a good sign for the Senators.
At that point, in fact, it was almost safe to assume they’d be returning to the nation’s capital with a 3-0 record from their trip.
Heading into the night, Ottawa was 8-0-1 in games Ryan had found the back of the net. And interestingly, he had not waited long to provide his team with a good sign.
Of Ryan’s 10 goals, eight have been the Senators’ first goal of the game and five have been the first goal, by either team, of the night.